Endometriosis and Pregnancy - Background
Endometriosis is a condition where tissues normally lining a woman's uterus grow or attach to organs located outside. During menstruation, the lining of the uterus will shed as it normally does, but the portion that grows outside of the uterus stays. During the process of ovulation to menstuation, the uterual tissue that grows externally is continuously provoked. It could get torn, disintegrate and cause bleeding. This aggravation causes the formation of scar tissue and produces discomfort.
In the United States, the Endometriosis Research Center reports that there are over 7 million cases of endometriosis among women. It is one of the primary causes of chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and gynecologic surgeries.
What Leads To Endometriosis?
At present, the cause behind the occurrence of endometriosis is unknown, although experts have proposed several possible explanations. Studies of late suggest that this condition could be dictated by heredity.
Symptoms
Usual signs and symptoms of endometriosis include irregular or labored breathing, pain during menstruation, chronic pelvic pain, lower back pain and fatigue. Females may also feel pain during ovulation and while having sex, GI problems like diarrhea, constipation or bloating, and even discomfort while passing stools. In worse cases, endometriosis may result in infertility.
Diagnosis
The only sure method to diagnose endometriosis is through surgery. Other diagnostic means such as MRIs, CAT scans or ultrasound are normally inconclusive. A doctor will need to look into the patient's symptoms, as well as her medical history. In order to diagnose the problem, the doctor may opt to conduct a laparotomy or a laparoscopy.
Endometriosis still has no cure, however, doctors recommend that certain modes of treatment be applied to help manage it.
Treatment
Methods to manage endometriosis include:
Pain Medication
Medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, which are available over-the-counter, are used to decrease discomfort and pain. If that doesn't work, prescription drugs may be recommended.
Hormonal Drug Therapy
Hormone drugs can be used to block a patient's ovulation. The key here is to stop the further provocation of the lesions and to protect oneself against the onset of other related problems. These medications include oral contraceptives, GnRH agonists and progesterone drugs. Hormone therapy is performed particularly on patients who have come from surgery.
Surgery
Doctors usually determine the diagnosis following conservative surgeries like a laparotomy or laparoscopy and often pass through these procedures to extract abnormal growths. If this succeeds, it could help eliminate the pain and even raise the woman's chances of conceiving.
If traditional surgery does not prove to be effective, doctors can opt to perform a hysterectomy or other more invasive procedures.
Alternative/Natural Therapy
A lot of patients opt to undergo natural types of treatment over surgery and medications. Some of the more popular alternative treatments include Chinese medicine, acupuncture and nutritional therapies such as herbs for fertility. There exists a considerable amount of studies that support the effectiveness of these natural treatments to do no harm and to awaken the body's inherent defense mechanisms and healing activity.
