A disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. With endometriosis, the tissue can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or intestines.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms include pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, pelvis, rectum, or vagina, pain during sexual intercourse or while defecating, abnormal menstruation, heavy menstruation, irregular menstruation, painful menstruation, or spotting. Constipation or nausea, infertility et al.
Diagnosis
To diagnose endometriosis, your doctor would ask you to describe your symptoms including the location of your pain and when it occurs. Some of the tests to be conducted include:
- Pelvic exam: During a pelvic exam, your doctor manually feels (palpates) areas in your pelvis for abnormalities such as cysts on reproductive organs or scars behind your uterus. Often, it is not possible to feel small areas of endometriosis unless they have caused a cyst to form.
- Ultrasound: This test uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of your body. To capture the images, a device called a transducer is either pressed against your abdomen or inserted into your vagina (transvaginal ultrasound). Both types of ultrasound may be done to get the best view of the reproductive organs. A standard ultrasound imaging test will not definitely tell your doctor whether you have endometriosis but it can identify cysts associated with endometriosis (endometriomas).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI is an exam that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body. For some, an MRI helps with surgical planning, giving your surgeon detailed information about the location and size of endometrial implants.
- Laparoscopy: In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a surgeon for a procedure that allows the surgeon to view inside your abdomen (laparoscopy). While you are under general anesthesia, your surgeon makes a tiny incision near your navel and inserts a slender viewing instrument (laparoscope) looking for signs of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. A laparoscopy can provide information about the location, extent and size of the endometrial implants. Your surgeon may take a tissue sample (biopsy) for further testing. Often with proper surgical planning, your surgeon can fully treat endometriosis during the laparoscopy so that you need only one surgery.
Treatment
Treatment for endometriosis usually involves medication or surgery. The approach you and your doctor choose will depend on how severe your signs and symptoms are and whether you hope to become pregnant. Some of the treatments are:
- Pain medication: Your doctor may recommend that you take an over–counter pain reliever such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) to help ease painful menstrual cramps. Your doctor may recommend hormone therapy in combination with pain relievers if you are not trying to get pregnant.
- Hormone therapy: Supplemental hormones are sometimes effective in reducing or eliminating the pain of endometriosis. The rise and fall of hormones during the menstrual cycle causes endometrial implants to thicken, break down and bleed. Hormone medication may slow endometrial tissue growth and prevent new implants of endometrial tissue. Hormone therapy is not a permanent fix for endometriosis. You could experience a return of your symptoms after stopping treatment.
Therapies used to treat endometriosis include:
- Hormonal contraceptives
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn- RH) agonists and antagonists
- Progestin therapy
- Aromatase inhibitors
- Fertility treatment: Endometriosis can lead to trouble in conceiving. If you are having difficulty getting pregnant, your doctor may recommend fertility treatment supervised by a fertility specialist. Fertility treatment ranges from stimulating your ovaries to make more eggs to in-vitro fertilization. Which treatment is right for you depends on your personal situation.
- Conservative surgery: If you have endometriosis and you are trying to become pregnant, surgery to remove the endometriosis implants while preserving your uterus and ovaries (conservative surgery) may increase your chances of success. If you have severe pain from endometriosis, you may also benefit from surgery. However, endometriosis and pain may return.
- Hysterectomy with the removal of the ovaries: Surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy) and ovaries (oophorectomy) was once considered the most effective treatment for endometriosis. Nevertheless, endometriosis experts are moving away from this approach. Instead, focusing on the careful and thorough removal of all endometriosis tissue.
Lifestyle and home remedies
- Warm baths and a heating pad can help relax pelvic muscles, reducing cramping and pain.
- Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) can help ease painful menstrual cramps.
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Compiled By: Delight Donkor
