March, Endometriosis Awareness Month

What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a painful condition in which tissue identical to the endometrium, which typically lines the interior of your uterus, develops outside your uterus. Endometriosis most usually affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic tissue. Endometrial-like tissue can occasionally be detected outside of the pelvic organs.
Endometrial-like tissue behaves similarly to endometrial tissue, thickening, breaking down, and bleeding with each menstrual cycle. Nevertheless, because this tissue cannot leave your body, it remains inside. Endometriomas can occur when endometriosis affects the ovaries. Surrounding tissue can become inflamed, leading to the formation of scar tissue and adhesions – bands of fibrous tissue that can cause pelvic tissues and organs to cling together.
Endometriosis can cause considerable discomfort, particularly during menstruation. Fertility issues may also arise. Luckily, there are excellent therapies available. Endometriosis affects up to 10% of females aged 15 to 44.

What causes endometriosis?

Endometriosis is unknown to doctors, although there are a few suggestions as to what causes it:

Endometrial tissues are carried to other sections of the body via the blood or lymphatic systems, similar to how cancer cells can spread throughout the body.
Endometrial cells may adhere to the walls of the abdomen or other regions of the body during surgery, such as a C-section or hysterectomy.
Endometriosis appears to afflict certain families more frequently than others, suggesting a hereditary link to the disorder.
During a woman’s period, endometrial tissue enters the fallopian tubes and abdomen rather than departing the body.
Some cells in the body can transform into endometrial cells and begin to develop outside the endometrium.

What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, which is frequently accompanied by menstruation. Although many women suffer cramps throughout their menstrual cycles, individuals who have endometriosis often report significantly more menstrual pain than usual. Pain may also worsen with time.

Endometriosis is characterized by the following signs and symptoms:

Periods of suffering (dysmenorrhea): Pelvic discomfort and cramps can start several days before and last several days after a menstrual cycle. You can also have lower back and stomach ache.
Intercourse causes pain: Endometriosis frequently causes pain during or after intercourse.
Pain during urinating or bowel motions: These symptoms are most likely to occur during a menstrual cycle.
Extreme bruising: You may have heavy menstrual cycles or bleeding between periods on occasion (intermenstrual bleeding).
Infertility: Endometriosis is sometimes discovered in women seeking infertility therapy.
Various symptoms and indications: Throughout your menstrual cycle, you may have tiredness, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea.

Your pain level may not be an accurate predictor of the severity of your ailment. You might have moderate endometriosis with considerable pain or advanced endometriosis with little to no discomfort. Endometriosis is frequently confused with other illnesses that cause pelvic discomfort, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts. It is sometimes mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramps. Endometriosis might be accompanied by IBS, complicating the diagnosis.

Endometriosis and fertility
Moderate to moderate endometriosis may only result in temporary infertility. Surgery to remove endometrial tissue can assist a woman in becoming pregnant.
Doctors are unsure how endometriosis impacts fertility. Endometriosis scar tissue can interfere with egg release from the ovaries or restrict the route of the egg via the fallopian tube, preventing it from reaching the uterus. Endometriosis can also cause sperm or fertilized eggs to be damaged before they can implant in the uterus.
Many women with endometriosis or endometriosis-related infertility can conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. Treatment methods, such as fertility preservation and in vitro fertilization (IVF), may assist women in becoming pregnant. While discussing your endometriosis treatment strategy, discuss your reproductive objectives with your doctor.

Call Queens Clinic and book your appointment with Dr. Ahmed Ismail if you experience signs and symptoms of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a difficult ailment to treat. Early diagnosis and comprehension of your diagnosis may result in improved symptom treatment.