Endometriosis
Posted on May 19, 2008
Filed Under Knowledge Based |
Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when the internal area of the body contains tissue that is nearly identical to the tissue that lines the uterus during menstruation except that it is unable to be discharged from the body each month. The name “endometriosis” is adopted from the medical terms “endometrium” and “endometrial tissue” - which describes this inner lining of the uterus that ebbs and flows with the monthly menstrual cycle.
In cases of endometriosis, the endometrium - or endometrial tissue - can be found in the ovaries and tubes and on the outer surfaces of the uterus, bowel, bladder, and abdominal muscles. Because this tissue is normally found in the uterus, it responds to the female hormones that signal the menstruation process by breaking apart and secreting a fluid similar to a woman’s monthly period.However, fluid flows freely from the uterus during menstruation while fluid from abnormal endometrial tissue remains trapped inside the body. The condition triggers an immune system response where the body’s natural defenses produce swelling around the affected areas, try to reabsorb the fluid into the circulatory system, and form scar tissue when the flow subsides at the end of the menstrual cycle.
As this pattern repeats month after month, the abnormal tissue of endometriosis and resulting scar tissue can bind together the body’s internal organs and cause severe pain or infertility in many cases.
WHO GETS ENDOMETRIOSIS?
Endometriosis strikes women in the general age from 11 to 50 who have active reproductive systems. It usually becomes inactive at menopause. The crippling effects of endometriosis are seen most frequently in the 20 to 45 age group, and an estimated 5 million American women suffer from the disease.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
A wide variety of problems and the more common complaints of menstruating women - such as cramping - may be caused by endometriosis. These include chronic pelvic pain (in the abdominal area), increasingly painful menstrual periods, repeated miscarriages, infertility, pain during intercourse, irregular menstrual cycles, painful bowel movements during the period, painful urination and related problems during menstruation, chronic fatigue, low resistance to infections, and disabling menstrual periods that inhibit even the most minor activities. Persistent pain is NOT a normal side effect if menstruating women.
HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE ENDOMETRIOSIS?
Endometriosis is diagnosed by analyzing the patient’s complete medical history and lifetime menstrual patterns and performing a pelvic examination to detect basic indicators of the disease. But the only totally accurate and thorough diagnosis requires use of the procedure known as “laparoscopy.”
The laparoscopy, also called a “laparoscopic procedure” in broader terms, uses a tiny light-transmitting telescopic camera, or laparoscope, that is inserted through a tiny cut in the lower abdominal wall while the patient is under anesthesia. The scope transmits images of the internal organs on a video screen, enabling the physician to view the area and determine if endometriosis exists.
HOW IS ENDOMETRIOSIS TREATED?
Once it is diagnosed, endometriosis has several treatment options, depending on the case. Among common treatment methods are prescribing hormones and removing the abnormal tissue with laparoscopic procedures and using laser to vaporize the endometriosis. In addition, certain nerve fibers can be cut - such as the uterosacral or presacral nerves affecting the abdominal area - to diminish the sensation of pain. A successful treatment program can also help reduce infertility problems associated with the disease. Surgical procedures using lasers typically produce less painful effects afterwards, which enables a quick recovery period.
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