Cervix Disorders

What is a cervix disorder?

A cervix disorder is a problem with your cervix. The cervix is part of the female reproductive system. It is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb), which opens into the vagina (birth canal). The cervix has a small opening that expands during childbirth. It also allows menstrual blood to leave your body.

You may not have any symptoms of a cervix disorder, but routine pelvic exams and a Pap smear test can help determine if you may need treatment.

Cervix disorders can include:

• Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix.
• Cervicitis is swelling of the cervix. An infection usually causes it, but it can also be caused by skin irritation. Treatment can help you avoid potential complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Cervical incompetence (also called cervical insufficiency) can happen during pregnancy. The opening of your cervix widens too early. This may cause you to give birth too soon, or you could lose the fetus.
• Cervical polyps and cysts are fleshy or fluid-filled growths on your cervix. These growths are usually benign (not cancer). They are more common during your reproductive years, especially after age 20.

You are more likely to develop a cervix disorder if:

• You've had a previous cervical procedure or surgery.
• You've had a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia or gonorrhea.
• You used a latex condom or a feminine product such as a spermicide or douche that irritated the skin of your vagina.
• You left something in your vagina too long, such as a diaphragm, tampon, or cervical cap, and it caused irritation.
• You don't consistently use a condom when you have sex, or you have multiple sex partners.

You may not know that something is wrong since cervix disorders may not have any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may vary based on the cervix disorder.

Symptoms can include:

• Vaginal bleeding that's not normal for you, such as bleeding between menstrual periods
• Pain during sex or a pelvic exam
• Abnormal vaginal discharge

If you are pregnant, a few signs of an incompetent cervix could include light vaginal bleeding, a feeling of pelvic pressure, or mild cramps. But you may not have any signs.

Even if you don't have symptoms, your health care provider may notice changes to the cells of your cervix during a pelvic exam. Your provider may look for:

• Redness or inflammation (swelling) of your cervix or vaginal walls
• Vaginal discharge or strong odor

Your provider may perform a Pap test to look for changes in your cervix.

The treatment for cervix disorders depends on the cause. It might include antibiotics or stopping using a product that causes skin irritation.

If you have had an incompetent cervix in the past, you might take medicine or have ultrasound imaging tests to check how your pregnancy is going.

You can take steps to prevent some cervix disorders. This can include to:

• Use a condom every time you have sex. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading STIs. If you or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
• Have regular pelvic exams.
• Get tested for STIs as needed.
• Avoid using personal care products that may cause skin irritation to your vagina.

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, and the smoke breathed out by the smoker. It contains more than 7,000 chemicals. Hundreds of those chemicals are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer.

Health effects of secondhand smoke include:

• Ear infections in children
• More frequent and severe asthma attacks in children
• Heart disease and lung cancer in adults who have never smoked

There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke. Even low levels of it can be harmful. The only way to fully protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is not to allow smoking indoors.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Smokeless Tobacco

Many people who chew tobacco or dip snuff think it's safer than smoking. But you don't have to smoke tobacco for it to be dangerous. Chewing or dipping carries risks like:

• Cancer of the mouth
• Decay of exposed tooth roots
• Pulling away of the gums from the teeth
• White patches or red sores in the mouth that can turn to cancer

Recent research shows the dangers of smokeless tobacco may go beyond the mouth. It might also play a role in other cancers, heart disease and stroke.

Smokeless tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that makes it hard to stop using tobacco once you start. Having a quit date and a quitting plan can help you stop successfully.

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Asbestos

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long, thin fibers. It was once used widely as insulation. It also occurs in the environment. Asbestos fibers are so small you can't see them. If you disturb asbestos, the fibers can float in the air. This makes them easy to inhale, and some may become lodged in the lungs.

If you breathe in high levels of asbestos over a long period of time, the fibers can build up in the lungs. This causes scarring and inflammation, and can affect breathing. Eventually it can lead to diseases such as:

• Asbestosis, or scarring of the lungs that makes it hard to breathe
• Mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen
• Lung cancer

Lung diseases associated with asbestos usually develop over many years. People who become ill from asbestos are usually exposed on the job over long periods of time. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

End of Life Issues

Planning for the end of life can be difficult. But by deciding what end-of-life care best suits your needs when you are healthy, you can help those close to you make the right choices when the time comes.

End-of-life planning usually includes making choices about the following:

• The goals of care (for example, whether to use certain medicines during the last days of life)
• Where you want to spend your final days
• Which treatments for end-of-life care you wish to receive
• What type of palliative care and hospice care you wish to receive

Advance directives can help make your wishes clear to your family and health care providers.