Salpingitis- Introduction

Salpingitis Definition

Salpingitis is the medical term coined to refer to the inflammation of or the infection in the fallopian tubes in women. The fallopian tubes are tubes that connect the uterus and the ovaries.

  • Salpingitis is recorded to be one of the most common causes of infertility in females.
  • When the inflammation in the tubes occurs, it causes extra fluid to be released inside the tubes and also accumulation of pus.

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There are two different types of Salpingitis, which are:

Acute Salpingitis

Under the acute salpingitis the fallopian tubes swell and become red. They then excrete some fluid which makes the walls of the tubes to stick together. There are cases when the tubes may get stuck to the nearby organs for example the intestines. Though very rarely, there is a possibility of tube rupture which can cause dangerous infections.

Chronic Salpingitis

The chronic salpingitis follows the case of acute salpingitis. After an acute attack, the salpingitis may develop into milder case of salpingitis which lasts longer. This does not display many severe and noticeable symptoms.

Salpingitis- Symptoms

There are many symptoms of this condition and some of the major ones are listed below:

  • Abnormal smell and color of the vaginal discharge can be a symptom pointing towards salpingitis.
  • Excessive pain during periods is a symptom as well.
  • Occurrence of spotting in between periods is also a symptom of salpingitis.
  • Some patients also experience pain in the abdomen in their ovulation period.
  • Symptoms of salpingitis also include abnormal discomfort and existence of pain during sexual intercourse.
  • Development of abdominal pain on both the sides is also a symptom of salpingitis.
  • Fever, lower back pain, vomiting and nausea are all possible symptoms.
  • Unusually heavy bleeding during the period is also a common and evident symptom.

There the symptoms of salpingitis, however the milder cases of the condition may not present any of these symptoms. When the symptoms are present (even in milder cases) they begin to show after the menstrual periods.

Salpingitis- Causes

The most common cause of Salpingitis is stated to be a bacterial infection. The most common types of bacteria which can be held accountable for the development of the condition include:

  • Mycoplasma
  • Streptococcu, and
  • Staphylococcus

While bacteria is the most common cause for this condition, there have been cases when sexually transmitted diseases like- Chlamydia and gonorrhea etc have lead to the development of this condition. The STDs may spread from the vagina, into the uterus and then finally to the fallopian tubes.

Other causes include:

  • Abortion
  • Childbirth
  • Inflammatory diseases of Pelvis
  • Peritonitis

Salpingitis Treatment

Note that it is very important to take professional medical assistance in treating salpingitis. The treatment methods include the following:

  • Antibiotics- since the most common cause of the condition is bacteria, the most common treatment is consumption of antibiotics.
  • Intravenous Antibiotics- in comparatively sever cases the antibiotics may be injected intravenously for a quicker effect.
  • Hospitalization and Surgical Drain– this refers to hospitalization for extremely severe cases and the draining of the fluid buildup in the tubes surgically.