Cervical erosion
Erosion of the cervix is a defect in the integumentary epithelium of the mucous membrane of the cervix, which violates its integrity and thereby reduces the protective properties of the mucous membrane. Erosion of the cervix is one of the most common gynecological diseases, it can occur in women at any age, but most often at the age of 30-40 years.
Distinguish between cervical erosion and ectopia of the cervix, the so-called pseudo-erosion. Ectopia is often found in young women, up to 25 years old, has an external resemblance to cervical erosion, but the surface layer of cells is not disturbed, but only modified. Unlike true erosion of the cervix, ectopia is not a disease, but only a developmental option, and, as a rule, does not require treatment.
Causes of cervical erosion
The main cause of cervical erosion is an inflammatory process of an infectious origin. Desquamation (increased desquamation) of the surface epithelium of the cervix can be caused by microorganisms related to urogenital infection (UGI) - ureaplasma, mycoplasma, Trichomonas, chlamydia, genital herpes virus, etc.
In some cases, the cause of erosion of the cervix can be a violation of the endocrine system, especially the functions of the glands responsible for the production of sex hormones.
A prerequisite for the appearance of erosion of the cervix is a decrease in local, and in some cases, general immunity. Such a decrease in immunity is observed when a woman leads an unhealthy lifestyle, the frequent and erratic change of sexual partners has a particularly detrimental effect. Thus, an improper lifestyle is another, moreover, a very common cause of cervical erosion.
Symptoms of cervical erosion
Very often, the symptoms of cervical erosion are absent, or so not pronounced that a woman may not notice them for a long time. The most common symptom of cervical erosion is the appearance of leucorrhoea - pathological discharge from the vagina, but their amount is not too significant and may not attract attention. Since the destruction of the superficial epithelial layer also affects the superficial vessels of the microcircular bed, often the first symptom of cervical erosion that attracts attention is the bloody vaginal discharge that appears after intercourse. This occurs as a result of mechanical microtrauma of the vessels destroyed by erosion.
In some cases, the symptoms of cervical erosion may be absent, and then the disease is detected during a routine examination or a visit to a doctor for another reason.
Diagnosis of cervical erosion
The cervix is available for direct physical examination, so the diagnosis of cervical erosion can be made after a routine gynecological examination using vaginal speculum. A more thorough examination is carried out by the method of colposcopy - examination of the vagina and cervix using a colposcope, which gives a more detailed picture due to the possibility of increasing the field of view. To clarify the diagnosis of cervical erosion, the affected areas are stained with Lugol's solution (iodine solution in glycerin). In this case, healthy tissue is stained with a solution, but the eroded surface is not.
During the diagnosis of cervical erosion, a scraping is certainly taken from the erosion spot for a biopsy - a cytological study, in order to determine the nature of the cells contained in the erosion. This is necessary for the differential diagnosis of cervical erosion with precancerous lesions of the cervix and a malignant tumor.
Treatment of cervical erosion
Treatment of cervical erosion can be medication and surgical. Surgical treatment of cervical erosion, which is currently used, consists in the impact on the affected area using laser, radio wave surgery or cryodestruction. These are painless and bloodless methods of treating cervical erosion, which give excellent results and have practically no complications. Laser and radio wave surgery also have the advantage that their effect has a stimulating effect on tissue regeneration.
Previously used as a treatment for cervical erosion, the method of diathermocoagulation is currently not used due to pain and the fact that leads to the formation of scar tissue, which subsequently prevents the cervix from opening during labor. The method of chemical destruction of erosion is also not currently used due to the lack of accuracy of the effect and the risk of damage to healthy tissues.
Medical treatment of cervical erosion consists in the use of anti-inflammatory drugs aimed at eliminating urogenital infection, restorative and immunostimulating agents. If endocrine pathology is detected, it is corrected with synthetic hormonal drugs, analogs of female sex hormones. For this purpose, contraceptive hormonal drugs of the latest generation are used, devoid of most of the side effects. Physiotherapeutic treatment of cervical erosion shows good results. By means of physiotherapy (magnetotherapy, UHF, UHF, UHF, laser therapy, etc.), it is possible to provide a significant anti-inflammatory and healing effect on tissue damaged by erosion.
Treatment of cervical erosion with folk remedies
In the treatment of cervical erosion, folk remedies can be used quite widely and have an effective therapeutic effect. As a rule, folk remedies affect the erosion of the cervix locally. For douching and baths, decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory effects are used. These are such plants as calamus, chamomile, sage, string, oak bark, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, plantain. In the healing phase, the use of oils containing carotene is effective. The oils are used as an impregnation for vaginal tampons. For this purpose, pumpkin, sea buckthorn, and rosehip oil is used to treat cervical erosion.
With erosion of the cervix, folk remedies can also be used as mild restorative drugs. This effect is possessed by tinctures of Echinacea purpurea, ginseng, golden mustache, propolis. For the general strengthening of the body, honey and other beekeeping products are also successfully used in the absence of allergies to them.
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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
