Pelvic pain is pain that appears in the pelvis or the lower part of the abdomen. The pain experienced can be dull or sharp, and can appear at certain moments, such as when urinating and having sex.
In women, pelvic pain can be a sign of a disorder in the reproductive organs. However, pelvic pain can also be felt by men. Pelvic pain in general can be caused by various conditions, including urinary tract infections, inflammation of the intestines, to hernias.
Symptoms and Causes of Pelvic Pain
The pain that appears can be different for each person, for example the pain that appears can feel dull, it can also feel sharp. Pain can also appear at certain moments, such as when urinating or during sexual intercourse. In some cases, the pain that appears even spreads to other parts of the body, such as the back, buttocks, or thighs.
Pelvic pain is divided into 2 types, namely acute and chronic pelvic pain. Acute pelvic pain is a condition in which pain in the pelvis appears suddenly. While chronic pelvic pain is pain in the pelvis that lasts longer than 6 months.
The cause of pelvic pain in each person is different. In acute pelvic pain, several conditions that can cause pelvic pain include:
- Ovarian cysts, both benign and malignant
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Appendicitis
- Inflammation of the abdominal cavity (peritonitis)
- Urinary tract infection
- Constipation
Meanwhile, in chronic pelvic pain, conditions that can cause it include:
- Endometriosis
- Chronic pelvic inflammation
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- hernia
- Damage or compression of the pelvic nerves
- Miom
- Adenomyosis
Each cause of pelvic pain can also cause other additional symptoms according to the cause. For example, if pelvic pain is caused by intestinal inflammation, additional symptoms that the patient may experience include fever, weakness, or diarrhea.
Pelvic Pain Diagnosis
Diagnosis aims to find out the cause of the emergence of pelvic pain. The diagnosis process will begin with a thorough examination of the patient's symptoms, physical, and medical history. After that, the examination can be continued by carrying out a series of supporting examination procedures. Some of the procedures that can be used to determine the cause of pelvic pain include:
- blood test
- urine test
- Pelvic ultrasound
- MRI
- Pelvic laparoscopy
- Cystoscopy
- Colonoscopy
Pelvic Pain Treatment
Pelvic pain treatment will be tailored to the cause. Patients are advised to consult a doctor first and find out the exact cause of pelvic pain. Once the cause of pelvic pain is known, the doctor will determine the appropriate treatment method.
If pelvic pain is caused by a urinary tract infection, then treatment can be done with antibiotics. Some antibiotics that can be used include:
- Amoxicillin
- Ciprofloxacin
- Levofloxacin
- trimethoprim
- Cephalexin
Your doctor may also prescribe other antibiotics to treat the infection. Therefore, discuss further with your doctor regarding the use of drugs. The type and dosage of antibiotics that are not appropriate have the potential to worsen and even cause drug side effects.
Pelvic pain can also be treated with surgery. This treatment method is carried out in certain conditions, such as pelvic pain that appears caused by a hernia.