Have you ever heard the words: Cervical Dysplasia? This jaw-breaking term is actually a common medical condition that affects many women below the age of thirty in nearly every part of the world. It is possible that you may have come across a person suffering from this condition but just because you had no idea of what was going on, you left the person feeling really helpless because you could not offer any kind of assistance or advice. Don’t worry; we will be talking about everything that concerns this really complex condition so that when next something like it shows up, you will know exactly what is going on and how to help.

What is Cervical Dysplasia

Forget the tongue-twister! In simple terms, Cervical Dysplasia is the growth of abnormal or malignant cells in the lining around the neck of a woman’s cervix. The cervix is the opening between the uterus and the vagina in the female reproductive system. It is often described as a precancerous condition and is often associated with women below the ages of thirty, although it can affect older women; that is, women over the age thirty. The condition is described as precancerous because if it is not discovered and treated early enough, it may develop into one of the cancer monsters, precisely Cervical Cancer.

Are There Different Types?

Usually, women can suffer from mild cervical dysplasia but this is rarely something to worry about because the antibodies in your system often take care of this type of growth in the cervix. But the real problem lies with the moderate to severe dysplasia. These are the big and stubborn ones that can be around for nearly two years of your life! In fact, they won’t just disappear like that. You would have to undergo expert treatment and therapy before they are out of your life for good.

Does it Just Show up?

The truth is that nothing just shows up. There are certainly some things that trigger any medical condition. Let’s examine some of the causes of this tongue-twisting condition.

HPV Infection

The Human Papilloma Viral Infection (HPV Infection) is the most common cause of cervical dysplasia. Research shows that women who suffer HPV infections are at a greater risk of being affected by cervical dysplasia. HPV infections are sexually transmitted and are common among women and men. Usually, the antibodies are supposed to clean up these HPV cells when an infection occurs. But sometimes, these cells can be a little stubborn and they remain longer than they ought to. Factors that can lead to the persistence of HPV infection cells include age and the duration of the infection. In some cases, it may just be that you are infected with a high-risk HPV type. When this happens, the infection persists and starts to spread to all parts of the body including the cervix in women.  By the time it gets there, it triggers the development of the precancerous cells and this development leads to cervical dysplasia.

Conditions that weaken the immune system are often responsible for the inability of the antibodies to fight off these HPV infected cells. These conditions include smoking and the use of immuno-suppressive drugs like the ones that are used to treat viral infections like AIDS.

Other Causes of Cervical Dysplasia

• Having sex at a young age
• Having sex with a male partner who has not been circumcised
• Having more than one sex partner.

Finding Out

There are really no known symptoms of cervical dysplasia, so it is somewhat uneasy to know when a person is suffering from this condition. The only legitimate way to find out if a person is suffering from this condition is to run a number of tests and a scan in order to diagnose the condition. The commonest test that can be done is a Pap smear screening which is necessary to determine if the cell growth is normal or abnormal. Thankfully, the Pap smear test is quick and painless so you don`t have to worry about screaming your heads off because of the pain.  A tissue biopsy still has to be done to help you determine how bad the condition is, that is, whether it is mild, moderate or severe. This is done by collecting tissue samples from the vagina, cervix or vulva. After finding this out, it simply cannot end there. You need to follow it up and this can only be done by running further medical tests like HPY DNA tests and Colposcopy. A colposcopy is a test that involves a magnification of the cervix in order to detect abnormal cell growth. The HPV DNA tests are done so you can know the exact strain of the infection that has developed into cervical dysplasia.

Are There Treatments For Cervical Dysplasia?

Thankfully, yes! However, how effective the treatment will be is subject to how severe the condition is. Age is also an important factor. These means it would be more difficult for an elderly woman to be cured of the illness. Popular treatment methods include Biopsy and LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure). LEEP involves the cutting out of the abnormal tissue with the use of a thin, low voltage electrified wire loop. Other treatment methods include Freezing, Laser surgery, and electrocauterization. It is important to note that most of the treatment methods involve a destruction or total removal of the abdominal area, and these may be painful processes.

Heads Up!

There are loads of risks involved in cervical dysplasia treatment methods. There is a great possibility the patient will suffer heavy hemorrhage after treatment and this can lead to death if poorly managed. In addition, women who undergo treatment could have pregnancy-related complications before and during childbirth. It is important that you discuss these risk factors with your doctor before opting for a treatment option so that you will know exactly what you are dealing with. It is also necessary that you continue to run Pap tests after treatment in order to monitor your body system.

Limiting Your Chances Cervical Dysplasia Infection?

It is important for you to engage in habits that reduce your risk of having cervical dysplasia. A sure way of doing this is to stay away from high-risk sexual behaviors that increase your chances of getting infected with HPV. These behaviors include premature sex and having more than one sexual partner.  It is also important that you practice safe sex as this reduces your risk of having an HPV infection by nearly 70%.  Fortunately, there a number of vaccines that prevent the strains of HPV infection that often cause Cervical Dysplasia. Gardasil and Cervarix are two of these vaccines.  It is advisable that you get inoculated just before you become sexually active, especially for women. You should also begin screening for cervical cancer and other precancerous conditions once you turn 21. If you are above 21 already, don’t start weeping yet; you should still visit the healthcare center as soon as you possible. You never know if these evil cells are already lurking in one corner of your body, plotting a coup d’état.

Final Words…

Cervical Dysplasia is really one terribly scary medical condition. However, you cannot allow fear prevent you from visiting your doctor to run the appropriate tests and find out if you are suffering from this condition. If you are, brace up and seek the appropriate treatment. And lest I forget, the next time you go hang out with friends, be sure to tell them about this silent monster.

Reference

[1] www.diseasepictures.com