Uterine infections, such as endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease, can cause lower abdominal pain, fever, abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding, and abdominal swelling. They can occur due to abnormal vaginal bacteria or procedures that involve entry into the uterus. Antibiotics cure most uterine infections, and symptoms often improve within a few days. It’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent serious complications.
Infections of the uterus or uterus are usually relatively harmless when diagnosed and treated early. Infections can occur anywhere in the uterus but commonly affect the lining. This type of infection is called endometritis. Another common type of uterine infection called pelvic inflammatory disease infects the uterus and cervix, and sometimes the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well. Common symptoms of a uterine infection include lower abdominal pain, fever, abnormal vaginal discharge or bleeding, and abdominal swelling.
An infection of the uterus can occur in any woman due to abnormal vaginal bacteria, but infections are more common in women who have a sexually transmitted disease, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, and women who have recently given birth. Uterine infections are more common in women who deliver by cesarean section, and doctors often give these patients antibiotics for a few days after delivery to ward off potential infections. Other possible causes include procedures that involve entry into the uterus, such as having an intrauterine device placed for birth control or undergoing a D and C, or uterine curettage, for diagnostic reasons or to remove uterine tissue following a miscarriage spontaneous.
Most uterine infections don’t cause serious complications when treated properly, so it’s important for women who suspect they have an infection to seek medical attention as soon as possible. The infection could spread to the bloodstream, causing serious illness, or migrate to the fallopian tubes where it could cause permanent damage affecting fertility. Doctors diagnose an infection in the uterus by doing a pelvic exam, which often includes tissue samples from the cervix and uterus to identify the bacteria causing the infection and to diagnose other illnesses or diseases. They may also take blood samples to do cultures to determine if the infection has spread to your bloodstream.
Antibiotics cure most uterine infections, and symptoms often improve within a few days. Women who develop an infection of the uterus after a cesarean delivery are usually treated in the hospital, while other patients are often treated on an outpatient basis. Some infections, particularly cases of pelvic inflammatory disease, do not resolve with the first course of antibiotic treatment. In these cases, doctors may prescribe a different antibiotic until the symptoms go away. Patients diagnosed with chlamydia or other infections that have contributed to the infection of the uterus may require other prescribed medications or medical care to treat or control symptoms of the underlying disease to prevent further uterine infections.
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