Cervical erosion is a very common disease among women, which is associated with a violation of the natural microflora of the cervix. Erosion is a benign formation, which only if not treated can lead to cancer. It is very difficult to identify it, because there are various reasons for the appearance of cervical erosion. In order to protect your health and reduce the numerous costs of its restoration, you need to visit a gynecologist once a year.
Cervical erosion: causes
This is a very insidious disease that may not manifest itself for years. Very often, it can be completely asymptomatic, and a woman will not know about it in any way, because she will think that it makes no sense to go to the gynecologist at all. But there are some reasons for the appearance of cervical erosion, which you should be aware of and which, in which case, should encourage you to go to the female doctor:
- immune changes in the body of a woman (rapid weight gain or loss, pregnancy, childbirth);
- HPV;
- infection of one of the TORCH infections;
- breaks after childbirth;
- chronic inflammation (cystitis, inflammation of the ovaries);
- abortion;
- early or late sex life;
- endocrine disorders in the body;
- Frequent change of sexual partners.
Types of disease
Like almost every disease, cervical erosion is of three types, depending on the degree of tissue damage - mild, moderate and severe. In accordance with this, there are several varieties of it:
- Congenital erosion. It occurs in girls in adolescence, can itself go the same way as it appeared. The chance that this erosion will turn into cancer is very small.
- True erosion. It manifests itself as an exfoliation of epithelial cells. Women can learn about it by spotting.
- Pseudo-erosion. This species manifests itself as a displacement of the squamous epithelium, the possibility of overgrowing into cancer is almost zero.
Subspecies of cervical erosion
In addition to the main types of disease, the following are also distinguished:
- Uncomplicated erosion. Most often, this kind of her will not be susceptible to treatment, since over time, the uterus itself will be able to renew the affected cells. The only thing here is that no one can say for sure how long it will take.
- Complicated erosion. This is a very dangerous type of disease, as it leads to a modification of the neck, and, accordingly, the disease of adjacent organs.
Sometimes tumors inside the vagina lead to the fact that erosion of the cervix occurs. There are different reasons for their appearance, so a consultation with a gynecologist is simply inevitable. But doctors may not take any active actions, except in obvious cases where medication and surgery are necessary.
Who may have this disease?
The disease can be detected in every third woman in the world. The occurrence of cervical erosion provokes a number of factors, therefore, this disease can be diagnosed even in girls who have not yet begun sex life. In such cases, usually we are talking about heredity or a sharp change in the hormonal background. Cervical erosion in nulliparous occurs very often, but in many cases with the onset of pregnancy, it disappears and before its onset rarely requires treatment.
In other cases, it may appear due to diseases such as colpitis, endocervicitis. Often, the causes of the disease include too active sexual intercourse, inaccurate introduction of tampons, a reaction to mechanical contraceptives.
Erosion during pregnancy
For all pregnant women who are registered with the antenatal clinic, there is a mandatory examination on the armchair - colposcopy. Here, they can also detect cervical erosion. But every woman in an interesting position should know that no one should treat her before giving birth. An experienced doctor will postpone it for the postpartum period, if there is a reason. The appearance of cervical erosion is most likely associated with sharp changes in the hormonal background of a woman. Hormones will recover after a couple of months, and the disease will go away on its own.
Of course, there are times when erosion is dangerous. But this is only when it is accompanied by any other infectious diseases of the genitourinary system. But even in this case, the gynecologist will prescribe any candles that will reduce the symptoms of erosion. Thus, you can avoid gaps during childbirth, and then take up full treatment.
The manifestation of cervical erosion
According to experts, erosion may not manifest itself for years. You can learn about it only at a scheduled inspection. Only in very rare cases it happens when cervical erosion hurts. These sensations can also be accompanied by purulent-bloody discharge, which will somewhat resemble menstruation. Some women may not even pay attention to this, taking this symptom for unplanned periods. Only when the patient is sure that she has any infectious diseases will she take this for an alarming sign. Those girls who are pregnant or are just about to get a bloody discharge are attributed to detachment of the fetus and also immediately contact a specialist.
Pain should be alerted to a woman during intercourse, which will also be accompanied by sacrificial secretions.
Diagnosis of the disease
Every woman who is worried about her health will definitely think about what kind of diagnosis is needed to determine cervical erosion. Everything is very simple: a scheduled examination by a gynecologist, and you can easily avoid this disease or start treating at an early date.
Since this is a very insidious disease, cervical erosion in nulliparous can also occur suddenly. Therefore, every girl, starting from 16 years old, should be examined once a year by a gynecologist. It includes colposcopy, a smear on the flora, cytology, HIV tests and TORCH.
Disease treatment
When the doctor has done all the necessary research, treatment is prescribed so that cervical erosion is gone. What tests you will have to pass, you will find out from your attending gynecologist. If this is a congenital case, then the course of the disease will simply be watched.
In other cases, specialists can turn to a surgical or conservative method. If the patient also has concomitant infections, treatment begins with them and a course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and immune system modulators are prescribed. There are times when this treatment does not lead to better health, then they turn to surgical methods:
- Diathermocoagulation. This procedure is prescribed for women who have given birth or for those who do not plan to have a baby in the coming year. The procedure is very unpleasant, as it is carried out using electric waves.
- Cryotherapy. Treatment is with liquid nitrogen. But the minus here is that cervical erosion can very soon return.
If a woman was found to have erosion of small sizes, then the doctor will simply prescribe a course of suppositories and necessary medications. Sometimes douching alone may be enough. But it is worth remembering that such treatment is designed to restore the natural microflora of the vagina, thereby helping the body to heal itself.
Doctors rarely resort to direct surgical intervention, only if all the previous methods have not had the necessary effect on the body. Then the oncologist will already be engaged in the treatment of the patient. To avoid this, do not delay the treatment of the disease and timely visits to the gynecologist.
Modern methods of treating the disease
The causes of cervical erosion are very diverse, respectively, and the treatment will depend on them. First of all, before it begins, it is necessary to conduct a thorough study of the health of a woman. To date, there are several types:
- conducting advanced colposervicoscopy;
- biopsy (histology) of the obtained uterine cells;
- analysis (cytomorphological).
After conducting research, treatment will be prescribed:
- treatment with radio waves;
- application of an electrosurgical technique;
- cryotherapy;
- treatment with carbon dioxide and a diode laser.
The best and least safe option can only be selected by the attending gynecologist, based on the patient's testimony. But it is worth remembering that all methods have both their advantages and disadvantages.
ethnoscience
In addition to medical and surgical treatment, there is an even more gentle remedy for getting rid of erosion. This is a traditional medicine. If you have already been to a gynecologist and know exactly the reasons for the appearance of cervical erosion in you, and its reason is in the hormonal background, then this option will ideally help you.
Douching with decoctions of herbs will help restore the vaginal microflora and relieve erosion. To carry out such treatment is also under the supervision of a doctor, otherwise you can kill the entire natural environment and, in addition, get thrush. But douching is contraindicated for pregnant women during menstruation and for those girls who have recently given birth or have an abortion.
Recipe number 1. Chamomile decoction.
2 tbsp. l chopped chamomile herbs pour 1 liter of water, then boil in a steam bath for about 20 minutes. After this, the broth should stand for 15 minutes.
Recipe number 2. Calendula.
At the pharmacy, purchase a two percent tincture of calendula. In a glass of warm water, dilute 1 tbsp. l of grass. Such a course of treatment should not exceed 10 days.
Recipe number 3. Celandine.
1 tbsp. l Herbs pour 1 tbsp. hot water and leave to brew for an hour. After this, the grass must be wrung out and filtered. Douching is carried out 1 time in 3 days, no more than 2 weeks.
Consequences of the disease
Some methods of treatment of erosion require their repeated passage. It is necessary to undergo it, as an untreated disease threatens a woman with infertility, various inflammations, hematomas and even bleeding.
Specialists carry out all treatment methods as accurately as possible, and they almost always immediately give a positive result - cervical erosion goes away. Allocations after treatment will be in any case, in the form of a sacrum. Sexual life during these secretions should be stopped.
All women who have undergone a course of treatment must visit a gynecologist every six months to be sure of their health.
Prevention
Why erosion of the cervix occurs in almost every second woman - doctors can not give an exact answer. Avoid this disease will only help its prevention, namely:
- timely perform hygiene of the genitals and ensure that your partner does this too;
- do not delay with going to the doctor if you suddenly have pain in the lower abdomen, burning sensation, unusual discharge;
- Once a year, and preferably once every six months, pass an examination with a gynecologist ;
- use condoms with a new partner;
- if you do not have a permanent partner, and you often change them, it is worth knowing that such a change leads to a direct decrease in the microflora of the vagina, and therefore to erosion of the cervix.
Reviews of patients with erosion
Many women who underwent cervical erosion treatment were satisfied with the result. Only in some cases they had to re-consult a doctor for treatment. But this is not due to the fact that the doctor could not heal, but to the fact that it was a complex erosion of the cervix.
Reviews of nulliparous patients suggest that before childbirth, in any case, it is not necessary to deal with treatment, especially if the causes of cervical erosion are associated with hormones. It is also worth abandoning surgical interventions and various moxibustions. You can try traditional medicine, but the main thing here is not to overdo it. Very often, in women who have already given birth, the doctor may not detect erosion. If she remains, then it is necessary to deal with her treatment. If you have not yet given birth, but the doctor has determined that you have cervical erosion, you can just take the tumor marker once a year and live peacefully until the birth itself.
If you decide to treat erosion before the birth of a baby, then there may be significant breaks during childbirth, or the uterus may not open. Even doctors very often recommend that you do not undergo treatment until the age of 25, especially if erosion of small sizes does not bother you and is the result of an infectious disease. In the case of the latter, the doctor may prescribe treatment for an infectious disease, and then observe the cervical erosion.