Endometriosis is a prevalent physical disorder that is seen in women. When a woman’s womb lining cells are present in other areas of her body like the bladder, ovaries and the exterior of the fallopian tubes, the woman is said to be a victim of Endometriosis. The lining cells, though misplaced in a woman’s body, behave in the same way they are supposed to do around the womb.
They react to the female hormones and hence develop in the time of menstruation and also bleed during a time. As a result the patients feel pain in the pelvic region and lower back. It also creates the sensation of pain in a woman’s body after and during intercourse.
In some cases, it may also lead to the development of lesions in the groin areas. There are some variants if the ailment such as Diaphragmatic endometriosis and Bowel endometriosis. It is a disease that affects near about 89 million women all over the world. This is rather a dangerous gynecological problem and it requires immediate medical attention.
Causes of Endometriosis
Medical science has not been able to discover the specific cause that leads to the disease. However, the doctors have come up with some theories to analyze the causes of its development. It is primarily caused by surplus creation of estrogen every month in the suffering woman’s body. As a matter of fact, this disease usually occurs in one’s reproductive years since it is during this period that the estrogen secretion reaches its peak.
It may happen due to retrograde menstruation in a woman’s body. This condition may force the blood to flow back to the fallopian tube instead of allowing it to leave the body. If a woman suffers from immune deficiency then her body may fail to fight back the cells leading to endometriosis. It can also be inherited by a woman from her parents.
Endometriosis Symptoms
The usual symptoms of Endometriosis are heavy and painful periods. The affected women may feel pain during the times of intercourse. However, in some women the symptoms are not visible at all and they do not understand that they suffer from the ailment. The most common age for contracting the disorder is 25 to 40. Some women victims have got rid of the symptoms after pregnancy.
The amount of pain felt due to the disease is not linked to the stage it is in. There are some patients who complain of severe pain in the abdominal region even though their disease is not so acute. On the contrary, some women having severe endometriosis do not feel any pain.
Additionally, some patients can suffer from painful bowel movements. In some instances, vomiting and nausea can also happen.
The severe consequence of this disease is infertility. Endometriosis may block the fallopian tube and hence a woman faces hardships in conceiving. There have been instances where a woman has been diagnosed with this ailment only after undergoing fertility tests. Depression and fatigue are two other symptoms of the disease that some victims complain of.
Generally MRI and ultrasound tests are used to diagnose cases of Endometriosis.
Endometriosis Treatment
As of now, the medical community does not have a remedy for this disease. However, the advent of menopause is known to cease the occurrence of the malady in some women. Some of the traditional treatment methods stress on the infertility and pain issues.
Usually, the medical treatments are aimed at bringing down the level of estrogen in the victim’s body. Sometimes the use of effective painkillers and anti inflammatory drugs is known to provide relief to the patients. The doctors may also prescribe hormonal drugs to hold back menstruation and ovulation. This is particularly useful for those women who are unwilling to conceive.
For the women who have not responded well to the non-surgical treatments, surgeries like hysterectomy are recommended, though it does not certify the ailment will not reappear. Nowadays some doctors are resorting to medical herbal procedures to combat the disorder. To sum up it can be said that this is a disorder which requires immediate medical intervention and unless proper care is taken it will lead to a dangerous condition.
