Comparison Of PID And Endometriosis
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is Preventable
The problems and pain experienced by women who have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) often last for a long time, causing problems and pain for many years. Many STDs culminate in a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). There are other causes of PID such as bacterial vaginosis, pelvic surgery and other types of gynecological procedures. Fundamentally, PID is preventable.
What Happens When A Woman Has PID
When a woman has pelvic inflammatory disease, her upper reproductive tract is inflamed. All of the organs of the reproductive system are affected, including the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The most common inflammation, salpingitis, occurs in the fallopian tubes.
The immune system reacts to the infection, fighting the invading bacterium which causes local inflammation and scarring. Even though the infection may be halted within the reproductive tract, organs can be damaged in the process. PID can cause scarring in the reproductive organs as well as in the pelvic cavity, causing chronic pelvic pain. Antibiotics are used to treat symptoms of PID because it is caused by an underlying infection.
It Is One of The Leading Causes Of Infertility And Ectopic Pregnancy
Pelvic inflammatory disease is one of the major causes of infertility in women worldwide and is also a leading cause of ectopic pregnancy. Like other STDs, PID causes heavy scarring during the healing process. This scarring can eventually plug the fallopian tubes which may prevent sperm from reaching the egg to fertilize it, or if the sperm can get through, the fertilized egg may not be able to reach the uterus. Scarring tends to be much worse in older women and in women who smoke.
Endometriosis, We Know What It Is But We Don't Know What Causes It
Endometriosis is very similar in many respects to pelvic inflammatory disease. It creates blockages in the reproductive organs and it is also considered a leading cause of infertility. Evidence suggests that between 30 and 50 percent of women with endometriosis are infertile-although endometriosis alone rarely causes an absolute inability to conceive.
A condition where the tissue of the endometrium (uterine lining) grows outside of the uterus on other organs and even in the pelvic cavity, endometriosis causes pain and irregular bleeding. There is current research being conducted focusing on the idea of whether defects in the immune system cause endometriosis and, by association, infertility. Other research has shown that women with endometriosis have unusually low levels of the substances which allow the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus. There is also evidence of more genetic abnormalities in the eggs of women with endometriosis.
Symptoms Of Endometriosis, Results And Treatment Of Endometriosis
Infertility results with endometriosis when lesions or implants of endometrial growth occur in the fallopian tubes where the egg's passage can be blocked. When an implant occurs in the ovaries, the release of an egg is prevented. In severe cases of endometriosis, rigid webs of scar tissue called adhesions form between the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes blocking the transfer of the egg to the fallopian tube.
The only way to properly diagnose endometriosis is through laparoscopic surgery. Pain is often managed with the use of NSAIDs.
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