Diseases of female genital organs: causes
Inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs can develop due to various reasons. The most common of them are the following:
- incorrect arrangement of female internal genital organs (in particular, the uterus and ovaries), their inappropriate development;
- infection (including those that are sexually transmitted);
- hormonal disorders, violation of the activity of endocrine glands;
- tumors;
- a complicated pregnancy, childbirth or a breeding season;
- weakened immunity, stress, overwork;
- supercooling.
In any case, women's diseases rarely occurout of the blue: usually this is facilitated by certain conditions and a background favorable for the development of the disease. Usually, diseases of the female reproductive system have pronounced signs (symptoms). As a rule, they are accompanied by leucorrhoea (excessive amount or unusual nature of discharge from the genitals, often with an unpleasant odor), menstrual irregularities, bloody discharge or even bleeding, rashes, burning, itching in the area of the external and internal genitals, pain in the lower abdomen (they can be transient and weak, or they can be pronounced). However, more and more gynecologists note that at present, gynecological diseases in women are asymptomatic or the symptoms are so weak that women do not pay attention to them. And it turns out that a woman goes to the doctor only when the disease causes severe discomfort: accompanied by pain, high temperature. It is often difficult to treat and has irreparable consequences for women's health. Therefore, it is very important to be able to determine the appearance of pathological signs, recognize the disease at the beginning of its development and seek help from a gynecologist in time.
The causes and consequences of inflammatory diseases
The insidiousness of inflammatory processes lies inThe problem is that such diseases are asymptomatic, so it is very easy not to notice the onset of the disease. At the same time, it is these diseases that most often cause complications, since they usually begin to be treated when they are already in an advanced state. That is why it is so important to undergo a preventive examination by a gynecologist at least twice a year to prevent the development of pathology. The inflammatory process in women can develop in the external and internal genital organs. Inflammatory processes in the external genital organs include bartholinitis, vaginitis and vulvitis. Inflammation of the internal genital organs: endometritis, cervicitis, salpingitis, oophoritis, adnexitis, pelvic peritonitis. The cause of inflammatory diseases in women are infections. There are few symptoms of inflammation: pain in the lower abdomen, pathological vaginal discharge that has an uncharacteristic texture, color and unpleasant odor, tissue swelling. If you notice any of the symptoms, you should consult a doctor. Inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs can be chronic and acute. If the disease is in the acute stage, the symptoms will be pronounced: there may be severe pain in the lower abdomen, fever. However, the disease can also bypass the acute stage and develop immediately with a chronic one. Then the symptoms will be transient, that is, they will change in strength: severe pain will be replaced by a temporary lull, then return again, etc. The disease can also become chronic if the disease is not cured completely or treatment is not started at all. Inflammatory processes not only cause a lot of unpleasant sensations for a woman - everything is much more serious, since these diseases can have the most dire consequences: they destroy reproductive and sexual function, affect the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and other systems of the body. In addition, they can lead to more serious gynecological diseases: adhesions in the fallopian tubes, which lead to infertility.
Inflammatory diseases of female external genital organs
Below we will look at the main inflammatoryDiseases of the external female genitalia and their symptoms. As we have already said earlier, these include bartholinitis, vaginitis, vulvitis. Remember: if you detect at least one symptom, consult a gynecologist, because it is always easier to cure a disease at the very beginning of its development than later, when it has acquired an advanced form. In addition, do not diagnose yourself based on what you have read and do not self-medicate. Diagnosis and treatment are exclusively the responsibility of a gynecologist. So, now let's consider what inflammatory diseases can threaten a woman's genital area. Bartholinitis is an inflammation of the Bartholin gland (a large gland in the vestibule of the vagina). It occurs as a result of poor hygiene, sexually transmitted infections. The disease is asymptomatic. Vaginitis (colpitis) is an inflammatory process of the vaginal mucosa. The disease is accompanied by abundant purulent, mucous or purulent-mucous discharge from the vagina, burning, itching, pain and hyperemia of the vaginal mucosa. Vaginitis can have different causes, and the symptoms depend on this. Thus, with trichomonas vaginitis, abundant foamy and purulent discharge, burning, and itching are observed. With fungal (candidal) colpitis - leucorrhoea, cheesy discharge, burning and itching in the vagina. This is typical for women of childbearing age. In girls, the disease is accompanied by inflammation of the external genitalia. If colpitis is caused by a foreign object entering the vagina, the discharge may contain blood. With bacterial vaginitis, girls have scanty discharge and itching of the external genitalia. Vulvitis - inflammation of the vulva, external genitalia: pubis, labia minora and labia majora, vestibule of the vagina, clitoris and hymen. Usually the disease is typical for girls and elderly women. The cause may be scratching, injuries or cracks in the epithelial cover of the vulva, in girls - pinworms. It can be acute and chronic. In acute vulvitis, there is a burning sensation, severe itching of the external genitalia, pain, hyperemia and swelling of the external genitalia, plaque on them. In the chronic stage, the symptoms usually disappear, but return periodically and are not pronounced. However, the chronic stage can again become acute, and exacerbations will become more frequent and worse to treat. Vulvovaginitis is a simultaneous inflammatory process of the vulva (vulvitis) and vagina (vaginitis). This form of the disease is very common.
Inflammatory diseases of female internal genital organs
As we have already found out earlier, these diseasesinclude: adnexitis, endocervicitis (cervicitis), endometritis. Let's consider each of the diseases in more detail. Adnexitis is an inflammatory process in the uterine appendages, that is, the ovaries (oophoritis) or fallopian tubes (salpingitis). The inflammatory process can be caused by staphylococci, mycoplasmas, gonococci, chlamydia and other pathogenic microorganisms. The causative agent of the infection can enter the ovaries or fallopian tubes along with blood from the external or other genital organs, where the inflammatory process initially developed. Adnexitis can develop as a result of childbirth, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, failure to observe personal hygiene rules and due to weakened immunity. The disease is asymptomatic. Endocervicitis (cervicitis) is an inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the cervix. The causes of the disease are E. coli, gonococci, staphylococci, streptococci, sexually transmitted infections, ruptures during childbirth, cervical erosion, incorrect use of birth control pills. Even in the acute stage of the disease, the symptoms can be very weak. Usually these are discharge (leucorrhoea), itching, increased vaginal discharge, hyperemia of the uterine mucosa, and pain in the lower abdomen may rarely occur. The disease can become chronic if left untreated. Symptoms of a chronic disease are usually almost imperceptible. Endometritis is an inflammatory process in the uterine mucosa. The cause may be fungal, bacterial or viral infections. The first symptoms of the disease usually appear 3-4 days after infection. The disease can be acute or chronic. In the acute form of inflammation, the following are observed: weakness, high temperature, elevated ESR, pain in the lower abdomen, purulent liquid discharge (sometimes with ichor), upon palpation the uterus appears enlarged and dense, and painful sensations also occur. The acute stage lasts 10 days. If treatment is started on time, then complete recovery occurs quickly. If treatment is carried out incorrectly, endometritis becomes chronic. The main danger of this is that it can lead to menstrual irregularities, bleeding, miscarriage, aching pain in the lower abdomen, and intrauterine adhesions.
Adhesions - the cause of infertility
In gynecology, this disease is classified asseparate place. Adhesions (adhesive disease) are a kind of constriction on the fallopian tube, which arise as a result of surgical intervention or an inflammatory process. The original function of adhesions is to prevent the inflammatory process from spreading throughout the body. However, having fulfilled their positive function, they cause great harm to the woman's body: they do not allow the pelvic organs to function correctly, and can also lead to infertility. There are three stages of the disease:
- 1st stage: spikes are located around the ovary, fallopian tube or other area, without interfering with the capture of the egg;
- 2nd stage: adhesions are between the ovary and the fallopian tube or other organs and can interfere with the capture of the egg;
- 3-rd stage: there is a torsion of the fallopian tube, violation of patency or completely blocked by the capture of the egg.
The disease is asymptomatic.Perhaps the only manifestation of the disease is the inability of a woman to become pregnant. As a rule, it is with this problem that patients turn to gynecologists, as a result of which adhesive disease is discovered.
