What Is Endometriosis?

The lining of the uterus is known as the endometrium. This tissue is responsible for menstruation as it sheds off every month if one isn't trying to conceive, resulting in bleeding. This is how your menstrual cycle is regulated. However, when one has endometriosis, tissue similar to the endometrium grows in places it shouldn't, such as ovaries, intestines, and tissues in the pelvic cavity. This causes pain and complications in pregnancy. Studies show that 1 in 10 women have endometriosis. This disease has also been identified as a painful reproductive health condition and the leading cause of infertility in women.

Signs And Symptoms:

If you experience the following symptoms, consult your gynecologist at the earliest.

• Painful menstrual cramps.
• Severe pain during and/or after sex.
• Intestinal pain or pain in the lower abdomen.
• Painful bowel movements during periods.
• Painful urination during periods.
• Heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle.
• Difficulty in conceiving even after a year of unprotected sex.

Treatment Options For Endometriosis:

Endometriosis is usually treated with medication or surgery. The approach you and your doctor take will be determined by the severity of your signs and symptoms and whether you want to get pregnant. Doctors often advise patients to try conservative treatment options, with surgery as a last resort if the first treatment fails.

The following are a few treatment options:

• Pain Medication: To reduce uncomfortable menstrual cramps, your doctor may prescribe an over-the-counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve).
• Hormone Therapy: Hormones can help treat endometriosis symptoms because they induce endometriosis patches to go through a cycle similar to the menstrual cycle. Different hormones may also influence how we perceive pain.
• Endometriosis-related discomfort is treated with hormone therapy. Hormones can be taken orally, as a shot or injection, or as a nasal spray.
• Hormone therapy limits ovulation by preventing the ovaries from releasing hormones, particularly estrogen. This may assist in slowing the endometrium and endometrial lesions' growth and local activity. Treatment also prevents the formation of new areas and scars (adhesions), but it does not remove existing adhesions.
• Conservative Surgery: If you have endometriosis and are trying to conceive, conservative surgery (removing endometriosis implants while keeping the uterus and ovaries) may improve your chances. Surgery may be beneficial if you have severe endometriosis discomfort; nevertheless, endometriosis and pain may recur. In more extreme cases, your doctor may do this treatment laparoscopically or, less usually, through standard abdominal surgery. Most cases of endometriosis may be treated by laparoscopic surgery, even in difficult situations.
• Fertility Treatment: Endometriosis can make it difficult to conceive. If you have trouble conceiving, your doctor may suggest fertility medication under the supervision of a reproductive specialist. Treatments for infertility range from stimulating your ovaries to in vitro conception. Your specific situation will determine which treatment is best for you.
• Hysterectomy: In people who don't wish to become pregnant, removing the uterus (hysterectomy) can be used to treat signs and symptoms of endometriosis, such as excessive monthly bleeding and painful menses due to uterine cramping. Even if the ovaries are left in place, a hysterectomy can have long-term health consequences, especially if you have it before age 35.

Risk Factors:

The risk factors which increase your chances of developing this condition are:

• Family History: If someone in your family has endometriosis, your chances of getting it are 7 to 10 times higher than if you don't have a family history. If you have endometriosis in your immediate families, such as your mother, grandmother, or sister, you are at the highest risk of having the disease. It also improves your chances of being diagnosed if you have distant relatives who have it, such as cousins.
• Immune System Disorders: Endometriosis is made more likely by immune system problems. Your immune system will be less likely to notice displaced endometrial tissue if you have a weak immune system. Endometrial tissue that has been distributed is left to implant in the wrong areas. Lesions, inflammation, and scarring may result as a result of this.
• Abdominal Tissue: Endometrial tissue can be misplaced after abdominal surgery, such as a cesarean birth (often known as a C-section) or hysterectomy. Endometriosis can develop if your immune system doesn't remove this misplaced tissue. When discussing your endometriosis symptoms with your doctor, review your surgical history.
• Age: Endometriosis affects the uterine lining cells, affecting any woman or girl old enough to menstruate. Despite this, endometriosis is most typically diagnosed in women in their 20s and 30s. According to experts, this is the age at which women try to conceive, and infertility is some people's most common symptom of endometriosis. Women who don't have severe menstrual discomfort may wait until they're attempting to conceive to consult a doctor.
• Menstrual Cycle Characteristics: The more you are exposed to menstruation, the more likely you are to develop endometriosis. The following are some of the factors that increase your menstrual exposure and hence, your risk:
• Having 27 days, or fewer, between each period.
• Starting your first period before the age of 12 years.
• Experiencing periods that last seven days or longer each month.

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