Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Treating PID at Home
• Part 2 of 3: Medication for PID
• Part 3 of 3: Preventing PID
• Tips
• Warnings

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a group of infectious diseases of the female reproductive system. Infection occurs when bacteria from the vagina enter other reproductive organs such as the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. As a rule, these are bacteria that are sexually transmitted. Despite the fact that PID can be virtually asymptomatic, they often cause female infertility. PID symptoms can be relieved with a variety of home remedies. However, it is important to take medication to prevent complications such as infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

Attention:this article is for informational purposes only. Consult your healthcare professional before using prescriptions.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Treating PID at Home

1. 1 It is important to notice the symptoms of PID in time. Very often, at an early stage, PID is asymptomatic, especially if the causative agent of the infection is chlamydia.Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease can include pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, back pain, heavy odorless vaginal discharge, irregular menstruation, chronic fatigue, pain during intercourse and urination, and mild fever.
   • For example, in the United States, 1 million women are diagnosed with PID each year. Every eighth sexually active girl suffers PID before reaching the age of twenty.
   • There are a number of factors contributing to the occurrence of PID: frequent sexual intercourse, multiple partners, sex without barrier means of protection, previous sexually transmitted diseases, use of intrauterine contraceptives, frequent vaginal douching, age 14-25 years.
2. 2 Take a warm Epsom Epsom salt bath. If you are concerned about pain in your lower abdomen or pelvis, a warm Epsom salts bath can help relieve cramping, pain, and swelling. Epsom salts are high in magnesium, which is good for relaxing muscles, relieving spasms and tension caused by PID. Draw warm water, add a few glasses of Epsom salts, and sit in a sitz bath. Within 15-20 minutes you should feel an improvement.
   • Do not draw very hot water or sit in the bathtub for more than 30 minutes. Hot salt water can cause dry skin.
   • Use damp heat to relieve abdominal or pelvic spasms. Use herbal pouches, preferably with herbs that have a relaxing effect on the muscles. For example, lavender has this property.
3. 3 Try natural antibiotics. Considering that PID is a bacterial infection of the genitals, it is worth trying to cure it with herbal antibacterial agents. For example, garlic has the strongest bactericidal and antibiotic properties, and also restores the normal microflora of the vagina. Chop a few fresh garlic cloves and squeeze out the oil. Apply some oil to a clean cotton swab. Insert the tampon into the vagina and lubricate the inner walls with oil. Let the oil soak into the vaginal mucosa for a few hours and then wash it off. Repeat this procedure daily until you feel better. The disadvantage of this treatment is the smell of garlic and strong tingling within a few minutes after applying the oil.
   • Instead of garlic oil, you can use tea tree oil or coconut oil, which smells much better. In addition, these oils will help to hide the unpleasant odor of vaginal discharge.
   • PID can also be treated with herbal oral supplements. Try unscented garlic tablets, olive leaf extract, grapefruit and cat's claw seed extract, and turmeric powder.

Part 2 of 3: Medication for PID

1. 1 Consult your doctor. If you have any of the above symptoms of PID, see your gynecologist or family doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will most likely perform a pelvic examination, take a vaginal smear, and order blood tests to help identify the inflammatory process. He may also order an ultrasound, CT, or MRI to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of PID.
   • During a gynecological examination, the doctor will pay attention to soreness in the vagina and cervix, sensitivity of the uterus, tubes or ovaries, bleeding from the cervix, and vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor.
   • In blood tests, the presence of an inflammatory process will indicate an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a high level of white blood cells (leukocytes) and C-reactive protein (CRP).
   • The sooner you are diagnosed with PID, the more effective treatment will be and the less likely it is to develop complications (read below).
2. 2 Talk to your doctor about which antibiotics you should take. Antibiotic therapy is the main treatment for PID. The most effective is the simultaneous treatment with several antibacterial drugs. Your doctor may prescribe doxycycline plus metronidazole, ofloxacin plus metronidazole, or cephalosporin plus doxycycline. If you have severe PID, you may need to be hospitalized to receive intravenous antibiotics (injections into a vein in your arm). Antibiotics can help prevent complications from PID. If serious disorders have already occurred in the body, antibiotics will not be able to eliminate them.
   • If PID is caused by an STD (sexually transmitted disease), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, then your sex partner should also take antibiotics or other medications as prescribed by your doctor.
   • With antibiotics, symptoms may go away even before the infection is completely cleared. Therefore, it is important to follow the doctor's recommendations exactly and complete the course of antibiotic therapy.
3. 3 It is important not to miss the development of complications of the infection. In most cases, antibiotics will help completely cure PID. It is much more difficult to cure a disease that is severe or chronic, or when drug therapy is ineffective. In such cases, it is important not to miss the development of such serious complications as infertility (inability to get pregnant), the formation of scar tissue around the fallopian tubes, which can lead to tubal obstruction, ovarian abscesses, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis. In addition, recent studies have shown that women with PID are more at risk of heart attack.
   • Treatment with PID gives a positive result in about 85% of cases, 75% of women do not have a relapse of the disease.
   • If PID relapses, then with each subsequent case of the disease, the likelihood of developing infertility increases.
   • For complications such as an ovarian abscess or obstruction of the fallopian tubes, surgery may be required.
   • In order to reduce the risk of developing complications of PID, it is necessary to regularly visit a doctor and undergo all the necessary gynecological examinations.

Part 3 of 3: Preventing PID

1. 1 Safe sex is the main prevention of PID. As a rule, it is during the exchange of body fluids during intercourse that infection occurs that lead to PID. The most common cause of PID is gonorrhea or chlamydia. Therefore, it is important to be aware of your partner's sexually transmitted diseases and to use a condom as a barrier contraceptive. A condom reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections, although not 100%.
   • Remember that unprotected intercourse is a potential threat of STDs. During menstruation, the risk of infection and infection becomes much higher.
   • Your partner should always use a new latex or polyurethane condom, no matter what type of sex you are having.
   • The pathogens of chlamydia and gonorrhea cannot enter your body through the protective layer of latex or polyurethane. However, a condom provides reliable protection only when used correctly and can break during intercourse. This is why a condom is not 100% STD protection.
2. 2 Always practice good personal hygiene. Genital hygiene, especially after going to the toilet, is as important to preventing inflammatory diseases as safe sex and consideration of possible risk factors. Wash and dry regularly from front to back after urinating or defecating to prevent bacteria from entering the vagina from your rectum.Feces contain E. coli, which, along with the bacteria that cause STDs, can cause PID.
   • Immediately after intercourse, wash your genitals or wipe them with baby antiseptic wipes.
   • Too frequent or inappropriate vaginal douching increases the risk of developing PID. They can disrupt the balance of "good" bacteria in the vagina and, as a result, lead to uncontrolled reproduction of "bad" pathogenic species.
   • In addition, bacteria can enter the vagina during childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, endometrial biopsy, and when an intrauterine device (IUD) is inserted.
3. 3 Strengthen your immune system. In order to prevent the development of a bacterial, viral or fungal infection in the body, a healthy and strong immunity is needed. The immune system is made up of specialized white blood cells that recognize and then destroy disease-causing bacteria and other microorganisms. If the immune system is weakened or does not function properly, bacteria can multiply uncontrollably and be carried through the blood to other reproductive organs. Therefore, one of the important aspects of PID prevention is strengthening the immune system.
   • In order to strengthen the immune system, you need to get enough sleep, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, follow the rules of personal hygiene, drink enough purified water and regularly exercise for the cardiovascular system.
   • Reducing the consumption of refined sugars, namely sugary carbonated drinks, sweets, ice cream, bakery products, will have a beneficial effect on the state of the immune system. It will also be beneficial to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.
   • Vitamin, mineral and herbal nutritional supplements will help boost immunity. It is recommended to take supplements that contain vitamins A, C and D, zinc, selenium, echinacea, olive leaf extract and astragalus root.

Tips

• If you have been diagnosed with PID, it is necessary for your sexual partner to be examined and treated (if he is diagnosed with an infection).
• Smoking increases the risk of developing PID, so it is worth giving up this habit.
• If you have been diagnosed with PID, you should not take iron supplements without a doctor's prescription. Excess iron in the body can cause

promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

• For chronic PID, acupuncture can be taken to boost immunity, reduce inflammation and reduce pain.

Warnings

• If a woman has been repeatedly diagnosed with PID, with each subsequent case of the disease, the likelihood of her developing infertility increases. One in ten women who have had PID becomes infertile.
• Untreated, PID can cause permanent damage to the female reproductive organs.