Endometriosis: What Every Woman Needs to Know
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue like that found in the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere in the body. This tissue can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity including the ovaries, fallopian tube and walls of the pelvis. Rarely, it can also be found on the bladder, bowels and rectum.
Like the lining of the womb the endometrial tissue bleeds during a woman's monthly cycle, but cannot leave the body like menstrual blood. As a result it forms scar tissue and adhesions. The bleeding is often accompanied by pain and inflammation but these symptoms can also occur at any time.
Who is Affected?
Endometriosis can affect any woman from the start of menstrual periods to menopause, regardless of her race, age or whether or not she has children. Studies have shown that the incidence of endometriosis is much higher in women who have a sister or mother with it.
What are the Symptoms?
The symptoms of endometriosis are non-specific and can mimic other conditions such as irritable bowel disease. Results from the Pain and Quality of Life Survey commissioned by the UK Endometriosis All Party Parliamentary Group (EAPPG), which polled over 7000 women from 52 countries living with endometriosis between July 2004 and June 2005 showed that 65% of women were told they had another condition before endometriosis was diagnosed. Half of the women surveyed saw five or more doctors before they were correctly diagnosed.
Symptoms include heavier and more painful periods, prolonged bleeding, spotting between periods, painful ovulation, back and pelvic pain. Many women also experience painful bowel movements, bleeding from the bowel or pain when passing urine during their periods, or pain during or after sex.
Other symptoms reported include difficulty fighting off infection, allergies, extreme tiredness and irritability, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea and dizziness or headaches with menstruation. Some women have severe endometriosis affecting large areas and have no symptoms.
What are the Complications?
The main complication is infertility, affecting approximately 30% to 40% of women with endometriosis. The longer you have the condition, the greater your chance of becoming infertile. For many women, endometriosis becomes a persistent, frustrating condition affecting quality of life. The EAPPG survey showed that:
Can it be Treated?
There is currently no cure for endometriosis. Treatments are available which can help to relieve pain, shrink or slow growth of lesions, maintain or restore fertility and prevent or delay recurrence of the disease.
What Can You Do?
All of the symptoms described may have other causes. In fact, the UK EAPPG survey found that the average time between first reporting symptoms and receiving a diagnosis was 8 years. It is important to seek medical advice to clarify the cause of any symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis you may want to consider joining a support group for women with endometriosis (see below).
Further information:
http://www.endometriosis.org/
http://www.endometriosis.org/press15september05.html
Support groups around the world:
http://www.endometriosis.org/support.html
© Cherry Bwalya 2010
Originally published on the orato.com an international news website, which is no longer live
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue like that found in the lining of the uterus is found elsewhere in the body. This tissue can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity including the ovaries, fallopian tube and walls of the pelvis. Rarely, it can also be found on the bladder, bowels and rectum.
Like the lining of the womb the endometrial tissue bleeds during a woman's monthly cycle, but cannot leave the body like menstrual blood. As a result it forms scar tissue and adhesions. The bleeding is often accompanied by pain and inflammation but these symptoms can also occur at any time.
Who is Affected?
Endometriosis can affect any woman from the start of menstrual periods to menopause, regardless of her race, age or whether or not she has children. Studies have shown that the incidence of endometriosis is much higher in women who have a sister or mother with it.
What are the Symptoms?
The symptoms of endometriosis are non-specific and can mimic other conditions such as irritable bowel disease. Results from the Pain and Quality of Life Survey commissioned by the UK Endometriosis All Party Parliamentary Group (EAPPG), which polled over 7000 women from 52 countries living with endometriosis between July 2004 and June 2005 showed that 65% of women were told they had another condition before endometriosis was diagnosed. Half of the women surveyed saw five or more doctors before they were correctly diagnosed.
Symptoms include heavier and more painful periods, prolonged bleeding, spotting between periods, painful ovulation, back and pelvic pain. Many women also experience painful bowel movements, bleeding from the bowel or pain when passing urine during their periods, or pain during or after sex.
Other symptoms reported include difficulty fighting off infection, allergies, extreme tiredness and irritability, abdominal bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea and dizziness or headaches with menstruation. Some women have severe endometriosis affecting large areas and have no symptoms.
What are the Complications?
The main complication is infertility, affecting approximately 30% to 40% of women with endometriosis. The longer you have the condition, the greater your chance of becoming infertile. For many women, endometriosis becomes a persistent, frustrating condition affecting quality of life. The EAPPG survey showed that:
- 25% of women are living with pain throughout the monthly cycle
- 78% said it affected their work with an average of 54 days a year lost due to pain; 36% said it affected their job
- 72% felt it had an impact on their relationships
Can it be Treated?
There is currently no cure for endometriosis. Treatments are available which can help to relieve pain, shrink or slow growth of lesions, maintain or restore fertility and prevent or delay recurrence of the disease.
What Can You Do?
All of the symptoms described may have other causes. In fact, the UK EAPPG survey found that the average time between first reporting symptoms and receiving a diagnosis was 8 years. It is important to seek medical advice to clarify the cause of any symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis you may want to consider joining a support group for women with endometriosis (see below).
Further information:
http://www.endometriosis.org/
http://www.endometriosis.org/press15september05.html
Support groups around the world:
http://www.endometriosis.org/support.html
© Cherry Bwalya 2010
Originally published on the orato.com an international news website, which is no longer live