Definition:
Endometriosis is a very common condition of women characterized by a growth outside the uterus of the endometrium which is the tissue that lines the uterus. This disorder is known to have affected women who are around 30 to 40 years old and who have not experienced being pregnant. These women are of reproductive age all around the world. This disorder, however, can occur just rarely in women at their postmenopausal age. In Endometriosis, the endometrium, which is misplaced, is unable to get out of the body. Although the tissues will still detach from the wall and bleed, but the result is internal bleeding, the surrounding areas swell, pain, shedding of blood and tissue, and scar tissue formation.
Diagnosis:
Physicias believe that health history and subjecting a patients to physical examination can help the physician in the diagnosis. Imaging tests may also identify larger endometriotic areas, like the nodules or an endometriotic cysts. There are two most common imaging tests used, these are ultrasound and the use of magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. Still normal results of these tests do not mean that a person is free of endometriosis. The sure way to confirm is diagnosis using laparoscopy.
Treatment:
There is no known cure, at present time. Although in some patients menopause either natural or induced surgically will help abate the process. Other conservative treatments often try to address only the pain or infertility issues. Herbal treatments sometimes are effective as control agent of the disease. It has been suggested but still unproven that pregnancy and also childbirth can help stop endometriosis.
Symptoms and Signs:
Major symptom of this disorder is severe often recurring pain. Other symptoms of endometriosis include painful and sometimes disabling cramps or dysmenorrhea, chronic pain which is very typical in the lower back, pelvis and abdominal, nausea accompanied by frequent vomiting, dyspareunia, obstruction in the bowel function, complete retension of urine, dyschezia or dysuria, premenstrual spotting or bleeding in between periods, menorrhagia, infertility and subfertility. Endometriosis may also lead to obstruction of the fallopian tube.
Causes:
It is believed that the cause of this disorder is the very high amount of estrogen being secreted by the glands.
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