What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a medical problem or disease associated with the tissues that line the inside of the uterus (also called the endometrium) has spread and grow in the other organs in the female body. Commonly occur in the pelvic organs. Endometriosis is found in the fallopian canal and cysts can cause scarring, adhesions and blocked fallopian canal and can affect a woman's fertility.
Endometriosis is said to attack 7 percent of women, aged
18-35 years and is one of the main reasons why women fail to become pregnant.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Pelvic pain is among the main symptoms and it often occurs before menstrual cycle starts again. Also frequently felt pain during sexual intercourse, during urination or defecation.
However, the frequency and intensity of pain is actually not related to the severity of the illness. Some women may experience extreme pain but endometriosis may still be in the early stages and to those who have no symptoms or mild pain may have been at a level that is severe endometriosis.
In most cases, endometriosis is diagnosed at an early stage failed until the woman to see a doctor because of the failure to conceive. This is because most of the patients did not have any signs and symptoms.
What is the impact of endometriosis on women's fertility?
To learn to do with fertility, it is important for women to understand clearly what is endometriosis and how it can affect their fertility.
In normal circumstances, there is only the endometrial lining in the uterus wall only. In the case of endometriosis, the tissue layer is also found in other body areas, especially in the pelvis such as the ovaries, fallopian canal, on the surface of the uterus, pelvic space around the colon, rectum and bladder. It can also be found in parts of the more remote the body including the lungs and heart, but this is very rare.
Although endometrial tissue outside the region should not be, it is still responsive to hormonal changes that occur during a woman's menstrual cycle. Like menstruation, endometriosis tissue will fall and bleed, in the same way with the uterine wall and blood loss during the menstrual cycle. This bleeding can cause pain, especially before and during menstruation.
Tissue loss and bleeding around the pelvic organs would cause scar tissue and other organs will stick close to each other.
If there is no treatment and are not detected early, it will cause the pelvic organs structure shifted from its normal position. For example most often the case, the position of the ovaries are attached to the uterus will cause fallopian canal will be away from the ovary and in the event of ovulation, the egg can not be achieved by the fallopian canal and fertilization will not occur. In more serious cases, profound damage to fallopian canal cause blockages, damaged and infertility will occur. Overgrown ovarian endometriosis will be collecting blood during the menstrual cycle and the beginnings of ovarian cyst containing blood that begins to sound like melted chocolate in it.
If the entire ovary was covered by endometriosis, the ovaries no longer function normally and fail to release an egg because follicle trapped by scar on the surface of the ovaries.
Endometriosis also can reduce fertility by releasing toxic chemicals in the pelvis. If successful egg is released from the ovary also, these chemicals can reduce the ability of the egg to be fertilized. In fact it can also provide signals to the cell body destruction to weaken eggs, sperm and embryos are also less healthy fetus and abortion easily occur.
Who is at risk? What Causes Endometriosis?
Until now scientists have not been able to identify the exact cause of how it happened. But there is a good theory and can explain why it was happening. It is believed that the menstrual blood to back has brought together endometrial tissue causing it to grow in the pelvis and bleeding as a menstrual cycle. Some even said that it spread through the blood to various parts of the body. It also may involve a more complex mechanism in which there is abnormal interactions at the cellular level and hormonal changes.
Endometriosis often occurs in women who are in the age range late 20's and 30's and also in women who have never had children. Endometriosis has a genetic component that is if a woman suffering from endometriosis have a close relative, there is a possibility his brother might have endometriosis too.
How diagnosis can be done?
Doctors often will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam, including a vaginal examination and U.S. examination. If the doctor suspects the possibility of women suffering from endometriosis, she may recommend laparoscopic surgery is done to see the condition of the pelvic area. If endometriosis found, the doctor will determine the extent of endometriosis is and how much damage has occurred.
How Endometriosis treated?
Endometriosis is a medical problem or disease associated with the tissues that line the inside of the uterus (also called the endometrium) has spread and grow in the other organs in the female body. Commonly occur in the pelvic organs. Endometriosis is found in the fallopian canal and cysts can cause scarring, adhesions and blocked fallopian canal and can affect a woman's fertility.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Pelvic pain is among the main symptoms and it often occurs before menstrual cycle starts again. Also frequently felt pain during sexual intercourse, during urination or defecation.
However, the frequency and intensity of pain is actually not related to the severity of the illness. Some women may experience extreme pain but endometriosis may still be in the early stages and to those who have no symptoms or mild pain may have been at a level that is severe endometriosis.
In most cases, endometriosis is diagnosed at an early stage failed until the woman to see a doctor because of the failure to conceive. This is because most of the patients did not have any signs and symptoms.
What is the impact of endometriosis on women's fertility?
To learn to do with fertility, it is important for women to understand clearly what is endometriosis and how it can affect their fertility.
In normal circumstances, there is only the endometrial lining in the uterus wall only. In the case of endometriosis, the tissue layer is also found in other body areas, especially in the pelvis such as the ovaries, fallopian canal, on the surface of the uterus, pelvic space around the colon, rectum and bladder. It can also be found in parts of the more remote the body including the lungs and heart, but this is very rare.
Although endometrial tissue outside the region should not be, it is still responsive to hormonal changes that occur during a woman's menstrual cycle. Like menstruation, endometriosis tissue will fall and bleed, in the same way with the uterine wall and blood loss during the menstrual cycle. This bleeding can cause pain, especially before and during menstruation.
Tissue loss and bleeding around the pelvic organs would cause scar tissue and other organs will stick close to each other.
If there is no treatment and are not detected early, it will cause the pelvic organs structure shifted from its normal position. For example most often the case, the position of the ovaries are attached to the uterus will cause fallopian canal will be away from the ovary and in the event of ovulation, the egg can not be achieved by the fallopian canal and fertilization will not occur. In more serious cases, profound damage to fallopian canal cause blockages, damaged and infertility will occur. Overgrown ovarian endometriosis will be collecting blood during the menstrual cycle and the beginnings of ovarian cyst containing blood that begins to sound like melted chocolate in it.
If the entire ovary was covered by endometriosis, the ovaries no longer function normally and fail to release an egg because follicle trapped by scar on the surface of the ovaries.
Endometriosis also can reduce fertility by releasing toxic chemicals in the pelvis. If successful egg is released from the ovary also, these chemicals can reduce the ability of the egg to be fertilized. In fact it can also provide signals to the cell body destruction to weaken eggs, sperm and embryos are also less healthy fetus and abortion easily occur.
Who is at risk? What Causes Endometriosis?
Until now scientists have not been able to identify the exact cause of how it happened. But there is a good theory and can explain why it was happening. It is believed that the menstrual blood to back has brought together endometrial tissue causing it to grow in the pelvis and bleeding as a menstrual cycle. Some even said that it spread through the blood to various parts of the body. It also may involve a more complex mechanism in which there is abnormal interactions at the cellular level and hormonal changes.
Endometriosis often occurs in women who are in the age range late 20's and 30's and also in women who have never had children. Endometriosis has a genetic component that is if a woman suffering from endometriosis have a close relative, there is a possibility his brother might have endometriosis too.
How diagnosis can be done?
Doctors often will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam, including a vaginal examination and U.S. examination. If the doctor suspects the possibility of women suffering from endometriosis, she may recommend laparoscopic surgery is done to see the condition of the pelvic area. If endometriosis found, the doctor will determine the extent of endometriosis is and how much damage has occurred.
How Endometriosis treated?
Treatment for endometriosis depends on the extent of the disease, symptoms and patient's desire to have a child. Endometriosis can be treated with medication, surgery or a combination of both.
However, patients should be aware that the process that causes endometrisis still happen and will continue to occur throughout life. So the risk of developing the disease is high.
Drug treatment alone may be able to eliminate the pain but will not prevent the spread of endometriosis. Hormone treatment can also affect fertility and is not suitable to be given to those who plan to become pregnant.
In many cases of endometriosis, surgery is the preferred choice and is usually done through laparoscopic surgery. During laparoscopy, endometriosis tissue is destroyed or removed and the new tissue will occur burned by using a special tool.
Some research suggests that pregnancy rates after surgery for women who suffer from endometriosis is as high as 47 percent. To those suffering from serious endometriosis may be around 38 percent. Although the pregnancy rate was not as high, but it's far better than the pregnancy rate without any surgical treatment.
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