If you suffer from chronic pelvic pain, defined as symptoms localized in your lower abdominal area lasting for at least six months, you’re not alone. Many women in the United States deal with pelvic pain at some point in their lives.
Board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Mary Grace Bridges and the team at Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas, can help you understand and treat this condition. In this blog, Dr. Bridges covers five common causes of chronic pelvic pain. All of these causes of pelvic pain can be treated, relieving symptoms and improving your whole-body health.
Some STDs cause pelvic pain. The good news is, STDs are fairly easy to diagnose and treat. If your STD test comes back positive, Dr. Bridges prescribes antibiotics and other medications as needed to clear up the issue as soon as possible. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help keep you comfortable while the treatment takes effect.
Women have a higher risk of UTIs than men, and a UTI can absolutely present with pelvic pain as a symptom. You may notice that your pain is centered around the middle of your pelvis or your pubic bone. UTIs can also cause painful urination or cloudy urine. An antibiotic prescription effectively treats the infection, relieving your discomfort.
Pelvic pain may be associated with menstruation and can worsen due to the presence of endometriosis. In this relatively common condition, patches of the tissue that lines your uterus sprout in other locations in your pelvis. The hormone shifts that trigger menstruation, the shedding of your uterine lining, also trigger bleeding in these other areas of endometrial tissue, which can result in pain, scarring, and fertility complications.
Starting hormonal birth control can bring your endometriosis symptoms under control. You may also benefit from surgery to remove stray patches of endometrial tissue from your pelvic area.
Some causes of pelvic pain, like an ectopic pregnancy, need prompt medical care. Without treatment, an ectopic pregnancy can become life-threatening for the mother. This condition occurs when, after conception, a growing embryo attaches to the wall of your fallopian tube instead of your uterine lining.
The embryo can’t survive to the point of viability when this happens, and you risk a dangerous rupture in your fallopian tube as the ectopic pregnancy progresses. After surgery to clear your fallopian tubes, your pelvic pain subsides. Dr. Bridges does everything possible to maintain your fertility through treatment for an ectopic pregnancy.
STDs increase your risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, and PID also increases your risk of an ectopic pregnancy. PID most commonly occurs when STD bacteria can spread from your vagina and enter your uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. Pelvic pain is a common symptom and can act as a warning sign.
Dr. Bridges diagnoses PID and prescribes antibiotics to target and eliminate the infection. You may also need treatment for your sexual partner or partners to address the initial STD problem.
With the right care, you can free yourself from pelvic pain. Consult with Dr. Bridges at Women’s Health Partners of the Permian Basin about your symptoms as soon as possible. Schedule your appointment online or over the phone today.
