What are the causes, symptoms and treatment options for Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue same as the tissue of your uterus lining starts growing outside your uterine cavity. Endometriosis takes place when the tissue starts developing on the ovaries and pelvis tissue lining. It is not normal for the endometrial tissue to grow on the pelvic area, but certainly possible. The tissue developing outside the uterus is called endometrial implant.

The hormone change of your period cycle impacts the misplaced endometrial implant making the region inflamed and painful. Hence, the tissue grows and then breaks down. With time, the tissue breaks down and gets trapped in your pelvis as it has nowhere to go. This tissue may leads to adhesions, pain during your menses, scar formation as well as fertility issues.

Endometriosis has affected around 10% of women in the world and is quite a common problem.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

The endometriosis symptoms vary. Some women have mild symptoms while others suffer from severe symptoms. The intensity of pain doesn’t suggest the degree of endometriosis. Even with severe disease you may no pain and vice versa.

Pelvic pain is the most common endometriosis symptoms. Some of the others are:

1.       Painful bleeding during menses.

2.       Cramping one week before menstruation

3.       Infertility

4.       Heavy bleeding

5.       Pain in the abdomen during and before bleeding

6.       Discomfort in bowel movement

7.       Pain during sexual intercourse

Sometimes a woman may experience no symptoms at all. Hence it is important to go for a gynecological checkup to monitor the changes.

Treatment for endometriosis

Primarily, the major aim is to render quick relief from pain and other endometriosis symptoms. It may affect your life if not treated rightly. Endometriosis doesn’t have a cure, but you can manage the symptoms.

Basically, you have medical and surgical options for endometriosis treatment. Usually, the doctors opt for conservative treatments first. And, then they may suggest surgery if it doesn’t bring any change.

Every patient reacts different. Hence, allow your doctor to find the best treatment which works for you.

Pain medicines: You should go for over-the-counter pain medicines like ibuprofen.

Hormone therapy: Take hormone supplements to get rid of pain and to stop endometriosis progress. Hormone therapy helps in regulating the hormonal changes which promote tissue growth which leads to endometriosis.

Hormonal contraceptives: It lowers your fertility rate by decreasing the monthly growth of endometrial tissue. Birth control pills help in getting rid of pain in mild endometriosis case.

Gonadotropin: Women consume gonadotropin to block estrogen production which stimulates ovaries. When you block its production, it prevents menstruation and leads to an artificial menopause.

Surgery

Conservative surgery is for those women who wish to get pregnant in the future or suffer chronic pain or for those who don’t react to medicines. The aim is to destroy the endometrial growth without affecting the reproductive organs.

Laparoscopy is a method to visualize, diagnose and treat endometriosis. It helps in the removal of the endometrial tissue.

Hysterectomy

This is the last resort for those whose condition doesn’t seem to improve with the above treatments.

During this surgery, the surgeon removes uterus and cervix. In some cases the ovaries are also removed because they produce estrogen which leads to endometrial tissue growth.

Causes of endometriosis

The exact endometriosis cause is not known yet, but there are several theories about its causes.

According to one of the theories, endometriosis occurs because of retrograde menstruation. It is a condition in when your period blood flows back to your fallopian tube to the pelvic cavity, rather than leaving your body

Another theory states that hormones transform the cell sited on the uterus outside same as those inside the uterus leading to endometrial tissue.

Different stages of endometriosis

Endometriosis has four stages. Different factors contribute to the different stage of the condition. The factors comprise of the number, size, location and endometrial implant depth. The stages are given below:

Minimal: In this stage, there are tiny lesions or very low endometrial implants n the ovary. There may be less or no inflammation.

Mild: In this stage, you may have light or low endometrial implants on your pelvic lining and ovary.

Moderate: In this stage, there are deep implants on your pelvic lining or ovary. The patient may also have lesions.

Severe: In this stage, the patient has deep implants on the ovaries and pelvic lining. There may be lesions on the fallopian tube.

These are the four stages of endometriosis. Your doctor may suggest endometriosis treatment depending on the severity of the condition.