Pelvic inflammatory disease does not always show symptoms and when it does, they can range from mild to severe. If chlamydia is the cause of PID often there are no symptoms at all. With that in mind, PID can still be extremely detrimental to a woman’s health. Serious damage can occur to the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes if the disease is not found and treated at an early stage. If pain is present it generally occurs in the lower portion of the abdomen and will most likely affect both sides of the body. Some women experience upper abdominal pain as well as lower back pain.
Other symptoms that often can occur in sufferers of pelvic inflammatory disease include pain during intercourse, a high fever, irregular menstrual bleeding, an unusual vaginal discharge that may have a foul smelling odor, painful urination and pain experienced during a pelvic exam. A small percentage of women affected by PID will develop fallopian tubes that are scarred. The scarring could cause future problems with conceiving a child but this is rare.
Seeking Medical Attention for PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often mild or even non-existent. Sometimes the infected woman as well as her doctor will attribute the symptoms to another cause. In order to diagnose PID correctly, a pelvic exam must be performed, and a swab of the cervix must be taken. A doctor will also test for gonorrhea and chlamydia and check for any abnormal cervical or vaginal discharge. The doctor may order a pelvic ultrasound if he/she deems it necessary. The ultrasound will show whether or not an infection is present or if the fallopian tubes are enlarged. A minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy is sometimes undertaken when PID is suspected. This procedure involves the insertion of a thin tube with a light at the end of it (that is the laparoscope) into the lower abdomen. This gives the surgeon the ability to view at close range the internal pelvic organs as well as take tissue samples to send off to the lab.