What is PID?
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a condition that affects women’s reproductive organs. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are the main causes of PID. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an infection that needs to be treated as soon as possible to avoid problems with fertility.
Infertility is common after being diagnosed with PID. This is because the inflammation in the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes can cause considerable scarring and damage. The effects of scarring on fallopian tubes and the uterus can also cause ectopic pregnancies. This refers to a condition that occurs when an egg is fertilized and grows outside of the uterus, generally in the fallopian tube. This can be life-threatening.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease occurs when bacteria travel through the cervix into the uterus and fallopian tubes. If you are under the age of twenty-five then you are at a higher risk of developing PID. This is because the cervix does not fully develop until the age of twenty-five. Women who douche are also at a higher risk because douching washes away the protective flora that is normally present around the cervix. Douching sends a forceful current into the cervix which can help shuttle dangerous bacteria directly into the uterus and fallopian tubes.
Symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can be so mild that they go undetected. This is why many women go undiagnosed until damage has occurred. In some cases, the symptoms can be more severe. Symptoms include fever, pain during intercourse or urination, irregular periods or a foul smelling vaginal discharge. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to contact your OB/GYN and seek treatment. If you delay, then the effects of PID can become much worse and even life-threatening.
Your OB/GYN may test you for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. These are the main causes for PID, but not the only ones. Many sexually transmitted diseases can cause PID. Your doctor may order an ultrasound to see if your fallopian tubes look swollen. When the infection invades your fallopian tubes and uterus, your body will actively fight off the infection. This is what causes the swelling and the development of scar tissue.
Treatment of PID includes antibiotics to fight off the infection. If scarring and damage have occurred and you are trying to conceive, then laparoscopic surgery may be necessary to clear away scar tissue and restore your ability to conceive.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Georgetown Texas gynecologist specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: pelvic inflammatory disease, PID, PID symptoms, what is PID
Endometriosis Overview
Endometriosis symptoms can be deceiving. Many women experience a wide range in severity of symptoms that do not correlate to the advancement of the disease. Endometriosis is a progressive disease that can get worse over time. The symptoms you experience may be mild when the endometriosis is actually in advanced stages. On the other hand, symptoms may be severe and the endometriosis can be minimal. You can not use the severity of the symptoms to determine how advanced the disease is.
Endometriosis occurs when tissues resembling the lining of your uterus shed into your abdomen. Endometriosis implants and tissues respond to the hormonal changes that your uterine lining does. Therefore, when your uterine lining builds, the endometriosis grows. When you shed your uterine lining during menstruation, the endometrial cells also shed. This can cause painful blood pooling inside of the abdominal cavity.
Most experts agree that endometriosis occurs when uterine lining is shed and travels up and out of the fallopian tubes instead of the vagina. The uterine tissues spread through the abdomen and attach themselves to surrounding organs. The external wall of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries are most commonly affected. Endometrial implants can also attach and grow in the abdominal cavity, on the bowels, kidneys, lungs and other surrounding organs. The symptoms can range from undetectable to extreme. It can be very dangerous when endometrial cells interfere with the function of the affected organs.
Hormonal therapies are common for controlling the growth of endometrial cells. Birth control pills can keep these kinds of tissues from growing. If endometriosis has invaded other organs or is causing organ dysfunction, then laparoscopic surgery may be necessary to remove as much of the endometriosis as possible. If you are trying to conceive, then endometriosis can interfere. In this case, hormonal therapy may not be an option and a laparoscopic procedure may be necessary.
The only way for endometriosis to be definitively diagnosed is through an exploratory laparoscopic procedure. This is a minimally invasive procedure where your doctor will inflate your abdomen and insert a laparoscope through a small incision in your abdomen. This laparoscope will allow the doctor to inspect your abdominal cavity and reproductive organs. Your doctor may also take biopsies of suspicious tissues, remove endometrial implants and cut loose prominent adhesions during this procedure.
If you suspect that you may have endometriosis, remember that it is a progressive disease and it can only get worse over time. Do not delay treatment and see your OB/GYN as soon as possible.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: about Endometriosis, Endometriosis, Endometriosis symptoms, symptoms of Endometriosis
Timing Ovulation
Whether you are trying to conceive or you are interested in natural family planning, you may be interested in timing your ovulation. This can help you to time intercourse around the time that you ovulate, or avoid it to lower your chances of getting pregnant.
Your ovaries produce at least one egg every menstrual cycle. The follicles in the ovaries will mature and release an egg. This is referred to as ovulation. Follicles form on the outside of your ovaries. They are essentially like tiny holes that grow and fill with fluid as the cycle progresses. The egg is housed inside of the follicle and protected by the fluid.
Over time, as the follicle matures and increases in size, it will get ready to burst open. When the follicle bursts, it sends the egg surrounded by fluid into the fallopian tube. The fluid protects the egg on its journey and also helps it to travel down the tube. If the mature egg encounters sperm, then this is when fertilization will take place. If the egg is fertilized, then it should implant when it reaches the uterus and pregnancy occurs.
Your menstrual cycle should be about twenty eight days long. Of course, some women may have longer or shorter cycles, so you will need to determine exactly when you ovulate to achieve the best results. Most women ovulate around day fourteen of their menstrual cycle.
To calculate when day fourteen is, you need to count from the first day that menstrual bleeding starts. This would be day number one. If your menstrual cycle is longer or shorter than twenty eight days, then you may want to count back instead of forward. Some women can have more than fourteen days between the first day of their menstrual period and ovulation. Some, of course, can have way less. Fortunately, you can count back from the first day of your period because almost every woman ovulates fourteen days before the first day of her period.
Irregular periods can make it nearly impossible to anticipate an ovulation. Basal body temperature and ovulation prediction kits can help you if you are having trouble pinpointing when you ovulate. Some women may rarely or never ovulate. If you are trying to get pregnant, then speak with your OB/GYN about irregular or missed ovulations. There are hormonal therapies that can help you get back on track and attain your goal.
If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, remember that sperm can live for days inside of the uterus and vagina. Diet, medications and lifestyle can change the date of your ovulation. You may not successfully avoid pregnancy by counting days alone.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: natural family planning, ovulation detection, predict ovulation, timing ovulation
Am I Pregnant?
Most women are aware that a missed period can be a telltale sign of pregnancy. However, many changes take place in a woman’s body during pregnancy, some of which can help identify a pregnancy even before a missed period. Recognizing other signs of pregnancy can be particularly important for women whose periods are irregular and difficult to predict. Bear in mind that every woman’s body is unique, and signs of pregnancy vary from woman to woman and among pregnancies for the same woman. Here we examine some common signs of pregnancy that may be evident in the early stages:
-Implantation Bleeding: Some women experience implantation bleeding, which is bleeding that occurs after fertilization when the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus. Implantation bleeding is usually lighter in color and flow than a regular period and shorter in duration.
-Fatigue: Pregnancy places a lot of new demands on a woman’s body, and a feeling of tiredness or fatigue is common. Fatigue is often most noticeable during the first trimester.
-Heightened Sensitivity to Scent: Many pregnant women experience a heightened sensitivity to scents, even to the extent that certain odors can induce vomiting. Even scents that the woman would normally enjoy may become unpleasant or unbearable. A heightened sense of smell can occur very early in pregnancy.
-Nausea/Vomiting: Morning sickness occurs during pregnancy for many women, but is not limited to the wee hours. Some pregnant women experience nausea and possibly vomiting throughout pregnancy, while some have none at all.
-Food Cravings: Cravings for specific foods strike many women during pregnancy. Developing new aversions to certain foods is also common. While you may crave something other than the clichéd pickles and ice cream, craving unusual combinations of foods is not uncommon during pregnancy.
-Mood Swings: Hormones levels in the body change dramatically during pregnancy, which can result in mood swings. Mood swings are a normal part of pregnancy. Like many other signs addressed here, mood swings can be caused by a variety of factors and do not necessarily signify pregnancy.
-Intuition: Perhaps more powerful than a checklist of symptoms is good old fashioned women’s intuition. Some women report that they just “know” they are pregnant, even when other signs of pregnancy are not blatantly obvious. Perhaps they are experiencing pregnancy symptoms but have not consciously connected them with a possible pregnancy, or maybe nature has equipped women with such strong intuition that their bodies simply “tell” them they are pregnant. Either way, women with this instinct are often right, so do not hesitate to take a pregnancy test based on a strong hunch.
Remember, not all women experience all of these symptoms during pregnancy, and the presence of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you are pregnant. It is advised to visit a doctor specializing in obstetrical care as early as possible if you suspect you are pregnant.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: early pregnancy detection, pregnancy signs, pregnancy symptoms
When Am I Most Likely to Become Pregnant?
The process of becoming pregnant varies greatly from couple to couple. While some couples try for years to conceive, others become pregnant without even trying. A woman may become familiar with her body’s fertility cycle in effort to prevent pregnancy or to determine the most fertile time if she is trying to conceive.
Every month, a woman’s ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tube during a process called ovulation. If the egg remains unfertilized, the uterine lining is shed and normal menstruation occurs. If the egg is fertilized by sperm in the fallopian tube within an approximate 24 hour time period, conception occurs. Within a few days, a fertilized egg will move into the uterus, attach to the uterine wall and begin developing into a fetus.
Though many fertility experts recommend having intercourse throughout your cycle if you are trying to get pregnant, recognizing when you are most fertile can also be helpful in increasing your chances of conception. The time period when a woman is most fertile is during ovulation as well as the five or so days leading up to it. Women who are trying to conceive should have sex every day if possible during this time period, while women who are trying to avoid pregnancy should abstain from sex or use backup methods of birth control prior to and during ovulation.
For some women, ovulation is accompanied by a pain or ache near the ovaries, a recognizable sign that ovulation is taking place. Other women may not experience any pain at all. Breast tenderness is another sign of ovulation some women experience. By being aware of some of the changes that take place around the time of ovulation, many women can predict the signs of ovulation in their own bodies.
Generally speaking, ovulation occurs between the 11th and 21st day following the first day of the menstrual period. Women with very regular cycles may chart their cycles using a calendar to predict ovulation fairly accurately, though the timing of ovulation can be affected by many factors and it is best to monitor a number of signs in attempting to predict ovulation.
One common method of detecting ovulation is tracking basal body temperature. Basal body temperature is simply the body’s temperature when at rest, which is slightly higher right after ovulation. A woman can track her basal body temperature by checking her temperature with a thermometer daily before getting out of bed. Body temperature increases are usually very slight, though they follow a pattern that can help predict ovulation. A common pattern is a slight drop in temperature just prior to ovulation, and an increase just after. Predicting ovulation by tracking basal body temperature is most effective when temperature data can be collected over multiple months.
Another way a woman can detect ovulation is by noticing changes in cervical mucus. Cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle in color and consistency. During ovulation, mucus is abundant and particularly clear, slippery and stretchy. This clear mucus plays an important role in conception by helping sperm survive. After ovulation, the quantity of mucus is reduced and it becomes stickier and less clear. Monitoring changes in cervical mucus is another way to help predict the time of ovulation naturally.
Over the counter ovulation kits are also readily available that can help predict ovulation. Be aware that all such kits are not created equal. The more expensive ones are in fact more sensitive and better able to detect when a woman ovulates.
As each woman’s cycle is unique, the most effective methods of determining when ovulation occurs vary from woman to woman. Usually a combination of methods helps predict ovulation with the most accuracy. Prior to attempting to conceive, it is advised to consult with a physician for an assessment of your health.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Georgetown Texas gynecologist specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: detect ovulation, fertility cycle, ovulation prediction
What is a Pap Smear?
Pap smears test for cervical cancer in women. They can help to determine if you are at a higher risk for cervical cancer as well. When doctors perform pap smears, they collect cells from your cervix for testing.
Your cervix is just a few inches inside of your vagina. You will be asked to undress either completely or from the waist down for the procedure. A speculum is inserted so that your doctor can more easily get to your cervix. Cell samples are taken with a small brush or spatula. This is usually painless and is sometimes undetectable by the patient.
A pap smear helps your doctor to find cancerous or precancerous cells. Early detection is helpful when treating cervical cancer and can greatly improve your chances of overcoming this disease. A pap smear enables your doctor to initiate treatment of unusual or precancerous cells. This can help you to avoid the development of cancer.
In addition to the pap smear, your doctor will usually also perform a pelvic exam. This is basically an examination of the external anatomy of your genitals, uterus, vagina and ovaries. Your doctor will be feeling for abnormalities during this exam.
It is recommended that you have a pap smear yearly after you reach adulthood. If abnormalities are suspected, you may need one earlier in your teen years. If consistent normal results are found, then your doctor may recommend that you only have a pap smear every two to three years. If abnormalities are found, it may be recommended that you have more frequent tests. You may also need more frequent tests if you have any immunity problems, such as HIV.
If very few abnormal cells are present, then they may not be detected in the pap smear. Cervical cancer develops over many years, so it will most likely be noticed in the following pap smear without severe consequence. This is another reason that it is important to regularly get your pap smear done.
Before going to the OB/GYN for your pap smear, there are a few steps you should take. Do not have intercourse for two to three days before the test. Do not use any kind of vaginal medications, spermicidal products or lubricants during this time either. Douching can also alter the results of your test. In general, anything you insert or use vaginally for the two or three days before your pap smear can wash away or obscure abnormal cells that would have otherwise been detected.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Georgetown Texas gynecologist specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: explain pap smear, pap smear, what is pap smear
How to Take your Basal Body Temperature
Many women are interested in tracking their basal body temperatures when getting ready to conceive. Basal body temperature refers to the temperature of your body when it is at rest. Slight changes in this temperature can help you determine when you are ovulating. This can help you increase your chances of becoming pregnant by helping you select the optimum time during your menstrual cycle to have intercourse.
Taking your basal body temperature requires that you purchase a basal thermometer. This is because the temperature changes are so slight that a regular thermometer will not accurately tell you when the changes have taken place. You will need to measure and record your basal body temperature daily down to the tenth of a degree. Some women experience a full degree of change, but most will only see around 0.4 degree Fahrenheit of change.
Start by preparing a chart to keep track of your daily findings. It is very important that you take your temperature before you get out of bed in the morning. Take it as soon as you wake up and try not to move around. It is easiest to keep up with your daily temperature if you keep the thermometer and chart next to your bed. Make it part of your morning routine.
Many women start charting their basal body temperature around the first day of their menstrual period, but you can really start any time. If you are ovulating normally, then you should see a change around day fourteen of your cycle, day one being the first day of your period. You may see as little as a 0.4 degree change and it should stay at this point for a few days. During this time of higher temperature is when you can assume that ovulation has taken place. You may even notice a slight drop in temperature the day before the rise.
Hormone levels and changes are what cause your basal body temperature to change. The initial rise in temperature usually occurs the day after ovulation. Your best chances of getting pregnant are the few days before and the day of ovulation. Therefore, you need to determine when your body temperature rises and calculate when it will happen again. Have intercourse during the five days leading up to the temperature rise. Sperm can live for a few days inside of your uterus and vagina, so having sex before ovulation will help ensure that your egg will encounter the sperm.
If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, then you should abstain from sex for about a week prior to ovulation. Be aware that many things such as lifestyle, medications, illness, environment and diet can change the day that you ovulate. Only women with extremely regular menstrual periods have been successful in using basal body temperature and ovulation timing as a form of birth control. Even then, there have been quite a few surprises.
About the Author: Dr. Matthew Romberg, a
Round Rock OBGYN specializing in obstetrical and gynecologic care, is the President of the Heart of Texas Women’s Center. The Heart of Texas Women’s Center provides state of the art health care including surgical procedures, family planning counseling, complete prenatal care including high risk pregnancy management, in-house ultrasonography and well-woman services. For more information, please visit
http://www.hotwc.com.
Labels: basal body temperature, basal temperature tracking, how to track basal temperature
