Could You Be Suffering From Painful Endometriosis?

Surprisingly little is known about endometriosis, even though the condition affects the sexual wellness and wellbeing of around 10 to 15 percent of all reproductive-age women. This condition is non-cancerous but can be very debilitating and painful.

 

Around 5.5 million women in Canada and the US alone are diagnosed with the disease every year. It occurs when cells from the uterine lining (the endometrium) start to grow outside of the uterus, adhering to other internal structures such as the fallopian tubes, bowel, ovaries or bladder. The Endometrial tissue can also move outwith the pelvic cavity and adhere to more distant parts of the body.

 

Nobody is sure what causes the condition but it can vary hugely in severity. Some women experience pain that is so severe that they are unable to lead a normal life, whilst others have no symptoms at all or very mild pain. Other symptoms can include diarrhoea and painful bowel movements, painful intercourse and heavy menstrual bleeding.

 

The most common way to diagnose the problem is with a laparoscope, and this may also be used during the surgical treatment of the condition. The laparoscopy gives the surgeon a chance to look at abnormalities that may be occurring in the pelvic region by inserting a very small telescope through the tummy, usually through the navel. This is the best way of providing a diagnosis, although endometric tissue can still be present even if it is not seen with the laparoscope.

 

During pregnancy, hormonal changes can temporarily stop the condition in its tracks. The absence of menstruation means that the symptoms that are usually associated with the monthly cycle are often absent.

 

Endometriosis cannot be cured, but it can be treated with medicine (such as hormonal contraceptives) or through surgical intervention.

Categories: condition, endometriosis, nbsp, painful, Symptoms, womb

How to Work Out Whether You Have Endometriosis

If you’re worried that your sexual wellness and wellbeing may be affected by endometriosis, it may be time to look further into the condition.

 

The condition cannot usually be diagnosed via a pelvic exam (unless there is a lesion or pelvic mass) but you should still start the process of diagnosis by visiting your GP and describing your symptoms. Your doctor will most likely refer you for a laparoscopy, which is a procedure whereby a small telescope is passed through the wall of the stomach (usually through the navel) to allow doctors to see if they can see endometrial tissue.

 

Laparoscopy cannot detect every case of endometriosis, however, as some women suffer from deep endometriosis, which means that the endometrial tissue is imbedded deep into the body. Many women have both types of lesions, so some extent of the disease can be seen during the procedure and yet there is more still hidden.

 

Women who have deep endometriosis usually have more pain that women who have a more superficial version of the disease.

 

The best starting place, in that case, may be a detailed medical history, listing all of your symptoms of the disease so that your health professional can ascertain what kind of level of endometriosis you may be suffering from and provide a correct diagnosis.

 

When the laparoscopy is carried out, the patient is generally put under general anaesthesia so that the laparoscope can be inserted through the abdominal wall. The surgeon can then manipulate the telescope to look for signs of adhesions or other abnormalities such as lesions, noting their size and location.

 

If lesions can be seen, it is very easy to diagnose the disease, but when the disease is not visible it can make diagnosis much more difficult. This means that some practitioners have to make a diagnosis based on clinical evaluation and the patient’s response to medication.

Categories: deep endometriosis, diagnosis, Disease, endometrial tissue, endometriosis, nbsp, Pain, Women

Endometriosis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Endometriosis is a complex condition in which cells that are normally found in the lining of your womb (endometrium) are found elsewhere, “trapped” in your pelvis, lower abdomen and sometimes other parts of the body. This leads to patches of tissue which are referred to as endometriosis. Not only can this affect your sexual health with severe pain during sex and infertility, it also comes with other upsetting symptoms, including backache and painful bowel movements. But why is your wellbeing affected by endometriosis, and what can you do to fight it?

 

The most common cause of endometriosis is retrograde menstruation, or a process by which the endometrial tissue from the lining of your uterus flows backwards through your fallopian tubes while you are menstruating. Because this tissue gets trapped, it cannot leave your body the way it usually does during your periods but it will still respond to your body’s monthly hormonal stimulation – regardless of where it is in your system. As a result, these endometriosis implants become inflamed, bleed and develop into scar tissue. If the endometriosis is attached to organs in your pelvic and abdominal cavities, this may lead to problems such as severe pain and infertility and other problems may result. Some wellness experts surmise that the condition may also be caused by a deficient immune system response, hormonal imbalances, genetics or environmental factors.

 

So, what can you expect to experience if you do develop endometriosis? Symptoms of the disease include:

 

1. No symptoms. It’s possible to have endometriosis without any of the associated symptoms.

 

2. Pain in your pelvic region. This is the most common symptom of the disease and can range from something very mild to a severe pain that makes it impossible for you to go about your normal life. This pain has been described as sharp or burning, and it could last all month long. Usually, this pain gets worse during menstruation, with deep penetration during sex, or with bowel movements, and can also worsen during exercise.

 

3. Abnormal menstrual bleeding. You may have bleeding between periods or during sex.

 

4. Severe menstrual cramps.

 

5. Backache.

As the disease has often been confused with other medical problems, endometriosis can be unsettling as a diagnosis as you may not be fully confident you’ve been diagnosed correctly. If your healthcare professional doesn’t perform a laparoscopy, sometimes he or she will prescribe hormonal treatments assuming endometriosis exists. Then, if your body responds and the pain decreases, your healthcare professional will assume that endometriosis was indeed the cause of your pain. Still, without laparoscopy and biopsy, there’s no way for endometriosis to be definitively diagnosed. This is why the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) recommends a peritoneal (tissue) biopsy to confirm the presence of endometrial lesions.

 

Some women who develop endometriosis are worried about getting pregnant, as the disease has been associated with infertility. However, the truth is that nearly all women who have endometriosis are fertile, and there are many women who have the disease and go on to have children. Unless the disease blocks your Fallopian tubes, endometriosis is generally not thought to be an absolute barrier to contraception. However, if you have surgery to remove the endometrial tissue, this can be a simple laparoscopy or your surgeon may have to remove your ovaries and uterus, preventing you from becoming pregnant. Still, there are other treatment options for endometriosis, including hormonal contraceptives and other hormonal regimens, such as GnRH agonists (gonadotropin releasing hormone drugs). These drugs control the hormonal stimulation of your endometrial tissue.

Categories: bowel movements, develop endometriosis, endometrial tissue, endometriosis, Fallopian Tubes, healthcare professional, hormonal stimulation, Pain, severe pain, Symptoms, Treatments

Living With Endometriosis: How to Help Yourself Cope

Endometriosis is one of the most painful and debilitating conditions to affect women’s sexual and reproductive wellness and wellbeing, and yet it is sadly very common. Attacks can leave women bedbound at their worst, and can severely affect their day to day lives.

 

If you find yourself the victim of the ongoing pain of endometriosis, there are things that you can do to help improve your condition. One of the simplest things you can do is to cut back on coffee. Limit your consumption of coffee to no more than two cups each day and avoid any other sources of caffeine in order to minimise your chances of suffering with the most advanced versions of the disease. A recent study showed that women who drank more coffee were more likely to have higher levels of oestrogen. Experts believe that high oestrogen may aggravate endometriosis.

 

Another method you can try is to block prostaglandin – you can do this in the form of an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. Common drugs of this type include ibuprofen and naproxen. These block prostaglandins, which are the body’s natural substances that increase inflammation and they are thought to be linked to the contractions and pain of endometriosis.

 

When pain remedies don’t work, the best thing you can do for your health is to look after your body. This includes getting enough sleep at night, eating a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet and taking the recommended daily doses of vitamins and minerals. Some studies also suggest taking thiamine or magnesium can be very beneficial. When the pain is bad, a heated pad, hot water bottle or hot bath may help to ease the pain and cramps. Some women find that relaxation techniques and acupuncture can be beneficial too. There are also TENS machines, which help to reduce the pain of endometriosis.

Categories: Coffee, endometriosis, endometriosis nbsp, nbsp, Pain, prostaglandin, Women

Endometriosis Causing You Pain? 4 Treatments You Should Try

Endometriosis can really take its toll on your wellbeing, not only affecting your sexual health with severe pain during sex and infertility, but also presenting with other upsetting wellness concerns, such as backache and painful bowel movements. Unfortunately, there is no cure for endometriosis, but there are a number of endometriosis treatment and management options that can help you to cope with the condition.

 

1. Medical Therapies: The most common medical endometriosis treatments are hormonal contraceptives and other hormonal regimens, such as GnRH agonists (gonadotropin releasing hormone drugs). These drugs control the hormonal stimulation of your endometrial tissue. If you are suffering from pelvic pain, your first-line management includes hormonal contraceptives – be they oral, transdermal or injectable – along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. These treatments are cheaper, easier to use and less likely to produce side effects than other hormonal treatments, and so may be used indefinitely to help you manage your symptoms. A type of androgen (Danazol) is sometimes used to treat endometriosis, but it can cause some undesirable side effects. These include weight gain, hirsutism (hair growth), fluid retention, fatigue, hot flashes, decreased breast size, acne, oily skin, irritation or inflammation in your vagina, hot flushes, muscle cramps, emotional instability and a deeper voice.

 

2. Surgical Procedures: If you have surgery, this can be something as simple as a laparoscopy to something as drastic as a hysterectomy. If you have a laparoscopic procedure, your surgeon will either use heat or laser to destroy your endometriotic implants, or else cut them out. This can be a complicated surgery if the endometriosis is in your ureters or bowels. If your doctor recommends that you have a hysterectomy, you should be aware that this involves the removal of your uterus and potentially your ovaries, both of which you need to have a baby. Therefore, you should only have this procedure if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want children, and exploring other – potentially less effective – treatments is worth that goal. If you wish to preserve your fertility, discuss other options with your health care professional and consider seeking a second opinion.

 

3. Alternative Treatments: Complementary therapies for relieving the painful symptoms of endometriosis include traditional Chinese medicine, nutritional approaches, homeopathy, allergy management, and immune therapy. Again, you need to bear in mind that none of these treatments can cure endometriosis. That said, you should talk to your doctor about these options. Some doctors believe going down the alternative wellness route is a waste of time, but others will tell you that it’s always worth try alternative methods of pain relief as long as they are not harmful to your condition. Either way, you should always consult a doctor first, as you need to know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

 

4. Pregnancy: Although pregnancy is by no means a cure for endometriosis – and you shouldn’t have a baby just for nine months of pain relief – some women do find that being pregnant helps to lessen their pain. Moreover, even though the chronic condition won’t disappear with pregnancy, many women still find that the pain is substantially improved after they have a baby, and some women find that the pain does not come back at all. The reason behind this is that pregnancy stops the ovulation process, causing your endometriosis implants to become less active and, as a result, become less painful or large than they once were. Or, the reason why pregnancy eases your endometriosis pain may be because you’re not having periods, and menstruation triggers the pain that many women with endometriosis feel.

Categories: endometriosis, hormonal, hormonal contraceptives, Pain, Pain Relief, pregnancy, Treatments