Source: sandiegouniontribune.com
No woman looks forward to those days of the month . Most struggle with mood swings, swelling and cramping. But women with endometriosis often find that having the period is particularly unbearable. For them, an average period is anything but average, with debilitating cramps.
During a typical menstrual cycle, the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, accumulates and then breaks off with bleeding that occurs during menstruation. In women with endometriosis, that lining grows outside the uterus, usually around the ovaries or under the uterus in an area called posterior cul-de-sac . As it accumulates and breaks off, it causes small amounts of bleeding inside the pelvis. This leads to pain, inflammation, swelling and scarring.
If you think you might have endometriosis, you should know that you are not alone. The condition affects hundreds of thousands of women every year.
Five symptoms
At least there are five common signs of endometriosis. This is what you should keep in mind:
1. Painful periods. Most women have cramps during their periods, but women with endometriosis often have acute pain.
2. Chronic pelvic pain. Sometimes, women have chronic and severe pelvic pain, even when they don’t have their periods, says Christianson. This may be due to prolonged illness and scars.
3. Painful sex. This common symptom, also known as dyspareunia, is due to endometriosis under the uterus. During penetration, women may have severe and localized pain.
4. Cysts in the ovaries. These cysts, known as endometriomas, are another hallmark of endometriosis. They can become large and painful, and often need to be removed.
5. Infertility. Infertility is defined as not conceiving within a year, despite regular sexual intercourse without contraceptives. About 10 percent of women living with infertility have endometriosis. “This is the main cause of infertility because it can cause scar tissue, as well as damage and inflammation in the fallopian tubes, which are necessary to conceive naturally,” explains Christianson. “Research also shows that endometriosis can affect the quality of the ovules and reduce the amount of them in the body.”
The above symptoms are not exclusive to endometriosis. Painful periods do not always point to endometriosis; Sometimes they are a separate condition known as dysmenorrhea. Pelvic pain can also be caused by scar tissue, previous infections or a history of appendicitis. Irritable or inflammatory bowel syndromes can also cause pelvic pain.
Diagnosis and treatment
If you have any of the above symptoms, consult your gynecologist. Women with infertility may need to see a reproductive endocrinologist or a fertility specialist. Some doctors also specialize in pelvic pain and endometriosis.
To confirm a diagnosis, your doctor is likely to perform a minimally invasive laparoscopy. During this procedure, a thin, lighted tube will be placed in a small abdominal incision. This allows your doctor to see your pelvic organs and take a small amount of tissue for biopsy and make a diagnosis.
Often, symptoms can be controlled with medications such as birth control pills or leuprolide acetate. Both prevent the pituitary gland from releasing hormones that make endometriosis grow.