Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - Symptoms
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) range from none at all to severe.
It's common to think that PID symptoms are a sign of something less serious. Many women who have pelvic organ damage caused by PID report that they've never been diagnosed with PID. This is particularly true of PID that is caused by chlamydia, which may cause no symptoms.
PID symptoms often do not appear until infection and inflammation have spread to the fallopian tubes or the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Symptoms of PID tend to be more noticeable during menstrual bleeding and sometimes in the week following.
The main symptom of PID is lower abdominal pain, usually described as crampy or as constant and dull. This pain may get worse during bowel movements, sexual intercourse, or urination. You may also have one or more other symptoms, including:
- A sense of pressure in the pelvis.
- Low back pain. Sometimes this pain spreads down one or both legs.
- Abnormal discharge—such as yellow-, brown-, or green-colored discharge—or an increased amount of discharge from the vagina.
- Fever [usually over 101°F (38.33°C)]. But you can have PID without fever.
- A vague feeling of body weakness or discomfort (malaise).
- Headache.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain during sex (dyspareunia).
- Irregular menstrual bleeding.
- Urinary symptoms, such as burning or pain with urination.
Be sure to see your doctor when you have any of the above symptoms, because PID and several other conditions with similar symptoms require prompt treatment.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: November 23, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
from
- Facebook is now fueling organ donations
- Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound
- Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek
- Ask Jenna: I've hit a weight loss plateau. What do I do?
- He poses in a tutu to laugh in face of wife's cancer
- After chemo hair loss, 'henna crowns' help heal
The iVillage Network