As
PID can be difficult to diagnose
, other tests may also be required to look for signs of infection or inflammation, or rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. These tests may include: a urine or blood test.
Does urine test show PID?
Doctors can usually find out if you have PID by doing a pelvic exam
. You may also be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other infections, because they often cause PID. Your nurse or doctor may take samples of urine, blood, and/or fluids from your vagina and cervix.
Can PID be mistaken for UTI?
Sometimes the symptoms resemble those of an
ovarian cyst
, appendicitis, endometriosis, or a urinary tract infection (UTI). PID can be acute, lasting up to 30 days, or chronic if it lasts more than 30 days. One difficulty with treating PID is that the symptoms are varied and that some women may have no symptoms.
How does Dr test for PID?
A pelvic exam.
During the exam, your doctor will
check your pelvic region for tenderness and swelling
. Your doctor may also use cotton swabs to take fluid samples from your vagina and cervix. The samples will be tested at a lab for signs of infection and organisms such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.
How do I know if I have had PID?
Because PID often doesn't have any obvious symptoms, it can go unrecognised by women and their doctors. When present, they can include lower abdominal or pelvic pain, discomfort during sex, pain whilst urinating, spotting between periods and abnormal vaginal discharge.
What color is PID discharge?
But symptoms of PID can also start suddenly and quickly. They can include: Pain or tenderness in the stomach or lower abdomen (belly), the most common symptom. Abnormal vaginal discharge,
usually yellow or green
with an unusual odor.
What can PID be mistaken for?
PID can be misdiagnosed as
appendicitis
, ectopic pregnancy, ruptured ovarian cysts or other problems.
Can you have pelvic inflammatory disease and not know it?
Many women do not know they have PID because they do not have any signs or symptoms
. When symptoms do happen, they can be mild or more serious. Signs and symptoms include: Pain in the lower abdomen (this is the most common symptom)
Can PID go unnoticed for years?
PID is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often subtle and mild.
Many episodes of PID go undetected
because the woman or her health care provider fails to recognize the implications of mild or nonspecific symptoms.
Does PID show up in a Pap smear?
An annual pap smear with thorough STD testing is important for all sexually active women. How is PID Diagnosed?
PID can be difficult to diagnose unless
a woman has symptoms. Standard STD testing, along with a good medical/reproductive health history and physical exam is the best defense.
What happens if PID is left untreated?
Key points about PID
It can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. If PID is left untreated, you can
develop chronic infection and infertility
. It is caused by bacteria, often the same type of bacteria that causes STDs.
Can PID stop menstruation?
You contracted pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
As the infection spreads to the cells of the uterus, it
can lead to problems with menstruation
. The Office on Women's Health lists irregular menstrual cycles (like late periods) as one of the symptoms of PID.
How long does it take for PID to cause infertility?
PID can permanently scar and damage the fallopian tubes, causing blockage of the tubes. About 12% of women suffer enough tubal damage from one episode of PID to become infertile.
After three episodes of PID
, the infertility rate reaches 50%.
How long does it take for PID to develop?
After exposure to the bacteria, it can
take
a few days to a few weeks for a woman to
develop PID
. In the United States, one fourth of women who have
PID
are hospitalized. Some of these women may need surgery.
PID
can lead to serious
long
-term problems.
What antibiotics treat pelvic inflammatory disease?
Guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend outpatient treatment of PID with
ofloxacin, levofloxacin, ceftriaxone plus doxycycline
, or cefoxitin and probenecid plus doxycycline, all with optional metronidazole for full coverage against anaerobes and bacterial vaginosis (table 1) [13].
Can you have PID and be pregnant at the same time?
Getting pregnant with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be challenging. However, women with the condition should not lose hope. With certain infertility treatments,
women with PID can have the same chances of getting pregnant as those without the condition
.
