Pelvic inflammation is an infection that affects women’s reproductive system, including the abdomen, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, and uterus. This condition is not uncommon and should be detected as early as possible, to avoid irreparable damage and infertility. There are several types of bacteria that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, but one of the most common one chlamydia. Typically, chlamydia infection is caught through vaginal intercourse, and it may eventually spread on to the pelvis. Pelvic inflammation might be extremely dangerous, at worst cases, even life-threatening if the infection spreads to the blood. If you have any suspicion of this infection, contact a doctor immediately.
What is the Risk of Chlamydia-caused Pelvic Inflammation?
Untreated chlamydia infection increases the risk of developing the pelvic inflammation disease. A big problem is that this disease usually does not cause any noticeable signs or ailments. This allows the bacteria able to evolve long enough to strike suddenly and violently. It is therefore recommended that you visit your doctor or medical institution if you meet the following criteria:
- You are under 25 years old.
- Have had intercourse with multiple partners.
- Have had sexual intercourse without contraception.
- Have used spiral.
- Had pelvic inflammation before.
It is also possible to buy a test kit for chlamydia in our store. The test is easy to use and allows you to test yourself regularly and privately.
Symptoms of Pelvic Infection Caused by Chlamydia
Some women with pelvic inflammatory disease do not notice any symptoms at all. However, these are the most common symptoms of a mild pelvic inflammatory disease:
- Pain in the lower abdomen (most common symptom).
- Abdominal pain.
- Fever.
- Pain during intercourse.
- Bleeding.
- Increased amount of discharge, which generally has an odor.
- A sense of exhaustion.
Pelvic inflammation might cause mild or moderate pain, but some women may experience severe pain and obvious symptoms, such as:
- Major abdominal pain.
- Vomit.
- Syncope (sudden fainting)
- Strong fever.
- Nausea.
In case you have severe symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Pelvic infection may spread to the blood or other body parts – this can be a life-threatening situation.
Testing and Diagnosis
If you have had a positive result of a chlamydia test and you are also experiencing any symptoms of a pelvic inflammation (see above), there is a strong probability that you have a chlamydia infection that has spread further in your body. It is important that you contact a doctor immediately. He/she will determine if you have pelvic inflammatory disease based on symptoms and different surveys:
- Gynecologic.
- Ultrasound examination of the pelvis.
- Take samples of the cervix to check for infections.
- Urine test to check for blood in the urine, cancer and other diseases.
After taking all the necessary tests, the doctor will submit those to the lab for further analysis.
Pelvic Inflammation and further gynecological examinations
After the doctor has diagnosed, it can take several tests to see if the infection has done any permanent damage in the pelvic area. A pelvic inflammation can actually cause scarring of the fallopian tubes as well as permanent damage to the reproductive system. In the worst case, this may result in infertility.
Treatment
Pelvic infection always has an aggressive and broad treatment, because it is almost impossible to know for sure if this condition is caused by chlamydia bacteria. It can be due to other bacteria, even if microbiological tests indicate otherwise. Generally, the treatment of pelvic inflammation against a single bacterial type is considered insufficient. Antibiotic treatment should include all possible types of bacteria. If for various reasons, you have a condition or a disease that does not allow you to take antibiotics in pills, it is possible that the doctor will send you to the hospital for treatment. In rare cases, surgery is needed, if treatment with antibiotics is not sufficient to remove the infection.
Prevention
- Safe sex with contraception.
- Test yourself for STDs.
- Avoid contact with genital discharge.
- At the lavatory; wipe yourself from front to back, to avoid the bacteria introduced into the vagina.
Complications
If you do not receive treatment on time, you may eventually suffer from severe complications of chlamydia:
- Infertility.
- Ectopic pregnancy.
- Chronic pain in the pelvic area, caused by scarring of the fallopian tubes and other organs in the pelvis.
- The infection can also spread to other parts of the body, and be life-threatening.
Take a test kit now or go to the doctor to check you for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases. It is much more common than you think, and if you are at risk (under 25, multiple partners or have recently changed partners, intercourse without a condom, etc.), It is incredibly important to check them often.