Endometriosis
In endometriosis, tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows somewhere else in the body, usually in the pelvis outside the uterus. It may cause pelvic pain, especially during menstruation or during intercourse. This pain may be mild to severe. It may also be linked to infertility. Many women who have endometriosis have no symptoms at all. Those who have symptoms can often be treated.
What Is Endometriosis?
In endometriosis, endometrial tissue is found in places in the body other than the lining of the uterus, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outer surface of the uterus, bowel, other pelvic structures or organs, and peritoneum. Rarely, it may also attach to places far from the pelvisincluding the lung or brain. There are several theories about how this occurs:
* There may be a backward flow of blood through a fallopian tube.
* The endometrial cells may leave the pelvis through the blood or Iymph vessels.
* Endometriosis may appear spontaneously.
Endometrial tissues outside the uterus respond to hormones like the endometrium does. During the menstrual cycle, hormones signal the lining of the uterus to grow and thicken to prepare for a pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, hormone levels decrease and cause the endometrium to break down. These same hormones may cause the tissue growing outside the uterus to break down and bleed. This may be painful. Scar tissue may grow around the area. Scar tissues that bind organs together are called adhesions. In some cases, blood can be trapped in the ovary and build up into a benign (not cancerous) tumor. This is called an endometrioma or chocolate cyst.
Hormones may affect the growth of endometriosis. The hormones made in pregnancy can slow or stop the progress of endometriosis. Birth control pills are thought to have a similar effect.
Who Can Have Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is most common in women in their 30s and 40s but can occur at any age from puberty into menopause, though after menopause, endometriosis usually is no longer active. It is not known why some women have endometriosis and others do not. In some women, it may be inherited. Women who have an affected mother, sister, or daughter are 10 times more likely to have it than women who do not.
Symptoms
Endometriosis is thought to be one cause of:
* Repeated, increasing discomfort and pain during one part of your menstrual cycle (just before or during your period)
* A sharp pain deep in the pelvis during intercourse
* A change in bowels habits, including diarrhea and blood in stools that is usually cyclic.
* A progressively worsening pelvic pain that may last the entire menstual cycle
* Infertility
These problems may also have other causes. If you have either of these symptoms, you should discuss it with your doctor.
Some women who have endometriosis may have trouble getting pregnant, especially if the disease is severe. Some women may find out that they have endometriosis when they seek treatment for infertility. Once it is found, infertility linked to endometriosis can often be treated.
Diagnosis
To diagnose endometriosis, your doctor will usually look at your complete medical and menstrual background. He or she will perform a pelvic exam to check for anything abnormal. Other tests may be helpful, too.
The diagnosis can be confirmed with a procedure called laparoscopy. This is done under general anesthesia. A slender, light-transmitting telescope is inserted through a tiny cut made in the lower abdomen. This allows the doctor to view the pelvic organs. Endometriomas can often be seen and identified by ultrasound. Rarely, large nodules of endometriosis can be diagnosed with MRI as can adenomyosis, (endometriosis in the wall of the uterus).
Treatment
There are different types of treatments. The type you receive will depend on your symptoms, how much endometriosis you have, and whether you want to keep the option of becoming pregnant.
Medical Treatment
There are many types of hormones that can be given to slow the growth of endometriosis. Hormone treatment may be given for up to 6 months at a time. Women being treated this way are not likely to get pregnant after the first month of treatment. Drugs can also be given for pain relief. These may or may not require a prescription.
Surgery
Surgery may be performed to remove endometriosis and the scarred tissue around it. Healthy ovaries and normal tubes are left alone as much as possible to increase the chances of pregnancy later. Such treatment of infertile patients may succeed. Treatment will usually relieve symptoms of pain, but they may return.
When endometriosis is severe or comes back, in some cases you may need to have your uterus removed (a hysterectomy). The ovaries and the fallopian tubes may need to be removed as well as the uterus. Surgery will usually relieve symptoms and stop the production of hormones that cause further growth of endometriosis.
Your doctor may have to decide what type of procedure is best during the surgery itself. Sometimes what is seen in surgery may be very different from what was expected. If surgery is needed, talk with your doctor before the operation. Be sure that you understand fully what is involved.
Emotional Issues
Endometriosis often comes back. Symptoms can return a few years or even months after treatment. Recurring or chronic pain from endometriosis can cause some women to be depressed. Infertility linked to endometriosis is also very upsetting. These feelings are normal. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by your endometriosis. He or she can help you handle these feelings and suggest treatment if needed. There are also support groups for women with endometriosis or infertility that can help.
Finally...
Both medical treatment and surgery usually help patients with the symptoms of endometriosis. However, the disease often comes back, despite good treatment. Remember, if one therapy does not work, another can be tried. Symptoms of endometriosis almost always disappear for good with menopause or if the ovaries are removed.
If a patient with endometriosis still cannot get pregnant after other types of treatment have been tried, she may consider other options. These may include a form of assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), or adoption.
Endometriosis affects each woman differently. This page gives you some general facts. Your doctor can best answer your own questions or concerns.
source : www.womanhealth.net
In endometriosis, tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows somewhere else in the body, usually in the pelvis outside the uterus. It may cause pelvic pain, especially during menstruation or during intercourse. This pain may be mild to severe. It may also be linked to infertility. Many women who have endometriosis have no symptoms at all. Those who have symptoms can often be treated.
What Is Endometriosis?
In endometriosis, endometrial tissue is found in places in the body other than the lining of the uterus, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outer surface of the uterus, bowel, other pelvic structures or organs, and peritoneum. Rarely, it may also attach to places far from the pelvisincluding the lung or brain. There are several theories about how this occurs:
* There may be a backward flow of blood through a fallopian tube.
* The endometrial cells may leave the pelvis through the blood or Iymph vessels.
* Endometriosis may appear spontaneously.
Endometrial tissues outside the uterus respond to hormones like the endometrium does. During the menstrual cycle, hormones signal the lining of the uterus to grow and thicken to prepare for a pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, hormone levels decrease and cause the endometrium to break down. These same hormones may cause the tissue growing outside the uterus to break down and bleed. This may be painful. Scar tissue may grow around the area. Scar tissues that bind organs together are called adhesions. In some cases, blood can be trapped in the ovary and build up into a benign (not cancerous) tumor. This is called an endometrioma or chocolate cyst.
Hormones may affect the growth of endometriosis. The hormones made in pregnancy can slow or stop the progress of endometriosis. Birth control pills are thought to have a similar effect.
Who Can Have Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is most common in women in their 30s and 40s but can occur at any age from puberty into menopause, though after menopause, endometriosis usually is no longer active. It is not known why some women have endometriosis and others do not. In some women, it may be inherited. Women who have an affected mother, sister, or daughter are 10 times more likely to have it than women who do not.
Symptoms
Endometriosis is thought to be one cause of:
* Repeated, increasing discomfort and pain during one part of your menstrual cycle (just before or during your period)
* A sharp pain deep in the pelvis during intercourse
* A change in bowels habits, including diarrhea and blood in stools that is usually cyclic.
* A progressively worsening pelvic pain that may last the entire menstual cycle
* Infertility
These problems may also have other causes. If you have either of these symptoms, you should discuss it with your doctor.
Some women who have endometriosis may have trouble getting pregnant, especially if the disease is severe. Some women may find out that they have endometriosis when they seek treatment for infertility. Once it is found, infertility linked to endometriosis can often be treated.
Diagnosis
To diagnose endometriosis, your doctor will usually look at your complete medical and menstrual background. He or she will perform a pelvic exam to check for anything abnormal. Other tests may be helpful, too.
The diagnosis can be confirmed with a procedure called laparoscopy. This is done under general anesthesia. A slender, light-transmitting telescope is inserted through a tiny cut made in the lower abdomen. This allows the doctor to view the pelvic organs. Endometriomas can often be seen and identified by ultrasound. Rarely, large nodules of endometriosis can be diagnosed with MRI as can adenomyosis, (endometriosis in the wall of the uterus).
Treatment
There are different types of treatments. The type you receive will depend on your symptoms, how much endometriosis you have, and whether you want to keep the option of becoming pregnant.
Medical Treatment
There are many types of hormones that can be given to slow the growth of endometriosis. Hormone treatment may be given for up to 6 months at a time. Women being treated this way are not likely to get pregnant after the first month of treatment. Drugs can also be given for pain relief. These may or may not require a prescription.
Surgery
Surgery may be performed to remove endometriosis and the scarred tissue around it. Healthy ovaries and normal tubes are left alone as much as possible to increase the chances of pregnancy later. Such treatment of infertile patients may succeed. Treatment will usually relieve symptoms of pain, but they may return.
When endometriosis is severe or comes back, in some cases you may need to have your uterus removed (a hysterectomy). The ovaries and the fallopian tubes may need to be removed as well as the uterus. Surgery will usually relieve symptoms and stop the production of hormones that cause further growth of endometriosis.
Your doctor may have to decide what type of procedure is best during the surgery itself. Sometimes what is seen in surgery may be very different from what was expected. If surgery is needed, talk with your doctor before the operation. Be sure that you understand fully what is involved.
Emotional Issues
Endometriosis often comes back. Symptoms can return a few years or even months after treatment. Recurring or chronic pain from endometriosis can cause some women to be depressed. Infertility linked to endometriosis is also very upsetting. These feelings are normal. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by your endometriosis. He or she can help you handle these feelings and suggest treatment if needed. There are also support groups for women with endometriosis or infertility that can help.
Finally...
Both medical treatment and surgery usually help patients with the symptoms of endometriosis. However, the disease often comes back, despite good treatment. Remember, if one therapy does not work, another can be tried. Symptoms of endometriosis almost always disappear for good with menopause or if the ovaries are removed.
If a patient with endometriosis still cannot get pregnant after other types of treatment have been tried, she may consider other options. These may include a form of assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), or adoption.
Endometriosis affects each woman differently. This page gives you some general facts. Your doctor can best answer your own questions or concerns.
source : www.womanhealth.net
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