Pelvic inflammatory disease (or PID from the English acronym pelvic inflammatory disease) is an infection that affects the reproductive system of women. It occurs when bacteria (often sexually transmitted) spread to the vagina and reproductive organs: the uterus, fallopian tubes and / or ovaries. The disease does not always show symptoms, although it often affects the ability to get pregnant. There are some home remedies that can help fight the infection, but medical attention is needed to avoid the risk of infertility and chronic pain.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Managing the PID at Home
Step 1. Recognize the symptoms
During the early stage, infection is not always symptomatic, especially when it is caused by chlamydia. However, if any signs arise, these may be: pelvic, lower abdominal or lumbar pain, heavy foul-smelling vaginal discharge, irregular menstruation, chronic fatigue, pain during sexual intercourse and urination, mild fever.
- In the United States alone, for example, nearly one million women develop PID each year, and one in eight sexually active girls are affected by it before reaching the age of 20.
- Among the main risk factors are: frequent sexual intercourse, different sexual partners, not practicing safe sex, a previous history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), use of the intrauterine device (IUD, or IUD), young age (14-25 years) and frequent vaginal washing.
Step 2. Take a warm bath with Epsom salt
If pelvic inflammatory disease is symptomatic and / or you experience pain in the lower abdomen, you can soak your lower body in a warm bath with this salt, which can greatly reduce spasms, pain and swelling. Its high magnesium content acts as a soothing, relieving muscle tension and cramps associated with infection. Fill the tub with hot water and add a few handfuls of Epsom salt. You should start noticing the first benefits within 15-20 minutes.
- Don't bathe in too hot water and don't soak for more than half an hour at a time, as boiling salt water can draw moisture into your skin and potentially dehydrate you.
- Alternatively, apply moist heat to the abdominal / pelvic muscles to relieve cramps; bags of herbs to be heated in the microwave oven are also fine, especially those used for aromatherapy (based on lavender), as they help to relax the muscles.
Step 3. Try natural antibiotics
Since PID basically consists of a bacterial infection of the reproductive organs, it may be helpful to insert herbal antibiotic ointments into the vagina. For example, garlic is a strong antibiotic and can restore the balance of the bacterial flora of the vagina. Chop a few fresh garlic cloves to make an oil that you can apply to a clean cotton swab. Then insert the cotton swab into the vagina and rub it on the walls. Wait a few hours for the oil to be absorbed by the mucous membranes before washing. Repeat the procedure every day until the infection begins to subside. The main negative aspects of this treatment are the smell of garlic and the possibility of feeling intense tingling for a few minutes.
- Other herbal antibiotic ointments that can replace garlic oil (and that don't smell as strong) are tea tree and coconut oil; these are also able to cover up the unpleasant odor of the vagina due to the infection.
- There are also herbal supplements for oral use (to be taken by mouth) that can help you fight pelvic inflammatory disease, such as turmeric powder, odorless garlic tablets, olive leaf extract, seed extract. grapefruit and Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw).
Part 2 of 3: Medical Care
Step 1. Make an appointment with your family doctor
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above or suspect that you have this infection, you should see your primary care doctor or gynecologist as soon as possible. Your doctor will perform a pelvic physical exam, take a vaginal sample / swab, have a blood test to check for infection, and even have you do an imaging test (ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging), to rule out or confirm the diagnosis.
- During the pelvic exam the gynecologist will examine: vaginal and cervical pain, soreness of the uterus, tubes or ovaries, bleeding from the cervix and foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- To find the presence of infection in blood tests, there must be a high rate of erythrocyte sedimentation, as well as high levels of white blood cells (leukocytes, or WBCs) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
- The sooner pelvic inflammatory disease is diagnosed, the more effective the treatment will be, with the lower risk of complications (read on for more details).
Step 2. Talk to your doctor about antibiotics
These represent the main treatment for PID. The doctor may prescribe a combination of different drugs to make the treatment more effective, for example: doxycycline together with metronidazole, ofloxacin combined with metronidazole or cephalosporins for oral use in combination with doxycycline. If the infection is severe, you will need to go to the hospital and undergo intravenous (through a vein in your arm) antibiotic therapy. This class of drugs avoids serious complications that can result from infection, but cannot repair the damage that has already occurred.
- If your infection is the result of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, your partner will also need to undergo antibiotic treatment or take other appropriate medications.
- During drug therapy, symptoms may subside before treatment is complete; Always follow your doctor's instructions and complete the entire course of medications as prescribed.
Step 3. Pay attention to any complications
In most cases, antibiotic treatment is sufficient to fight PID, but sometimes the drugs are not effective enough, the infection is severe or becomes chronic and more difficult to treat. In these circumstances, it is important to be vigilant to avoid serious complications, such as infertility (inability to get pregnant), scar tissue formation around the fallopian tubes causing an obstruction, ovarian abscess, ectopic (ectopic) pregnancy, and pelvic / abdominal pain. chronic. Recent research has found that women with pelvic inflammatory disease also run a higher risk of heart attacks.
- Approximately 85% of PID cases resolve with initial treatment and approximately 75% of patients have no recurrence of the infection.
- When relapses occur, the chances of infertility increase with each subsequent infection.
- For some complications, such as ovarian abscess or obstruction of the fallopian tubes, surgery is required.
- Go to your doctor's office more frequently and get regular gynecological examinations to reduce the risk of developing complications.
Part 3 of 3: Prevention
Step 1. Practice safe sex
Exchanging body fluids during sexual intercourse is the most common means by which women contract the disease. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the main sexually transmitted diseases that can cause this infection. Know the health status of your partners and always take all preventive measures to avoid getting infected, preferably with a barrier method, for example by having your partner wear a condom. The condom does not completely avoid the risk of transmitting an infectious disease, but it greatly reduces the chances.
- Absolutely avoid having sexual intercourse without protection, but even more so during menstruation, when the risk of infection and bacterial proliferation is highest.
- Have your partner wear a new latex or polyurethane condom for each sexual intercourse.
- STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are unable to break through the latex or polyurethane barrier, but condoms can sometimes break or be misused. That's why it's not completely safe.
Step 2. Practice good hygiene
In addition to paying attention during sexual intercourse and being aware of risk factors, it is extremely important to reduce the chances of developing PID by implementing a good hygiene routine, especially after going to the bathroom. Wash regularly and dry from front to back after urinating or defecating, so you don't risk introducing anal bacteria into the vagina. In addition to sexually transmitted diseases (already described above), the E. coli bacterium present in the stool can also cause PID.
- Remember to wash your genitals, even just with antiseptic baby wipes, right after sexual intercourse.
- Vaginal irrigations (if excessive or performed with the wrong techniques) represent another factor that increases the risk of infection, because they can lead to an imbalance of the "good" bacteria present in the vagina and leave the "bad" pathogenic ones the chance to grow in. uncontrolled way.
- Keep in mind that bacteria can also enter the vagina during a birth, a miscarriage, a voluntary abortion procedure, an endometrial biopsy, and even during IUD insertion.
Step 3. Strengthen the immune system
To combat any type of internal infection (bacterial, viral or fungal), true prevention depends on the state of health and the effective response or not of the immune system. The body's natural defenses are essentially made up of special white blood cells which have the task of "searching" and possibly destroying the bacteria and other microorganisms responsible for diseases. However, when the immune system is weak or compromised, bacteria can grow out of control and spread to other reproductive organs through the blood. Therefore, another way to avoid PID is also to strengthen the immune defenses and make them work properly.
- Getting plenty of sleep (or better), eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, practicing good hygiene, drinking adequate amounts of water, and exercising regularly are all proven methods of strengthening the immune system.
- To help with this, you should also cut down on refined sugars (sodas, candy, ice cream, and most baked goods), limit your alcohol intake, and quit smoking.
- Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements that help boost the immune response include vitamins A, C and D, zinc, selenium, echinacea, olive leaf extract and astragalus root.
Advice
- If you are diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease, ask your partner for tests, to see if he is infected and to follow up on treatment (if necessary).
- If you smoke, you should consider quitting, as cigarettes are associated with an increased risk of developing PID.
- Do not take iron supplements if you are diagnosed with this infection (unless your doctor prescribes them), as harmful bacteria appear to thrive in an environment rich in iron.
- Acupuncture stimulates the immune system to reduce pain and inflammation in women with chronic PID.
Warnings
- A woman who contracts the infection several times runs a greater risk of infertility; one in ten who gets PID becomes sterile.
- Without the proper treatments, the infection can lead to permanent damage to the female reproductive organs.
