Cervical erosion: causes, symptoms, treatment

Cervical erosion - what it is, what are the reasons for its occurrence, and how can it be cured. Today we’ll talk about one of the most common female diseases.

Causes of cervical erosion

There are many reasons that can cause erosion. This is what makes it difficult to identify a specific source. Let's look at the most common ones.

• Sexually transmitted diseases. Pathogenic bacteria, developing on the mucous membranes begin to destroy the latter. In addition, along with the onset of the disease, the immune system weakens significantly, which gives rise to a bunch of additional ailments.
• Inflammatory diseases. Such as colpitis, thrush, bacterial vaginosis, vaginitis. Primarily associated with a violation of the vaginal microflora.
• Mechanical damage to the mucous membrane, which includes childbirth, abortion and rough sex. Any, even the smallest cracks that occur as a result of the above actions can cause erosion.

In addition to the above factors, there are reasons that will serve as an additional impetus for the development of the disease. These are:

• early onset of sexual activity;
• frequent change of sexual partners;
• weakened immune system;
• hormonal disorder;
• menstruation disorders.

Problems with hormones may be indicated by the onset of menstruation too early (under 12 years old) or too late (over 16 years old). The reason for the onset of erosion can be hormonal drugs that are taken for a long time (including during treatment infertility). Pregnancy and childbirth that occurred before the age of 18, when the body has not yet fully formed, can cause erosion.

Smoking and frequent drinking of alcoholic beverages, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, personal stress, sedentary lifestyle - all this can also be classified as provocateurs, since for this reason the immune system weakens.

Symptoms of cervical erosion

As a rule, cervical erosion is characterized by mild or mild symptoms. A girl can live her whole life with such a “silent” disease and not even know about its existence. In addition, erosion can go away on its own. In the vast majority of cases, erosion is discovered by a doctor who conducts an examination.

But still, experts identify some characteristic manifestations of the disease:

• pain during sexual intercourse;
• barely noticeable discharge of blood from the vagina, which often appears after sex;
• slight nagging pain in the lower abdomen;
• copious vaginal discharge that is colorless and odorless.

Establishing an accurate diagnosis occurs only after a complete examination of the affected area. To be more convincing, a specialist may prescribe additional tests. And only after this the treatment itself is prescribed.

Cervical erosion: types

Doctors distinguish the following types of cervical erosion:

• Congenital. It looks like a bright red round formation. Appears in adolescence and adolescence. This is the only species that is able to regenerate without outside help. Degeneration into pathology is almost impossible.
• True. A bright red formation on the cervix, the diameter of which does not exceed 1 cm, has clear boundaries. The existence of true erosion is estimated at a maximum of two weeks, after which the stage of pseudo-erosion begins. The risk of pathology is minimal.
• Pseudo-erosion. A red area located near the external pharynx, mainly on the posterior lip. It can exist quietly for several months or several years. There are only rare cases when healing at this stage occurred without outside help. If there is no cell atypia, then the chances of degeneration into oncology are very low. If the patient has human papillomavirus, the risk increases.

Treatment of cervical erosion

No matter what various “virtues” say, erosion cannot be cured with tampons soaked in sea buckthorn and other herbs. If you engage in non-surgical treatment, then only with the permission of a doctor. Otherwise, you risk spending a lot of money and getting absolutely no results. The earlier the disease was diagnosed, the easier and faster it is to cure.

All treatment can be divided into three types:

• Medication.
• Non-medicinal.
• Surgical.

In the first case, cure occurs by taking anti-inflammatory drugs that eliminate the cause of the disease and also restore the mucous membrane of the tissue.

Non-drug treatments are drugs that act directly. Basically, these are candles. They have an antimicrobial effect and help normalize the functioning of the mucous membrane. This treatment is highly effective, but only a doctor can prescribe a specific drug.

There is another type of surgical intervention - cauterization. Very often, doctors prescribe just this method of treatment, considering it to be the fastest and most effective. This frightens women, firstly, the word “cauterization” itself sounds frightening, and secondly, given the negative experience of 20 years ago, when the procedure was very painful, it is difficult to believe otherwise. There is also an opinion that after cauterization, scars remain, which will subsequently affect pregnancy.

But with medicine that has made great strides forward, established myths can be dispelled. Instead of one method, experts offer five variations of medical intervention based on cauterization.   Diathermocoagulation. In simple terms, this is a primitive removal of erosion using current, after which a burn is formed that develops into a scar. The technique is very crude and any careless action on the part of the doctor can harm healthy cervical tissue. The procedure itself is quite useful and it is possible that instead of one, 2-3 sessions may be required. Now this technique is fading into oblivion, since it can really harm the reproductive functions of a woman, especially one who has not given birth.

• Cryotherapy. The essence of the technique comes down to exposing the affected area to a stream of liquid nitrogen. The impact zone is determined very precisely, which allows healthy tissue to be spared. The process takes about 10 minutes. At the time of the operation, the patient does not feel pain. The only sensations are as if something is pulling in the lower abdomen.
• Agonoplasmic coagulation. A completely new method of removing erosion is laser exposure. No discomfort. However, some doctors do not advise young ladies who have not given birth to use this method. Unfortunately, it is not possible to try agonoplasma coagulation in all clinics, mainly only in private institutions. This is due to the high cost of equipment.
• Radio wave radiation. Healing after such exposure occurs after a month. There are no scars at all, the technique is absolutely painless and quick, but after the procedure you may experience bloody discharge.
• Chemical exposure. Applicable only in cases where the affected area is small (does not exceed the diameter of a 2-kopeck coin). The area is treated with a special chemical composition that destroys the epithelium. Complete healing is not guaranteed and depends on the individual.

Regardless of the method of surgical treatment, it is carried out at the very beginning of the cycle. Until complete healing, bathing, overheating of the body and sexual activity are strictly prohibited.

Erosion prevention

In order to prevent erosion in the future, you should follow simple rules. First of all, you should understand the importance of regularly visiting a gynecologist. You need to go through the gynecological chair twice a year. This will help identify the problem at an early stage, and therefore cure it without using harsh methods.

Secondly, carefully monitor your intimate hygiene. Take a shower twice a day, especially during your period. Have a decent sex life. When starting sexual activity with a new partner, use a barrier method of contraception to prevent STDs.

Is it painful to cauterize cervical erosion?

From everything described above, it is clear that cauterization of erosion, in most cases, does not cause even the slightest discomfort. But old and cheap methods can hurt. Now, knowing about all the treatment methods, you can consult with your doctor, ask him about each and find out what exactly is right for you.

Traditional treatment of cervical erosion

The Internet is replete with a huge number of recipes from traditional medicine that promise to help in treatment. But even if you dare to use this method of healing, discard each of them and use simple logic. All the reasons that cause erosion can be united by one sign - weakened immunity. And this means that you should work on it. As soon as it strengthens, protective internal mechanisms are activated and the chances of independent healing increase exponentially.

In any treatment, to avoid this, always focus on eliminating the source that triggered the onset of the disease. If it is not identified and eliminated, the disease will return again and again, constantly progressing. It is precisely because this point is ignored that most women cauterize erosion several times throughout their lives.

Attention, before self-medicating, make sure that the sources were not STDs!   

Uterine erosion during pregnancy

Erosion itself is not dangerous even during pregnancy. However, if it arose at the time of bearing the baby, the process of identifying the cause that led to its occurrence becomes especially important. If these are not infectious diseases that are sexually transmitted, then the doctor postpones treatment until the postpartum period, provided that the tests are within normal limits.

Treatment of erosion - reviews

A lot of women do not attach importance to erosion and continue to walk with it. Of course, in some cases it may not make itself felt, but there are often situations when problems arise precisely because of erosion at the most inopportune moment. For example, the cervix may simply rupture during childbirth if there is erosion on it. Therefore, the importance of treatment is obvious. In addition, it is much more pleasant to realize that everything in the body functions “like a clock.”

Girls and women who decided to undergo the erosion removal procedure were satisfied with the result. Most of them noted a positive trend in normalizing the cycle and reducing pain during menstruation.