March is Endometriosis Awareness Month!
This month and every month we’re advocating for endometriosis awareness, advance research, and educating patients about a disease that is still mistreated and little known.
Endometriosis can affect more than 11% of American women between 15 and 44. It is especially common among women in their 30s and 40s and may make it harder to get pregnant. Several different treatment options can help manage the symptoms and improve your chances of getting pregnant.
What is Endometriosis?
The uterus, or womb, is the place where a baby grows when a person is pregnant. The uterus is lined with tissue (endometrium). Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in your body. These patches of tissue are called "implants," "nodules," or "lesions." They are most often found:
- On or under the ovaries
- On the fallopian tubes, which carry egg cells from the ovaries to the uterus
- Behind the uterus
- On the tissues that hold the uterus in place
- On the bowels or bladder
In rare cases, the tissue may grow on your lungs or in other parts of your body.
Who is at risk for endometriosis?
Endometriosis can affect anyone who menstruates. Certain factors can raise or lower your risk of getting it.
You are at higher risk if:
- You have a mother, sister, or daughter with endometriosis
- Your period started before age 11
- Your monthly cycles are short (less than 27 days)
- Your menstrual cycles are heavy and last more than 7 days
You have a lower risk if:
- You have been pregnant before
- Your periods started late in adolescence
- You breastfeed your babies
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Endometriosis is more than just painful menstrual cramps. Endometriosis Research Center provides the following list of signs and symptoms of endometriosis and what is considered not normal and should be paid attention to.
The following symptoms are NOT normal and are common signs of endometriosis:
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Pelvic pain that gets worse after sex or a pelvic exam
- Abdominopelvic pain apart from menses
- Chronically heavy or long periods
- Bowel or urinary disorders, often associated with periods
- Painful sexual activity, particularly with penetration
- Significant lower back pain with menses
- Allergies, migraines or fatigue that tends to worsen around menses
- Crippling menstrual pain that causes missed school, work, and activities
- Catamenial pneumothorax (with lung endometriosis)
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Surgery is the only way to know for sure that you have endometriosis. First, however, your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history. You will have a pelvic exam and may have some imaging tests.
The most common surgery to diagnose endometriosis is a laparoscopy. This is a type of surgery that uses a laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera and light. The surgeon inserts the laparoscope through a small cut in the skin. Your provider can make a diagnosis based on how the patches of endometriosis look. He or she may also do a biopsy to get a tissue sample.
What are the treatments for endometriosis?
There is no cure for endometriosis, but there are treatments for the symptoms. Your provider will work with you to decide which treatments would be best for you.
Treatments for endometriosis pain include:
- Pain relievers, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen and a prescription medicine specifically for endometriosis. Providers may sometimes prescribe opioids for severe pain.
- Hormone therapy, including birth control pills, progestin therapy, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. GnRH agonists cause a temporary menopause, but also help control the growth of endometriosis.
- Surgical treatments for severe pain, including procedures to remove the endometriosis patches or cut some nerves in the pelvis. The surgery may be a laparoscopy or major surgery.
Treatments for infertility caused by endometriosis include:
- Laparoscopy to remove the endometriosis patches
- In vitro fertilization
Can I get pregnant if I have endometriosis?
Yes. Many women with endometriosis get pregnant. But, you may find it harder to get pregnant. Researchers think endometriosis may affect as many as one in every two women with infertility.
No one knows exactly how endometriosis might cause infertility. Some possible reasons include:
- Patches of endometriosis block off or change the shape of the pelvis and reproductive organs. This can make it harder for the sperm to find the egg.
- The immune system, which normally helps defend the body against disease, attacks the embryo.
- The endometrium (the layer of the uterine lining where implantation happens) does not develop as it should.
If you have endometriosis and are having trouble getting pregnant, talk to your doctor. He or she can recommend treatments, such as surgery to remove the endometrial growths
Endometriosis Treatment at WHS of Dallas
If you’re experiencing pelvic pain and other worrisome symptoms associated with endometriosis, visit the Women’s Health Specialists of Dallas for the highest standard of gynecological care. You may call us at (214) 363-4421 to schedule an appointment.
