Diseases of the female reproductive system are gynecological diseases, including vulvar diseases, vaginal diseases, uterine diseases, fallopian tube diseases, ovarian diseases, etc. Gynecological diseases are common and frequently occurring diseases among women. However, many people lack proper knowledge of gynecological diseases, lack of health care, and various bad living habits, which make their physical health deteriorate, leading to some women suffering from diseases that cannot be cured for a long time, causing great inconvenience to their normal life and work. Women, especially married women, have sexual intercourse, childbirth, miscarriage, or surgery that can damage the cervix. Moreover, after sexual intercourse, the front and back walls of the vagina are not tightly attached, unlike the closed state before marriage, which increases the chance of infection with gynecological diseases. In addition, unhygienic sexual intercourse, unhygienic menstruation, and having sex during menstruation can lead to the invasion of bacteria and infection with gynecological diseases.
High-Risk Groups
| High-Risk Groups | Infection |
|---|---|
| Female | Not contagious |
Symptoms
The early symptoms of gynecological diseases are not obvious, and patients usually do not feel any obvious discomfort. They are usually discovered during gynecological examinations. If the symptoms are severe, there may be symptoms of increased leucorrhea, which is bloody or purulent, and accompanied by a foul smell. Leucorrhea irritates the vulva and causes vulvar itching. In severe cases, there will be lower abdominal distension and pain, which worsens after sexual intercourse. Some patients also experience symptoms such as frequent urination.
Specific Conditions
Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a disease name in modern medicine. It refers to uterine bleeding caused by ovarian dysfunction, referred to as “dysfunctional uterine bleeding.”
Vaginitis
Vaginitis is a common disease in gynecological clinics. Clinically, the main clinical features are changes in the characteristics of leucorrhea and itchy and burning pain in the vulva. Pain during sexual intercourse is also common.
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in the female reproductive organs. They mostly occur in middle-aged women, and the incidence rate is higher in women aged 30-50.
Cervical Erosion
It is the most common disease in women. It is mostly transformed from acute and chronic cervicitis, and is more common in married and weak women.
Examination Procedures
Vulvar Examination
- Whether the skin of the vulva is smooth, whether the color is normal, whether there are ulcers, dermatitis, vegetation and hypopigmentation. Normal vulva: pubic hair is pointed downward, triangular distribution, labia majora pigmentation, labia minora slightly red, clitoral length <2.5cm, urethral mucosa around the urethra is light pink. Then use a speculum to further examine the vagina and cervix.
Vaginal Examination
- Check whether the surface of the vaginal mucosa is smooth, whether the texture is normal, whether there are bleeding spots, and whether the properties and odor of vaginal secretions are normal. Normal vagina: The vaginal wall mucosa is light pink in color, with folds, without ulcers, vegetation, cysts, congenital malformations, and the secretions are egg white or white paste, without fishy smell, small amount, but increase during ovulation and pregnancy. If you want to check leucorrhea, the doctor will take a specimen at this time.
Cervical Examination
- Observe whether there are tumors, ulcers, erosions, polyps on the cervix, whether the size of the cervix is ​​normal, whether the surface is smooth, whether the texture is too hard, and whether there is uterine prolapse. Normal cervix: bulges around and has a hole in the middle. It is round for non-pregnant women and “I”-shaped for pregnant women. It is tough, flesh-red and has a smooth surface. If you want to do a cervical cancer prevention smear test, the doctor will take the specimen at this time.
Uterine and Adnexal Examination
- To understand the position of the uterine fundus, whether it is active, and the texture. If the uterus is enlarged, too hard, and the surface is not smooth, it is abnormal and needs further examination. Normal uterus: inverted pear-shaped, 5
6cm long, 45cm wide, 3~4cm thick, most of them are in anterior flexion, medium hardness, and good mobility. The ovaries and fallopian tubes are collectively called “adnexa”, which are movable and slightly sore and swollen when touched. Normal fallopian tubes cannot be touched. The doctor takes out the speculum, puts on a pair of very thin rubber gloves, applies vaseline, slowly inserts one or two fingers into the vagina, and puts the other hand on the lower abdomen and presses down hard. This is to examine the uterus and adnexa. When your fingers touch the uterine fundus, you will feel pain, but it will not last long, about 1 minute.
Leucorrhea Examination
- Smear the vaginal secretions and observe them under a microscope. The vaginal cleanliness is determined by the number of vaginal bacilli, white blood cells (WBC) and miscellaneous bacteria. There are 4 degrees:
- Grade I: There are a large number of vaginal bacilli and epithelial cells, no miscellaneous bacteria and white blood cells, and the field of vision is clean, which is normal secretions.
- Grade II: There are moderate vaginal bacilli and epithelial cells, a small number of white blood cells and miscellaneous bacteria, which is still normal vaginal secretions.
- Grade III: There are a few vaginal bacilli and squamous epithelium, more miscellaneous bacteria and white blood cells, indicating milder vaginal inflammation.
- Grade IV: There are no vaginal bacilli, only a few epithelial cells, a large number of white blood cells and miscellaneous bacteria. It indicates relatively severe vaginal inflammation, such as candidal vaginitis and trichomonas vaginitis.
Gynecological B-Ultrasound
- (1) Congenital malformations of reproductive organs such as congenital absence of uterus, various uterine malformations (double uterus, double vagina, bicornuate uterus, rudimentary uterus, septate uterus), hymenal malformations (atresia, hematopoiesis) and ectopic kidney (pelvic kidney).
- (2) Endometriosis (adenomyosis, ovarian chocolate cyst).
- (3) Endometrial cavity lesions such as incomplete abortion, fertilized egg development abnormalities or missed abortion, hydatidiform mole, endometrial hyperplasia, polyps, uterine body adenocarcinoma, etc.
- (4) Intrauterine contraceptive device to understand its position, deformation, incarceration, perforation, exsitu migration or pregnancy with the ring.
- (5) Cervical lesions such as cervical hypertrophy, Nabothian cyst, polyps.
- (6) Pelvic genital inflammation such as pyometra and hydrosalpinx.
- (7) Postoperative examination of findings after hysterectomy.
- (8) Gynecological non-vegetative masses such as follicular cysts, corpus luteum cysts, luteinized cysts, polycystic ovaries, ovarian hematomas, and ovarian crown cysts.
- (9) Gynecological tumors â‘ Benign tumors such as uterine fibroids and various ovarian cysts.
- â‘¡ Malignant tumors such as uterine adenocarcinoma, choriocarcinoma, primary or secondary ovarian cancer, etc.
Diagnosis and Differentiation
Common symptoms of gynecological diseases include vulvar itching, increased leucorrhea, odor, burning pain, lower abdominal distension, pain, lumbar pain, irregular menstruation, etc. A preliminary diagnosis can be made based on these symptoms. The specific diagnosis is based on further auxiliary examinations recommended by the doctor.
Treatment
Western Medicine Treatment
Gynecological diseases Western medicine treatment of functional uterine bleeding: the principle is to stop bleeding, correct anemia and restore ovulation function. Treat the combined diseases at the same time.
Vaginitis
Active treatment can eliminate susceptibility factors. Keep the vulva clean and dry, avoid scratching. It is not suitable to eat spicy and irritating foods, the effect is very good. Change underwear frequently and wash with warm water. Do not mix with other clothes to avoid cross infection.
Uterine Fibroids
- Follow-up observation: If the patient has no obvious symptoms and no signs of malignant transformation, regular follow-up observation can be performed.
- Drug treatment
- Surgical treatment: Surgical treatment of uterine fibroids includes myomectomy and hysterectomy, which can be performed abdominally or vaginally, and endoscopic surgery (hysteroscopy or laparoscopy) can also be performed. The choice of surgical procedure and surgical route depends on factors such as the patient’s age, whether there is a desire to have children, the size and growth location of the fibroids, and medical technical conditions.
Cervical Erosion
Cervical columnar epithelial ectopy does not require any treatment. Many current methods for treating cervical “erosion” can destroy the normal cervical stroma, cause excessive repair, and cause cervical fibrosis, which is not conducive to reproductive health. However, symptomatic cervicitis requires treatment. Acute inflammation is treated with suppositories, while chronic inflammation can be treated with physical therapy such as laser or freezing.
Nursing Considerations
If you have gynecological diseases, you should not have any psychological burden. You should use the medicine correctly under the guidance of a doctor. You should pay more attention to hygiene. Wash your underwear separately, and use towels, bathtubs, toilets, etc. separately to prevent the spread of mold to other people. During the illness, especially the acute stage, you should avoid having sex to avoid infection. Both husband and wife should receive treatment at the same time. At the same time, you should also eat more foods rich in vitamins, and try to eat less beef, mutton and spicy foods during the illness to avoid aggravating the itching symptoms.
Dietary Precautions
Eating more whole-wheat foods can keep estrogen at an appropriate level in the blood circulation, avoiding excessive estrogen levels that can cause many breast diseases. Kelp contains a large amount of iodine, which can stimulate the anterior pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone, promote luteinization of ovarian follicles, and reduce estrogen levels in the body. Therefore, eating kelp regularly can help prevent and treat breast hyperplasia. Red fruits and vegetables such as red apples and red peppers contain certain natural phytochemicals that can effectively inhibit the growth of some gynecological tumor cells and reduce their responsiveness to estrogen, thus preventing gynecological tumors.
Prevention of Gynecological Diseases
- Exercise, eat a balanced diet, and avoid foods high in sugar.
- Both husband and wife should develop good hygiene habits, especially pay attention to the cleanliness of the intercourse organs. It is best to use a female care solution with a weak acid formula to clean the vulva every day.
- Develop good hygiene habits: do not use sanitary ware such as clothes basins, bathtubs, and bath towels in public places, and wash your hands before going to the toilet; do not abuse unclean toilet paper; wipe the vulva from front to back after defecation; change underwear and put it in a ventilated place to dry; use your own basins and towels for your own use; wash underwear and socks in different basins. It is better to take a shower.
- Too many abortions and births are also one of the causes of gynecological diseases. Therefore, too many abortions, curettages, and births should be avoided.
- Gynecological disease census should be carried out regularly. Understand that married women under the age of 40 should be examined every two years, and women over the age of 40 should be examined once a year.
- Do not have sex during menstruation or within 30 days after abortion, as it can easily cause pelvic infection and blood backflow, leading to endometriosis, and even infertility.
- Avoid excessive scratching, rubbing, and hot water washing to relieve itching. Do not use strong alkaline soap for bathing, and do not use bathing agents to repeatedly wash the vulva or flush the vagina, which will cause changes in vaginal pH and lead to imbalance of normal vaginal flora, thereby destroying the vaginal acidic antibacterial barrier. Do not abuse highly irritating hormone topical drugs.