Endometriosis and Woman’s Health
Endometriosis is the presence of endometrium-like tissue growth outside the uterus, which leads to a chronic inflammatory reaction, scar tissue, and adhesions that distort a woman’s pelvic anatomy. It occurs most commonly in young women, and the incidence rate is increasing steadily over the past few years. Do you know that 5-10% of women have Endometriosis during their reproductive-age?
Let us know the Endometriosis causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment.
Endometriosis symptoms:
The most common symptom associated are
- Dysmenorrhea
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Painful intercourse
- Infertility
- Severe menstrual pain
- Irregular flow during menstruation and/or premenstrual spotting
- a continual or recurrent urge to evacuate the bowels
- Straining during stool passing, sometimes associated with the passing of blood
- feeling of constipation
- painful urination
- Blood in the urine
Endometriosis causes:
Many theories have been put-forward and researched to ascertain the causative factors of endometriosis.
- Retrograde menstruation- reflux menstruation
- A broken immune system
- Dysfunction of HOX genes
- Environmental pollutants, genetics, uterine bleeding during pregnancy, lymphatic spread, etc.
- Psycho immune reactions.
COMPLICATIONS:
Commonest complications are
- Infertility
- Severe pain
- Adhesions spreading to the peritoneum
Complications during pregnancy:
- a hole in the wall of part of the intestinal tract
- inflammation of the appendix
- baby’s placenta may partially or totally cover the mother’s cervix
- Miscarriage
- Uterine rupture
- Appendicitis
- Narrowing of the ureter causing an obstructed flow of urine
- Fetal growth restriction
- Bleeding in pregnancy that occurs before, during, or after childbirth
DIAGNOSIS:
- A complete medical history and physical examination
- Laparoscopy
- MRI, cystoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy
- Serum markers test
- Endometrial biopsy
RISK FACTORS:
- Family history of endometriosis.
- Early-onset of menstruation.
- Short menstrual cycles and long duration of menstrual flow.
- Heavy bleeding during menses.
- Delayed childbearing.
- The uterus or fallopian tube defects.
TREATMENT:
- Pain killers
- Combined oral contraceptives and progestins
- Hormone based treatment:
- Non-hormone treatments: Immunomodulators, Antiangiogenic agents
- Surgical management like
- lysis of adhesions,
- removal of visible implants
- laparoscopic uterine nerve ablation
- Hysterectomy in severe cases of endometriosis
read more: Endometrial Cancer- Diagnosis and Treatment
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