To fully treat PID, you may need to take one or more antibiotics. Taking antibiotic medicine will help clear the infection in about 2 weeks. Take this medicine at the same time every day.
Full recovery is possible in most cases of PID, particularly if caught early. A course of antibiotics should clear it up within 10 to 14 days. If damage is caused by scarring and abscesses, full healing may not be possible. If you do require surgery, it can take up to six weeks to heal, and you may have lasting damage.
Can PID be cured? Yes, if PID is diagnosed early, it can be treated. However, treatment won't undo any damage that has already happened to your reproductive system. The longer you wait to get treated, the more likely it is that you will have complications from PID.
Complications. The fallopian tubes can become scarred and narrowed if they're affected by PID. This can make it difficult for eggs to pass from the ovaries into the womb. This can then increase your chances of having a pregnancy in the fallopian tubes (ectopic pregnancy) instead of the womb in the future.
This is often because the course of antibiotics wasn't completed or because a sexual partner wasn't tested and treated. If an episode of PID damages the womb or fallopian tubes, it can become easier for bacteria to infect these areas in the future, making it more likely that you'll develop the condition again.
See your health care provider or seek urgent medical care if you experience: Severe pain low in your abdomen. Nausea and vomiting, with an inability to keep anything down.
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) - chlamydia, mycoplasma genitalium and gonorrhoea are the most common cause of PID. Use condoms with any new partner and get regular testing for STIs (at least once a year) can reduce your risk of PID.
PID can lead to serious, long-term problems: Infertility—One in 10 women with PID becomes infertile. PID can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes. This scarring can block the tubes and prevent an egg from being fertilized.
Treatment for PID most often includes: Antibiotics. Your health care provider will prescribe a combination of antibiotics to start immediately.
Symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
As the infection spreads, pain in the lower abdomen becomes increasingly severe and may be accompanied by a low-grade fever (usually below 102° F [38.9° C]) and nausea or vomiting. Later, the fever may become higher, and the discharge often becomes puslike and yellow-green.
Women develop PID when certain bacteria, such as Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), move upward from a woman's vagina or cervix into her reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and permanent damage of a woman's reproductive organs.
PID can damage the fallopian tubes and tissues in and near the uterus and ovaries. PID can lead to serious consequences including infertility, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in the fallopian tube or elsewhere outside of the womb), abscess formation, and chronic pelvic pain.
long term or recurrent pelvic pain. reduced fertility or infertility – this affects 1 in 10 women with PID and is more likely in severe infection or repeated episodes. ectopic pregnancy – a serious condition where the baby grows outside the womb, most commonly the fallopian tube.
Sexually active women of childbearing age are most at risk for PID. The more sex partners a woman has, the higher her risk of getting PID. Women who are 25 or younger are more likely to get PID than those older than 25.
Antibiotics. Treatment with antibiotics needs to be started quickly, before the results of the swabs are available. PID is usually caused by a variety of different bacteria, even in cases where chlamydia, gonorrhoea or mycoplasma genitalium is identified.
The disease affects the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries. It is typically an ascending infection, spreading from the lower genital tract. The majority of cases of PID are related to a sexually transmitted infection.
Sometimes, PID isn't due to a sexually transmitted infection. It can come from normal vaginal bacteria traveling to your reproductive organs. Avoiding douching may lower the risk. Most of the time, though, PID happens because of unprotected sex.
This can expose the uterus to infection. Appendicitis: A slight risk, as the infection can spread from the appendix to the uterus. Poor hygiene: Women who do not wash or clean up properly after using the bathroom can increase their risk for PID.
The most common bacteria are two sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), gonorrhea and Chlamydia. But, bacteria that are usually found in the vagina may also cause PID. Most people have an STD before they get PID. But, not everyone gets PID by having sex.
Pelvic inflammatory disease causes different symptoms in different women. These may include: A dull pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen. Vaginal discharge that is yellow or green and may have an unpleasant smell.
Urinary Problems
PID can cause unusual discharge from the urethra (where you pee). Frequent urination, burning during urination, and difficulty urinating can be symptoms of PID.
Your doctor or nurse may suggest going into the hospital to treat your PID if: You are very sick. You are pregnant. Your symptoms do not go away after taking the antibiotics or if you cannot swallow pills.
A pelvic ultrasound is a helpful procedure for diagnosing PID. An ultrasound can view the pelvic area to see whether the fallopian tubes are enlarged or whether an abscess is present. In some cases, a laparoscopy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
PID often doesn't show any symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild you don't feel them — especially when you first get the infection. The longer you have PID, the worse the symptoms tend to get.