What are the symptoms of cervicitis

Cervicitis is one of the common gynecological diseases, which is more common in women of childbearing age. It is caused by damage to the cervix and invasion of pathogens, including inflammation of the cervicovaginal part and inflammation of the endocervical mucosa. Clinically, cervicitis is divided into acute and chronic, with chronic inflammation being more common. Acute cervicitis is mainly manifested by redness and swelling of the cervix and edema of the endocervical mucosa, often accompanied by acute vaginitis or acute endometritis. Chronic cervicitis has a variety of manifestations such as erosive changes, cervical columnar epithelial ectopia, cervical hypertrophy, cervical polyps, cervical glandular cysts and cervical eversion. Cervicitis can be treated with external therapy. Women over 30 years old with cervicitis should regularly undergo cervical smears to check for cancer cells.

The symptoms of cervicitis mainly include the following:

1. Acute cervicitis: The symptoms of acute cervicitis include increased vaginal discharge, which is purulent and may be accompanied by blood; vaginal itching; cervical redness, swelling, pain, and easy bleeding when touched; pain in the lower abdomen or waist, which worsens during urination. If combined with urinary tract infection, symptoms such as urinary urgency, frequent urination, and urinary pain may occur. Gynecological examination can show cervical congestion, edema, mucosal eversion, mucopurulent secretions attached, and even outflow from the cervical canal.

2. Chronic cervicitis: The symptoms of chronic cervicitis mainly include increased leucorrhea, which is milky white mucus or light yellow purulent; it may be accompanied by vulvar itching or discomfort; bleeding after sexual intercourse, bleeding between menstruation; when the inflammation spreads to the pelvic cavity, symptoms such as lumbosacral pain, dysmenorrhea, and lower abdominal distension may occur, and the symptoms will worsen after defecation or sexual intercourse. Gynecological examination can show erosion-like changes in the cervix, or yellow secretions covering or flowing from the cervical opening, which may also manifest as cervical polyps or cervical hypertrophy.

If cervicitis is severe enough to cause complications, such as infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae causing involvement of the paraurethral glands and Bartholin's glands, symptoms such as congestion and edema of the urethral and vaginal opening mucosa and large amounts of purulent secretions may occur.