cervicitis

Cervicitis is an inflammation of the lower part of the uterus, where it connects to the vagina. Patients may experience vaginal bleeding during nonmenstrual periods, pain during intercourse or during internal examinations, or abnormal vaginal discharge. This condition may be caused by infection, irritation, or an imbalance of sex hormones and bacteria in the vagina. Patients should see a doctor for treatment because if the cervix becomes inflamed due to infection, the infection can spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and abdomen, causing a severe infection that can affect life. It may cause infertility or, if it occurs during pregnancy, it can affect the fetus.

Symptoms of cervicitis

Some patients may not have any symptoms indicating cervical inflammation, but it may be detected during a pelvic exam, such as an annual checkup or pregnancy test.

For patients with symptoms, the following abnormalities may be observed:

• There is a large amount of vaginal discharge thatis gray or white and may have an odor.
• Vaginal pain , lower abdominal pain, or back pain
• There is vaginal bleeding.
• Bleeding during intercourse or during periods when you do not have a period
• Difficulty urinating, frequent urination, or pain while urinating

Causes of cervicitis

Cervicitis is often caused by an infection, with the most common and severe symptoms being sexually transmitted infections  such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and trichomoniasis.

In addition, cervicitis can also occur due to other causes, such as:

• An allergy to chemicals in spermicides used for vaginal douching,a type of birth control, or an allergy to latex from condoms and products used for deodorizing or vaginal douching.
• Irritation from tampons, birthcontrol devices such as cervical caps, or devices inserted into the vagina to support prolapsed pelvic organs
• Hormonal imbalance, such as having too much estrogen or progesterone, can affect the tissues in the vaginal area.
• Bacterial imbalance due to the presence of too many bad bacteria that are harmful to the body.
• Having cancer or receiving radiation therapy for cancer, which can cause changes in the cervix and lead to cervical inflammation.

Diagnosis of cervicitis

If you have symptoms similar to cervicitis, you should see a doctor for a proper diagnosis because the symptoms may be a warning sign of other vaginal or uterine diseases. The doctor may examine you using the following methods:

Internal examination

The doctor will check for swelling or pain in the pelvic area. This may be done by inserting a finger into the vagina while pressing on the abdomen and pelvis with the other hand to look for pelvic abnormalities. Medical instruments may also be inserted into the vagina to examine the uterus, cervix, and nearby pelvic organs.

Tissue sampling and Pap smear

Sometimes, your doctor will use a device to collect a sample of cells or take a piece of tissue from your cervix or vagina and send it to a lab to check for abnormalities.

Culture examination

The doctor will use a small cotton swab to gently swab the fluid from the cervix or vagina and examine it under a microscope to check for signs of yeast, viral, or bacterial infection that may be causing the inflammation.

Treatment of cervicitis

Doctors will treat the patient based on their symptoms and severity, their medical history, and the cause of the cervicitis. Treatment methods include:

• Stop using certain products that cause irritation, such as tampons, vaginal supports, cervical caps, etc.
• Use medication. If cervical inflammation is caused by an infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, antifungal drugs, or antiviral drugs, depending on the type of infection that is causing it. This is to prevent the infection from spreading to the uterus and fallopian tubes, and to prevent infection of the baby if the patient is pregnant. For those with sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrheaor non-gonococcal urethritis, the doctor will recommend that the patient’s partner receive treatment as well, to ensure that the infection does not reoccur. The patient should avoid having sex until fully recovered, and will have to come back for another check-up to confirm the results. For patients with herpes in the genital area, they may receive antiviral drugs to help relieve the symptoms of vaginitis, but herpes cannot be completely cured.
• Cryosurgery is used in patients with cervical inflammation caused by cervical canceror early stage cancer. The doctor uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal cells in the cervix or may use silver nitrate to help destroy the abnormal cells as well.

Complications of cervicitis

Infectious cervicitis may also increase the risk of uterine infections, especially gonorrhea and non-gonococcal urethritis, which can spread the infection to the lining of the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease. Women may experience lower abdominal pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, and fever. If left untreated, it can lead to infertility and may increase the risk of women contracting HIV from infected sexual partners.

Prevention of cervicitis

Prevention of cervicitis can be done by avoiding the following factors:

• Practice safe sex to prevent cervicitis from sexually transmitted infections. You should always wear a condom during sex, do not change partners frequently, avoid having sex with people who have herpes or pus in the genital area, and if you are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, you and your partner should seek treatment.
• Avoid stimuli. Do not use products that contain chemicals that may irritate the vagina, such as vaginal douches, vaginal cleansers, tampons, cervical caps, etc. However, if you must use devices that are inserted into the vagina, follow the instructions for use, such as how to insert, remove, and clean properly.
• Controlling the disease Diabetic patients should control their blood sugar levels to reduce the risk of developing cervicitis.