Women's Health

Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) range from none at all to severe.

It's common to think that PID symptoms are a sign of something less serious. Many women who have pelvic organ damage caused by PID report that they've never been diagnosed with PID. This is particularly true of PID that is caused by chlamydia, which may cause no symptoms.

PID symptoms often do not appear until infection and inflammation have spread to the fallopian tubes or the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Symptoms of PID tend to be more noticeable during menstrual bleeding and sometimes in the week following.

The main symptom of PID is lower abdominal pain, usually described as crampy or as constant and dull. This pain may get worse during bowel movements, sexual intercourse, or urination. You may also have one or more other symptoms, including:

• A sense of pressure in the pelvis.
• Low back pain. Sometimes this pain spreads down one or both legs.
• Abnormal discharge-such as yellow-, brown-, or green-colored discharge-or an increased amount of discharge from the vagina.
• Fever [usually over 101°F (38.33°C)]. But you can have PID without fever.
• A vague feeling of body weakness or discomfort (malaise).
• Headache.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Pain during sex (dyspareunia).
• Irregular menstrual bleeding.
• Urinary symptoms, such as burning or pain with urination.

Be sure to see your doctor when you have any of the above symptoms, because PID and several other conditions with similar symptoms require prompt treatment.