Acute Adnexitis - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Acute Adnexitis

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Acute adnexitis

Acute adnexitis is one of the most common diseases in women, which is characterized by inflammation of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. These organs are of great importance for women's health, therefore adnexitis requires high-quality and timely treatment.

Content:

• Causes of acute adnexitis
• Symptoms of acute adnexitis
• Diagnostics of the acute adnexitis
• Treatment of acute adnexitis
• Prevention of acute adnexitis
• Forecast

Causes of acute adnexitis

The causes of acute adnexitis can be very diverse:

• Infection with microorganisms such as mycoplasma, gonococcus, chlamydia, Trichomonas, etc. Most often they penetrate into the female genital organs through the vagina during intercourse.

• Operation on the organs of the reproductive system can also cause infection. This happens when sanitary and hygienic measures are not observed in a medical institution and medical personnel are negligent in their activities. In this regard, the medical curettage of the uterus, the installation and removal of an intrauterine device, and research, accompanied by the administration of a contrast agent, are especially dangerous.
• Abortion and artificial childbirth are associated with the risk of infection and the further development of adnexitis. Most often, inflammation develops on the condition that the patient already has an infection, for example, in the intestines or in the external genital area.
• A danger in terms of the development of adnexitis is even posed by those foci of inflammation that are located at a distance from the appendages, for example, otitis media, tuberculosis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, etc. Microorganisms enter the tubes and ovaries with blood flow, causing adnexitis.
• The weaker a woman's immune defense, the higher the risk of developing inflammation of the appendages. The body simply will not have enough strength to cope with the infection that has entered.

Symptoms of acute adnexitis

The symptoms of acute adnexitis are as follows:

• Pain that is aching or throbbing. It is localized in the ovarian region. During the next menstrual bleeding, the pain tends to intensify. It also becomes more intense during ovulation, after serious physical exertion, or against the background of a sharp hypothermia of the body.
• Vaginal discharge becomes pathological. They contain mucus impurities, and as the disease progresses, pus appears.
• The menstrual cycle is disrupted. Menses may be absent for a long time, or go longer than usual.
• For adnexitis, symptoms of general intoxication of the body are characteristic with an increase in body temperature to 38 °, the appearance of fatigue and weakness.
• Patients lose their appetite, which leads to digestive disorders.
• Against the background of acute adnexitis, cystitis often develops.

If you experience symptoms indicating adnexitis, you must go for a consultation with a gynecologist. This will cure the disease before it becomes chronic.

Depending on where exactly the inflammation is localized, there are:

• Adnexitis is bilateral, when inflammation develops in both the right and left appendages. The pathological process is accompanied by a pronounced intoxication of the body, a significant deterioration in health. During the examination, the doctor discovers increased muscle tone in the lower abdomen. The woman points out pains on both sides of the navel. The blood picture shows leukocytosis with a shift of neutrophils to the left.
• Adnexitis is right-sided. In this case, inflammation affects only the right appendage, so pains are localized mainly on the right side, in the lower abdomen and near the navel. Often, right-sided adnexitis is confused with appendicitis, therefore, in addition to the gynecologist, the patient should be examined by a surgeon.
• Adnexitis is left-sided. The inflammatory process affects the left appendage, which is expressed by characteristic pain. They are able to increase during intimacy, as well as during menstruation.

Diagnostics of the acute adnexitis

During the first visit to the gynecologist, the doctor will collect the woman's anamnesis, clarify whether she had childbirth, abortions, or operations on the organs of the reproductive system. Then the doctor will examine the patient on the gynecological chair, take a swab from the cervical canal, urethra and vagina. The resulting material is sent for bacteriological examination in order to determine the type of pathogen. During a vaginal-abdominal examination, the doctor will find painful appendages (one or both), which are increased in size.

Ultrasound of the pelvic organs in terms of detecting adnexitis is not informative, therefore it is not prescribed.

Taking blood for a general analysis will detect an increase in ESR and a jump in the level of leukocytes.

Laparoscopy of the fallopian tubes is one of the most accurate methods for diagnosing adnexitis. It is recommended for those women who definitely need surgical treatment. During laparoscopy, the doctor can not only sanitize the tubes, but also remove adhesions, cysts and other neoplasms.

Treatment of acute adnexitis

Acute adnexitis requires antibiotics. The drug is chosen depending on which microorganism provoked the development of inflammation. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are also used.

These can be drugs such as:

• Amoxicillin, Oxacillin (group of penicillins).
• Doxycycline, Tetracycline (tetracycline group).
• Azithromycin, Erythromycin (macrolide group).
• Ofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin (group of fluoroquinolones).

The doctor may prescribe a different drug to the woman, depending on the results of the bacteriological examination of the smear. To eliminate inflammation, sulfonamides, for example, Biseptol, can be used.

To increase the patient's immunity, as well as to speed up the process of repairing damaged tissues, biogenic stimulants are prescribed, including Plazmol and aloe extract.

Additional therapeutic measures are physiotherapy: UHF, electrophoresis, mud treatment, magnetotherapy, etc. It is also possible to take vitamins and minerals, which are aimed at improving the body as a whole.

Prevention of acute adnexitis

In order to prevent the development of acute adnexitis, the following recommendations should be observed, aimed at preventing the disease:

• Intimate hygiene should be of high quality and daily.
• Casual sex should be kept to a minimum. If they do occur, then a condom should be used.
• During menstruation, intimacy, swimming in open water bodies and pools is prohibited.
• It is necessary to give up bad habits, eat right, which will help maintain immunity.
• If a woman is menstruating, then tampons and pads should be changed at least once every 4 hours.
• You need to change your underwear every day.
• You can not douche yourself, neither for medicinal nor for prophylactic purposes. Douching can only be prescribed by a doctor. The solutions and the device itself must be sterilized.

Factors such as hypothermia, frequent stress, overwork, poor-quality or insufficient night's sleep weaken the immune defense, so they need to be eliminated from your life. You should play sports and spend as much time as possible in the fresh air.

All foci of infection should be treated in time, and this applies to any organs, regardless of their distance from the appendages.

If a woman develops unusual vaginal discharge, the lower abdomen hurts, and menstruation does not start on time, then it is necessary to consult a gynecologist.

Forecast

If acute adnexitis is detected and treated in time, then the disease does not pose a danger to a woman. When adnexitis becomes chronic, its course is complicated by the formation of adhesions in the fallopian tubes. They, in turn, are the main cause of female infertility, as well as the development of ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, when the first signs of inflammation of the appendages appear, do not hesitate to visit the doctor's office.

The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist

Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.