Women’s Reproductive System Problems
• Menstrual cramps – Lower abdominal pain and throbbing, which can occur either before or after a period may be caused by endometriosis or uterine fibroids.
• Endometriosis – This is the result of uterine tissue growing outside of the uterus. Most commonly, it involves the bowels, ovaries or tissue lining the pelvis. With each menstrual period, this tissue thickens, bleeds and breaks down. This can cause great pain in the pelvic area. If the uterine tissues invade the ovaries, cysts can occur. Surrounding tissue eventually develops scars and adhesions, which are abnormal tissues that bind organs together.
• Uterine fibroids are growths that often appear during childbearing years but that almost never develops into cancer. They do result in pelvic pain, intestinal pain and pelvic pressure, however.
• Adenomyosis – This condition occurs when endometrial tissue exists within and grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. This tissue thickens, bleeds and breaks down like any other endometrial tissue during a menstrual cycle. An enlarged uterus or painful, heavy periods can result.
• Ectopic pregnancy – When a fertilized egg implants itself somewhere other than the uterus, it results in an ectopic pregnancy. It can implant itself in the fallopian tube or other places, causing a life-threatening situation for the woman. Signs of this condition include sharp pelvic pain on one side of the body, typically the side on which the egg implanted, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, and nausea.
• Ovarian cysts – These are fluid-filled pockets or sacs on or within the surface of an ovary. The majority disappear without treatment within months. Symptoms include sharp pelvic pain, irregular menstruation and pain after intercourse.
• Vulvodynia – There is chronic pain in the area surrounding the vagina. It is thought that nerves, tissue and muscles in the area are sensitized to pain signals. Women may find it painful to insert a tampon or have sex, and may feel burning, stabbing, rawness, stinging and irritation.
• Miscarriage – Spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week occurs in 10 to 20 percent of all pregnancies.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) – This is a reproductive organ infection. Complications from sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea typically happen after sexually transmitted bacteria spreads from the vagina to the ovaries, fallopian tubes or uterus. Often PID will become apparent only when a woman is trying to get pregnant. At times, there is abnormal vaginal discharge and pain when urinating or having sex.
• Ovarian cancer – Because of the depth of these organs, this cancer is difficult to detect until it has metastasized within the pelvis or abdomen. At this point, the cancer is more difficult to treat and is often fatal.
• Interstitial cystitis (IC) – This condition is marked by chronic mid-pelvic pain. There’s a near-constant need to urinate and pain during urination and intercourse. IC mainly occurs in women 30 to 40 years old. The cause is unknown. • Pelvic organ prolapse – When this happens, a pelvic organ drops to a lower position. At times, this organ can protrude into the vaginal canal. Pain usually originates in the vagina and back and may involve painful sex. It often occurs in older women.
Pelvic Pain in Both Men and Women
The following are vexations to both men and women. Regardless of one’s gender, the following usually results in pelvic pain.
Appendicitis
Inflammation of the small, finger-shaped pouch that extends from the colon on the lower right side of the abdomen. This happens when bacteria invade the walls of the appendix. Abscess, rupture and peritonitis are common complications. Common symptoms are nausea and vomiting, abdominal tenderness and pain, loss of appetite, and fever. Treatment can include antibiotics or surgery to remove the infected appendix.
Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections can involve any part of the kidneys, ureters, urethra or bladder. Most involve the lower urinary tract, the bladder and the urethra. There’s a persistent urge to urinate, fever, painful urination, urine that looks red, cloudy, pink (this is a sign of blood in the urine), nausea, strong-smelling urine, and rectal pain in men and pelvic pain in women. Women can be at greater risk for this condition.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome – This involves chronic inflammation of the large intestine, or colon, the lowest section of the intestine and results in abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea and constipation and bloating.
Colon Cancer
Colon cancer usually involves the last few inches of the colon. Most polyps found during colonoscopies are non-cancerous, but those that are cancerous probably originated from benign polyps. So they are all dealt with through a colonoscopy. Many do not experience any symptoms at all of colon cancer. Diarrhea, pencil-shaped stools, bleeding from the anus, unexplained fatigue and pelvic pain are some symptoms. Four main treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and counseling. One or more treatments may be recommended, depending on the cancer's stage.
Wherever it manifests, pain is the body's way of signaling a problem. See a doctor if pelvic pain occurs.