Endometriosis is the second
most common gynaecological condition in the UK, but most people have never
heard of this condition. Here’s presenting the facts and symptoms you should
know about endometriosis.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a
gynaecological condition in which the tissue, which is similar to the lining of
the womb grows in other areas of the body, most often in the pelvic region. The
tissue responds to the hormones in the same way as the lining of the womb, but
with no outlet. It can lead to severe pain, causes inflammation, scarring and
adhesions and many other symptoms.
What are The Symptoms?
The most common symptoms of
endometriosis are severe pain during or in between the periods, painful bowel
movements, heavy and irregular periods, pain during or after sex and pain in
the bladder.
Extreme fatigue is quite
common, fertility may also be affected. Additionally, misdiagnosis of the
condition results in delaying the accurate diagnosis, tests and sometimes
unnecessary surgery.
How it is Diagnosed?
The only conclusive way to
determine if a woman has endometriosis is through a laparoscopy. During a
laparoscopic procedure, a small laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen to
look directly at the internal tissue. Often this procedure is carried out under
general anaesthesia. During laparoscopy various procedures can be performed to
destroy or remove the endometriosis, endometriosis cysts and release the scar
tissue and adhesions.
According to a research by the
Endometriosis UK, it would typically take more than seven years to make a
correct diagnosis. During this time, women may suffer agonizing pain every
month that would impact their lives, relationships and their ability to work.
Can Endometriosis Be Cured?
There is no cure for endometriosis,
but treatments can help with the pain and infertility. The treatments for
endometriosis depends on how severe your symptoms are and whether you want to
get pregnant. If you have pain only, then the hormone therapy will lower the
estrogen levels, which will shrink the implants and reduce pain. If you want to
become pregnant, then undergoing surgery or the infertility treatment or both
will help.
Not all women with this
condition experiences pain and endometriosis will not always get worse over
time. Usually, it improves during pregnancy and after menopause. The decision
to get treatment for endometriosis depends on you, if you have mild pain and
have no plans for a future pregnancy or if you are near the menopause or around
the age of 50, then you may not feel the need for the treatment.
You can apply heat to your
belly and can exercise regularly to help with the pain caused by endometriosis.
Medicines: If
you have pain or bleeding but you are not planning to get pregnant soon, then
the anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or the birth control hormones such as pills,
patch or ring will control the pain The birth control hormones are likely to
keep the endometriosis from getting worse. In case of severe symptom, the
NSAIDs or the birth control hormones doesn’t work and you might try a stronger
hormone therapy.
Surgery: If
the hormone therapy doesn’t work or if the growth are affecting other organs,
then surgery is the next step. During surgery, the endometrial growths and scar
tissues are removed and usually, this is performed through one or more small
incisions using the laparoscopy. The laparoscopic endometriosis surgery helps
to improve the pain and also increases your chance of pregnancy. In severe
cases, the uterus removal also known as hysterectomy and the ovaries removal,
known as oophorectomy is an option and these can cause early menopause. Therefore,
these procedures are preferred only when you have no pregnancy plans and have
had little relief from other treatments.
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