Endometriosis: when the endometrium grows outside the uterus

Throughout the life of a woman there are several health problems that can occur, both diseases and disorders, whose presence has a direct relationship with the female sex.

One of the most common is the annoying ovarian pain, present above all when menstruation arrives. Although there are other related disorders, such as the case of absence of menstruation, or menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea.

However, there is a medical disorder that is usually detected between 20 to 25 years of age, and that tends to worry many women. It is the one named as endometriosis, an existing problem in the tissue of the lining of the uterus, which is called endometrium or endometrial tissue.

What is endometriosis?

When endometriosis is diagnosed, there is a problem in the lining of the uterus. This fabric is called endometrium, or endometrial tissue. It basically consists of the existence of endometrium outside the uterine cavity. That is, it occurs when the lining tissue of the uterus is located outside the uterus, especially when it has developed incorrectly.

It is a completely benign disease, which is usually detected between 20 to 25 years, and is estimated to affect around 11% of women during their reproductive stage.

Although the endometrial tissue is located inside the uterus, when there is endometriosis, this tissue tends to grow outside of it, being able to be located in the ovaries, in the muscular layer of the uterus, in the tubes, in the abdomino-pelvic organs and in the ligaments. pelvianos.

Causes of endometriosis

Different medical research studies have been able to confirm that the way in which the woman's immune system is stimulated or reacted can become one of the main causes of the appearance of endometriosis.

This is due above all to the fact that the immune system of women with endometriosis is not able to adequately eliminate menstrual flow in the pelvic cavity.

Other possible causes have also been observed:

  • Disease of the gland system.
  • Disease of the endocrine system.
  • Substance (unknown) capable of altering the cells of these cavities.
  • Existence of endometrial cells outside the uterus congenitally.
  • Consumption of certain medications.
  • Consumption of certain toxic elements.

Symptoms of endometriosis

In this section we must not forget that endometriosis has a special relationship with the hormonal changes that occur mainly in the female cycle.

For this reason, it is quite usual to appear the days before menstruation, persisting during the days that it lasts.

However, there are certain symptom that can help in your diagnosis:

  • Pelvic pain chronically.
  • Very painful menstrual cramps (which can even incapacitate women).
  • Abundant menstrual periods.
  • Presence of clots during menstruation.
  • Bleeding between periods.
  • Blood spots before menstruation.
  • Intestinal pains
  • Vomiting and nausea.
  • Pain when urinating.
  • Painful stools
  • Pain during or after having sex.

Treatment for endometriosis

Taking into account that one of the main symptoms of endometriosis is pain, there is no doubt that one of the basic treatments is to reduce this symptomatology.

Hormone treatments are appropriate when the tumors are small and the woman does not want to become pregnant. Otherwise, the best thing is that depending on the intensity of the pain, it is best to have sex without protection and without medical treatment.

Surgery becomes one of the best options in those patients in which endometriosis is very painful and extensive.

These surgeries include, above all, laparoscopy or laparotomy, among others.

A topic that worries you: does endometriosis affect fertility?

The truth is Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility, it is estimated that between 25 and 50% of women who have infertility also suffer from endometriosis. Given that it is a pathology that may take a few years to be diagnosed, it is common for it to be diagnosed when the woman is unable to get pregnant, in a medical consultation for infertility.

It is estimated that around 40% of women with endometriosis will not get pregnant. Although it is possible for a woman to become pregnant before the surgical treatment of endometriosis, when there is already sterility there is no absolute guarantee of pregnancy, especially after the surgery. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician.We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesInfertility

Endometriosis (February 2024)