Women's health is extremely vulnerable, especially when it comes to various infections and inflammatory reactions. The difficulty lies in the fact that not one of the diseases that occur in the pelvic organs, namely in the uterine cavity, goes away by itself. Therefore, it is extremely important to start treatment on time and do it right.
Endometrium - what is it?
The central organ of the pelvis is the uterus. It consists of the endometrium (inner vascular-mucous layer), myometrium (middle muscle) and perimetry (external serous). The role of the endometrium is to take a fertilized egg and help it gain a foothold inside the uterus. If fertilization does not occur, the endometrium is rejected and menstrual bleeding occurs.
It can be said that in a healthy state, the internal environment of the uterus is sterile. Therefore, the ingestion of any infection, pathogenic microorganisms leads to an acute inflammatory process in the endometrium. If you start the disease or do not treat it, then it flows into the chronic endometritis of the uterus.
How to recognize endometritis?
The main signs of chronic endometritis can be not only an external pathogen, but also:
- Abortion, surgery.
- Diagnostic examination of the uterine cavity.
- The penetration of infection during caesarean section.
- Weakened immunity, kidney disease, cystitis, diabetes.
- Chronic salpingoophoritis, cervicitis, candidiasis, vaginosis.
- The intrauterine device installed earlier.
- Wrong douching.
- Polyps in the endometrium, uterine fibroids.
What symptoms indicate the presence of the disease?
One of the obvious symptoms of chronic endometritis is a malfunction in the duration or course of the menstrual cycle. This is usually preceded by previously transmitted previously inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs. According to statistics, 50-55% of women underwent treatment for sexually transmitted diseases before they were diagnosed with chronic endometritis. They also noted that in the middle of the cycle or after intercourse, spotting appeared, felt pain in the lower abdomen.
Among those who encountered the problem of natural conception, problems in the functioning of the endometrium were diagnosed in 10% of women. In 60-80% of women with chronic endometritis, pregnancy ended in fetal freezing or miscarriage.
An increase in body temperature, weakness, and fatigue can also indicate the presence of the disease.
Varieties of the course of chronic endometritis
If the disease affects the muscle layer of the uterus, which is located closer to the endometrium, then this is catarrhal endometritis. It interferes with normal microcirculation in the affected areas of the tissues, which leads to the formation of blood clots, the expansion of blood vessels, and slows down blood flow. The danger of this type of chronic endometritis is that from the uterine cavity, the disease can pass to neighboring organs.
If the cause was a fungus, bacterium or virus, then the disease can proceed slowly and will be called "sluggish endometritis." While a woman is looking for and treating one cause, a slow lesion of the inner layer of the uterus occurs. Most likely, this form of chronic endometritis will occur without unpleasant symptoms. At the same time, if a woman has problems conceiving and bearing a pregnancy, then she may not be aware of the true reason for unsuccessful attempts for a long time.
Methods for identifying a disease
A gynecologist can determine chronic endometritis during an examination on a chair. On palpation, a woman will have a painful sensation in the uterus, and her size is increased. In order to confirm or refute the diagnosis, the following studies are carried out:
- Blood tests for antibiotic sensitivity and general.
- A smear to determine the microflora allows you to detect an inflammatory reaction in the vagina and in the cavity of the cervix.
- A smear for bacterial culture.
- PCR analysis to detect hidden infections.
- Identification of antibodies to infections (cytomegalovirus, herpes), which can lead to disease.
An ultrasound diagnosis is performed, which is a prerequisite for determining the condition of the uterus and endometrium. The deviation can be judged if the doctor records on the monitor:
- The thickness of the inner layer is more than normal.
- Blood clots are visualized inside the uterus, pus may be released.
- Adhesions, including in appendages.
- The remains of the placenta or fetal membrane, if the examination is carried out after birth.
Treatment methods
It is difficult to single out any separate method for the treatment of chronic endometritis, since an integrated approach is required here. It includes increasing immunity, anti-inflammatory treatment, physiotherapy.
An experienced doctor knows how to treat chronic endometritis so that after a long-awaited pregnancy occurs. Even before obtaining the results of the tests, it is necessary to start a course of treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. This will reduce the inflammatory process.
With purulent discharge, douching is prescribed, which allows using antiseptic agents to stop the foci of intoxication and restore the uterine mucosa.
Antibacterial and hormonal drugs for the treatment of endometritis
Among the drugs, antibacterial drugs are among the first to be prescribed. They allow you to suppress the action of most anaerobic bacteria. As a rule, these are “Cephalosporin”, “Metronidazole”, “Tsifran”, “Doksitsilin”, as well as other drugs that are popular in medical practice. Their appointment should be justified by the attending physician.
Along with taking antibiotics, it is recommended to take prebiotics, which will protect the intestines from a possible disorder. There is also an alternative option - to include in the diet sour-milk products, yogurts with bioadditives.
If a woman is tormented by constant, ongoing pulling pains, then painkillers can not do. It can be No-Shpa, Nurofen, Spazmalgon, etc. Their administration continues until the pain symptom is eliminated.
If there is a problem with conceiving and bearing a pregnancy, then hormonal preparations (Utrozhestan, Divigel) are included in the treatment regimen. This includes oral contraceptives, the main role of which is the normalization of the menstrual cycle. Their course usually lasts from three to six months.
In order to increase immunity, immunomodulating agents are used - Viferon, Acyclovir, Interferon. Do not forget about vitamin complexes, vitamins E and C, which are antioxidants, have a positive effect. The duration of their intake can be increased after recovery to maintain immunity.
Physiotherapeutic treatments
In the course of treatment of chronic endometritis at the stage of recovery, the attending gynecologist can include physiotherapeutic procedures:
- Electrophoresis (with solutions of zinc, iodine).
- Applications of paraffin (improve tone and blood circulation in the uterus).
- Magnetic treatment (has an anti-inflammatory effect, accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues, has an analgesic effect).
- UHF - ultrasound at high frequencies (used only after removing the inflammatory process; helps to improve blood supply, increase immunity activity, as a result of which the affected tissues undergo the recovery process faster, and the pain syndrome decreases).
- Appointment of mud procedures (procedures such as vaginal irrigation, applications, therapeutic baths are prescribed).
The effectiveness of these methods can be observed both during treatment of exacerbation of chronic endometritis, and during the rehabilitation period. Separately, it is worth mentioning the exception, in which physiotherapy is not recommended. This applies to the acute inflammatory process in the uterine cavity. Otherwise, these treatment methods have a beneficial effect on the outflow of mucus and pus.
It is worth noting that you can combine treatment with relaxation. For example, the above physiotherapeutic procedures are available in sanatoriums and health resorts of most settlements located near the sea or near sources with healing mud. In order to undergo a course of therapy in such institutions, the attending gynecologist draws up a treatment regimen and describes the methods that have already been used previously. This will allow the physiotherapist to proceed immediately to the procedures.
The probability of pregnancy
Despite the complexity of the course, pregnancy and chronic endometritis are compatible. Another question is at what stage the disease was discovered. In medical practice, there are often cases when a woman managed to become pregnant, but after some time the pregnancy was interrupted or stopped developing. It follows from this that at the first signs of problems associated with bearing a pregnancy, it is worth paying attention to the condition of the endometrium.
In most cases, ordinary doctors do not pay attention to the reason when a woman faces a missed pregnancy for the first time. Blame nature or refer to natural selection. But in some cases, the reason exists already at the stage of conception, since we should not forget that chronic endometritis can occur in a lethargic form and not be disturbed by unpleasant symptoms.
To prevent the risk of complications during pregnancy, a woman needs to be checked for latent inflammatory processes, undergo tests for infections, undergo ultrasound diagnostics, and undergo cytology tests. This minimum set of preventive measures will help to avoid unexpected and, most likely, unpleasant surprises during pregnancy.
In the event that endometritis and pregnancy were diagnosed simultaneously, the woman will need to be constantly under the supervision of a doctor, it is even possible to undergo inpatient treatment. However, the chances of maintaining and giving birth to a healthy baby depend on the doctor’s qualifications and compliance with his instructions.
The effectiveness of folk remedies
To strengthen the treatment, they often resort to folk remedies, chronic endometritis takes a lot of energy from the work of the immune system. Therefore, the inclusion in the diet of herbal teas, infusions and herbal preparations will only be beneficial. However, it is important to choose the right ingredients, since not all herbs are recommended for use during this period. The list of those that can be used without fear includes rose hip, chamomile flowers, blueberry leaves, lavender, thyme, birch leaves, St. John's wort, tansy, yarrow, immortelle, coltsfoot, eucalyptus, rhodiola, coriander, etc.
A phytotherapist can make the best collection. If he is in the clinic or in a private medical center, it is advisable to consult with him in advance. A professional approach in this matter will avoid unpleasant consequences, for example, an allergic reaction to a particular component.
Hirudotherapy is also commonly referred to traditional medicine methods. Since it is often used to improve blood flow in the uterine cavity. Treatment is prescribed at a stage when there is no purulent discharge, an acute inflammatory process. The treatment regimen is selected by a hirudotherapist, the procedures are carried out in a specialized institution. During the first, no more than four leeches are used, which are located at pain points. The repeated procedure is appointed every other day, in total there should be at least seven and no more than twelve.
Reviews of doctors and patients about the course of the disease and treatment methods
Before starting treatment, many seek information on the Internet. Some want to find reviews about chronic endometritis, methods of treatment, checking them with the course prescribed by the attending physician, others - positive reviews about recovery. In any case, you can find both.
On the Web, there are often stories of women who have already given birth that after a difficult birth they were diagnosed with chronic endometritis. Reviews of the positive outcome of the treatment agree that there has always been a comprehensive treatment, including physiotherapeutic procedures.
Negative reviews of the treatment of chronic endometritis may be associated with improper treatment tactics. For example, when they begin not with a trip to the doctor, but with treatment with herbal preparations and homeopathy. Thus, you can only aggravate the disease, which will go into the chronic stage. Further treatment will take a long time.
Reviews of gynecologists who deal with the treatment of infertility very often relate to advanced forms of pathology. Often prescribed too many various medicines, several types of physiotherapy. Several different diagnoses are made, including chronic endometritis. However, the true reason is left behind the scenes. For example, when the female body simply did not have the opportunity to recover from the number of different treatment methods, so that pregnancy would occur naturally.
The key to the success of any treatment is the timely measures taken to eliminate the inflammatory process, as doctors and patients treated as well. Based on this, it should be concluded that any gynecological disease should not be treated independently at home, but after visiting a doctor. Self-medication, as a rule, is aimed at eliminating the symptoms: pain, discharge, unpleasant odor. But they do not say that the cause is actually inflammation of the endometrium. Accordingly, the treatment is ineffective.