How to Treat PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of a woman's reproductive system.[1] It occurs when bacteria (often sexually transmitted) spread from the vagina to other reproductive organs, such as the uterus, Fallopian tubes and/or ovaries. PID doesn't always cause obvious symptoms, although it frequently affects the ability for a woman to get pregnant. Some home remedies can be helpful for combating PID, but medical treatment should be sought out in order to prevent potential infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

Part 1 - Easing the Symptoms of PID at Home

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→ Recognize the symptoms of PID. PID doesn't often produce any symptoms during the early stages — especially if the infection is caused by chlamydia; however, when symptoms are present they usually include: pelvic and lower abdominal pain, low back ache, heavy vaginal discharge that smells unpleasant, irregular menstrual bleeding, chronic fatigue, pain during sexual intercourse and urination, and mild fever.

→ In the United States, almost 1 million women develop PID each year, and one in eight sexually active girls will get PID before they turn 20 years old.

→ Risk factors for contracting PID include: being sexually active, multiple sexual partners, not practicing safe sex, a history of having STIs, use of intrauterine devices, young age (14 – 25 years), and frequent vaginal douching.

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→ Take a warm Epsom salt bath. If you have symptomatic PID with pelvic and/or lower abdominal pain, then soaking your lower body in a warm Epsom salt bath can significantly reduce spasm, pain and swelling. The high magnesium content of the Epsom salt acts to soothe and relax muscle tension and cramping related to PID. Pour warm water in a bathtub and add a few cups of Epsom salt. You should start to feel results within 15-20 minutes of soaking in the tub.

→ Don't make your bath water too hot or soak for longer than 30 minutes at a time, because the hot salty water can pull moisture from your skin and potentially dehydrate you.

→ Alternatively, apply moist heat to your pelvic/abdominal muscle cramps — microwaved herbal bags work quite well, especially the ones infused with aromatherapy (such as lavender) which have muscle-relaxing effects.

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→ Avoid natural antibiotics. While some home remedies may seem easier and less expensive than going to the doctor, PID is a very serious disease and can cause irreparable damage to your reproductive organs. You should not try to treat it yourself — it is essential that you see a doctor immediately and receive treatment.

→ Relying on home treatments to treat PID will only prolong the infection — early treatment is important to minimize complications.

→ You may want to discuss supplementing your diet with things like garlic and turmeric with your doctor. These home remedies are not replacements for antibiotics, but have antibacterial properties that could potentially help your body combat the infection.

Part 2 - Getting Medical Attention for PID

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→ Make an appointment with your family physician. If you are experiencing any symptoms if PID and suspect that you might have PID, then see your family doctor or gynecologist as soon as you can. Your doctor will likely give you a physical (pelvic) exam, take a vaginal swab/sample, get your blood analyzed for signs of infection and possibly order imaging tests (ultrasound, CT scan or MRI) in order to rule out or confirm a diagnosis of PID.

→ During a pelvic exam, your doctor will look for: vaginal and cervical pain, tenderness in your uterus, tubes or ovaries, bleeding from your cervix, a foul-smelling vaginal discharge.

→ Blood test results that indicate an infection include a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cells (WBCs).

→ The earlier you get a diagnosis, the more effectively PID can be treated and the lower your risk of complications (see below).

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→ Talk to your doctor about antibiotics. The primary medical treatment for PID is antibiotic therapy. Your doctor will likely prescribe a combination of medications to be most effective, such as: doxycycline combined with metronidazole, ofloxacin combined with metronidazole, or cephalosporin with doxycycline. If you have severe PID, you may need to stay in the hospital and receive antibiotics intravenously (through a vein in your arm). Antibiotics can help prevent serious complications related to PID, but they can't reverse any damage that's already occurred.

→ If your PID is caused by an STI, such as like gonorrhea or chlamydia, then your sexual partner should be treated with antibiotics or appropriate medications also.

→ While taking antibiotics, your symptoms may fade away before the infection is completely cured, so always follow your doctor's advice and finish off your medicine as prescribed.

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→ Be aware of complications. In most cases, antibiotic therapy is enough to combat PID, but sometimes the medications aren't effective or the infection is severe or becomes chronic — making it much more difficult to treat. In these instances, your may experience serious complications of PID, such as infertility (inability to get pregnant), scar tissue formation around the Fallopian tubes that causes a tubal blockage, ovarian abscesses, ectopic pregnancy (outside the womb), and chronic pelvic/abdominal pain. Recent research indicates that women with PID are also at higher risk of a heart attack.

→ In about 85% of PID cases, the initial treatment succeeds and about 75% of the time women don't experience a recurrence of the infection.

→ When there is a recurrence of PID, the likelihood of infertility increases with each subsequent episode.

→ Some complications, such as tubal-ovarian abscesses, are life-threatening and require immediate surgery. A blocked Fallopian tube, however, is not life-threatening and not something that necessarily requires treatment.

→ More frequent doctor's visits and gynecological exams may help reduce the risks of developing complications from PID.

Part 3 - Preventing PID

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→ Prevent PID by practicing safe sex. The exchange of body fluids during sexual contact is the most common way a woman contracts PID. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common sexually transmitted infections that cause PID. Know the health status of any sexual partner and always practice safe sex with them, preferably via the barrier method such as having your partner wear a condom. Condom usage doesn't completely eliminate the risk of transferring sexually transmitted diseases among people, but it significantly reduces it.

→ Avoid unprotected intercourse at all times, but particularly during menstruation when the risk of bacterial infection and growth is higher.

→ Have your partner wear a new latex or polyurethane condom for all types of sex acts.

→ STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can't penetrate latex or polyurethane, but sometimes condoms get ripped or are used incorrectly. That's why they aren't 100% protective.

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→ Practice good hygiene. In addition to practicing safe sex and being aware of the risk factors, practicing good hygiene — especially after going to the bathroom — is of great importance for reducing the likelihood of developing PID. Bathe regularly and wipe yourself from front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement in order to reduce the risk of introducing bacteria from your rectum into your vagina. In addition to STIs (as noted above), E. coli bacteria from feces can also cause PID.

→ Remember to wash your genitalia, even if it's just with antiseptic baby wipes, immediately after sexual encounters.

→ Vaginal douching may put you at greater risk for PID. Douching can upset the balance of "good" bacteria in your vagina and allow the "bad" pathogenic types to grow unchecked.

→ Keep in mind that bacteria can also enter your vagina during childbirth, miscarriage, abortion procedures, an endometrial biopsy and while inserting an intrauterine device (IUD).

TIPS

→ If you're diagnosed with PID, ask your sexual partner to get tested for any infections and get treated (if needed).

→ If you smoke cigarettes, then quit because it's associated with an increased risk of developing PID.

→ Avoid taking iron supplements if you're diagnosed with PID (unless prescribed by a doctor) because harmful bacteria seem to thrive on excess iron.

→ Acupuncture may help stimulate immunity and reduce the pain and inflammation experienced by women with chronic PID.

Warnings

→ A woman who has multiple episodes of PID increases her risks for infertility. One in 10 women with PID becomes infertile.

→ Without treatment, PID can cause permanent damage to female reproductive organs.