What You Need to Know About Endometriosis

Have you by any chance come across a person suffering from endometriosis? Maybe you’ve heard about this health complication at some point in life. Well, endometriosis is an often-painful disorder in which tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus grows outside your uterus.

This health complication most commonly entails your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis.  Rarely, endometrial-like tissue may be found beyond the area where pelvic organs are located.

With endometriosis, the endometrial-like tissue acts as endometrial tissue would. For those who might not know, it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. But since this tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. When endometriosis involves the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form.

One of the most common symptoms of endometriosis is pelvic pain, often associated with menstrual periods. Even though many experience cramping during their menstrual periods, those with endometriosis typically describe menstrual pain that’s far worse than the norm.

Other common signs and symptoms of painful periods, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements or urination, and excessive bleeding. Sometimes endometriosis is first diagnosed in those seeking treatment for infertility. You may also experience fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.

It is in your best interest to see your doctor if you have signs and symptoms that may indicate endometriosis. Keep in mind endometriosis can be a challenging condition to manage. An early diagnosis, a multidisciplinary medical team and an understanding of your diagnosis may result in better management of your symptoms.

You might already be wondering about what brings about endometriosis. Although the exact cause of endometriosis is not certain, possible explanations include retrograde menstruation, transformation of peritoneal cells, embryonic cell transformation, immune system disorder, and surgical scar implantation, to mention a few.

We can never conclude without mentioning the complications of endometriosis. Well, the main complication of endometriosis is impaired fertility. Approximately one-third to one-half of women with endometriosis has difficult getting pregnant.

For one to get pregnant, an egg must be released from an ovary, travel through the neighboring fallopian tube, become fertilized by a sperm cell and attach itself to the uterine wall to commence development.

Be sure to research more about endometriosis to better understand what it takes to keep this health complication at bay.