Endometriosis: Diagnosis, Treatment and prevention
?What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis may be a common condition that affects women during the reproductive years. It occurs when normal tissue from the uterine lining, the endometrium, attaches to organs within the pelvis and begins to grow. This displaced endometrial tissue causes irritation within the pelvis which will cause pain and infertility
During each menstrual period, most of the uterine lining and blood is shed through the cervix and into the vagina. However, a number of this tissue enters the pelvis through the fallopian tubes. Women who develop endometriosis simply could also be unable to clear the pelvis of those cells. It mainly affects women during their reproductive years. It can affect women from every group and ethnicity. Endometriosis isn't an infection and it's not contagious. Endometriosis isn't cancer
Types of endometriosis
There are several sorts of endometriosis
Peritoneal endometriosis: Peritoneal implants that contains glandular and stromal tissue and answer hormonal changes related to the cycle showing cyclic changes similar but not just like the traditional endometrium. These implants heal by fibrosis.4
Ovarian endometriomas: Benign, estrogen-dependent cyst also referred to as “chocolate cyst” that contains thick, old blood that appears as a brown fluid. This results from recurrent chronic bleeding from the endometriotic implants. In long-standing endometriomas, the endometriotic
tissue is gradually replaced by fibrotic tissue
Deep endometriosis (DE): this type of endometriosis is characterized by proliferative fibromuscular tissue with sparse endometrial grandular and stromal tissue (akin to adenomyosis), with no surface epithelium. DE doesn't show significant changes during the cycle . Growth of endometriotic nodules are usually found within the uterosacral ligaments, the rectovaginal space, the upper third of the posterior vaginal wall, the bowel, and therefore the tract .4,6
Adenomyosis: Uterine endometriosis presents as asymmetrical uterine enlargement
Disseminated endometriosis: Growth of endometriotic tissue in various organs within the bodyincluding at the scar site
Causes of endometriosis
Although the precise explanation for endometriosis isn't certain, possible explanations include
Retrograde menstruation. In retrograde menstruation, menorrhea containing endometrial cells flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the cavity rather than out of the body. These displaced endometrial cells stick with the pelvic walls and surfaces of pelvic organs, where they grow and still thicken and bleed over the course of every cycle
Transformation of peritoneal cells. In what’s referred to as the “induction theory,” experts propose that hormones or immune factors promote transformation of peritoneal cells cells that line the inner side of your abdomen into endometrial cells
Embryonic cell transformation. Hormones like estrogen may transform embryonic cells within the earliest stages of development into endometrial cell implants during puberty
Surgical scar implantation. After a surgery, like a hysterectomy or C-section, endometrial cells may attach to a incision
Endometrial cells transport. The blood vessels or tissue fluid (lymphatic) system may transport endometrial cells to other parts of the body
Immune system disorder. It’s possible that a drag with the system may make the body unable to acknowledge and destroy endometrial tissue that’s growing outside the uterus
Risk Factors for Endometriosis
Early menarche
First-degree relative with endometriosis
Late menopause
Low body mass index
Müllerian anomalies
Nulliparity
Prolonged menstruation (> five days)
Shorter lactation intervals
Shorter menstrual cycles (< 28 days)
White race (compared with black race)
Women who do experience symptoms may have one or more conditions
Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea) which don't answer over-the-counter pain relief. Some women have heavy periods
Pain during or after sexual activity (dyspareunia)
Painful defecation (dyschezia) which will be cyclic or semi-cyclic
Painful micturition (dysuria)
Lower abdominal pain
chronic pelvic pain
Difficulty in getting pregnant or infertility
Pain associated with the bowels and bladder (with or without abnormal bleeding)
Chronic fatigue
Ovulation pain
Irritable bowel syndrome
Cyclical or perimenstrual symptoms (e.g. bowel or bladder associated) with or without abnormal bleeding
Infertility
Complications
Complications include
Infertility, which may affect 50 percent of these with the condition
Increased risk of developing ovarian cancer or endometriosis-associated adenocarcinoma
Ovarian cysts
Inflammation
Scar tissue and adhesion development
Intestinal and bladder complications
Diagnosis
If you've got any symptoms of endometriosis or are having difficulty becoming pregnant, contact your gynecologist. There are several things she will do to work out if you've got endometriosis, including
Pelvic exam
Ultrasound exam
MRI
Laparoscopy
Biopsy
Treatment and medications
Understandably, you would like quick relief from pain and other symptoms of endometriosis. This condition can disrupt your life if it’s left untreated. Endometriosis has no cure, but its symptoms are often managed
Medical and surgical options are available to assist reduce your symptoms and manage any potential complications. Your doctor may first try conservative treatments. they'll then recommend surgery if your condition doesn’t improve
It may be frustrating to urge diagnosis and treatment options early within the disease. due to the fertility issues, pain, and fear that there's no relief, this disease are often difficult to handle mentally. Consider finding a support group or educating yourself more on the condition
MEDICATION
Pain medications
You can try over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen (Advil), but these aren’t effective altogether cases
Hormonal therapy
Taking supplemental hormones can sometimes relieve pain and stop its progression. This therapy helps your body to manage the monthly changes in hormones that promote the tissue growth that happens once you have endometriosis
Hormonal contraceptives
Hormonal contraceptives decrease fertility by preventing the monthly growth and buildup of endometrial tissue. contraception pills, patches, and vaginal rings can reduce or maybe eliminate the pain in less-severe endometriosis
The medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) injection is additionally effective in stopping menstruation. It stops the expansion of endometrial implants. It relieves pain and other symptoms. this might not be your first choice, however, due to the danger of decreased bone production, weight gain, and increase within the incidence of depression in some cases
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRNH) agonists and antagonists
Women take what are called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists to dam the assembly of estrogens that stimulate the ovary. Estrogen is that the hormone that’s mainly liable for the event of female sexual characteristics. This prevents menstruation and creates a man-made menopause. The therapy has side effects like vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Taking small doses of estrogen and progesterone at an equivalent time can help to limit or prevent these symptoms
Danazol
Danazol is another medication wont to stop menstruation and reduce symptoms. While taking danazol, the disease may still progress. Danazol can have side effects including acne and hirsutism, which is abnormal hair growth on your face and body. Other drugs are being studied which will improve symptoms and slow disease progress
Conservative surgery
Conservative surgery is for ladies who want to urge pregnant or experience severe pain and for whom hormonal treatments aren’t working. The goal of conservative surgery is to get rid of or destroy endometrial growths without damaging your reproductive organs
Laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery, is employed to both visualize, diagnose, and take away the endometrial tissue. Your surgeon will make small incisions in your abdomen to get rid of the growths surgically or to burn or vaporize them. Lasers are commonly used lately as how destroy this “out of place” tissue
Last-resort surgery (hysterectomy)
Rarely, your doctor may recommend a complete hysterectomy as a final resort if your condition doesn’t improve with other treatments. During a complete hysterectomy, your surgeon will remove your uterus and cervix. Your doctor also will remove your ovaries because they create estrogen, and estrogen causes the expansion of endometrial tissue. they're going to also remove visible implant lesions
This radical approach to treatment is employed only other treatment approaches have failed, and therefore the pain and inflammation are interfering with quality of life. This procedure will stop the cycle of menstruation, and symptoms of endometriosis should reduce. there's no guarantee that each one pain will get away , however
You’ll be unable to urge pregnant after a hysterectomy. Get a second opinion before agreeing to surgery if you’re brooding about starting a family
Prevention of Endometriosis
Endometriosis can't be prevented. this is often partially because the cause is poorly understood. But long-term use of contraception hormones (patch, pills, or ring) may prevent endometriosis from becoming worse