Endometriosis is a chronic disorder that most women are unaware of. It can create various complications in the body and one could still ignore it.
Understanding endometriosis: The woman’s body goes through several cycles and biological and physical changes that also have repercussions in the future. Our bodies are complicated and so are their functioning and disorders. One of those lesser-known chronic disorders is endometriosis. According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), “In many countries, the general public and most front-line healthcare providers are unaware that distressing and life-altering pelvic pain is not is normal, which leads to a normalization and stigmatization of the symptoms”. and a significant delay in diagnosis. Patients who could benefit from medical symptomatic treatment do not always receive treatment due to limited awareness of endometriosis among primary health care providers. ”
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is the growth of endometrium-like tissue (tissue similar to the lining of the uterus) outside the uterus, often resulting in chronic, inflammatory reactions that lead to scar tissue. It mainly affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue that lines the pelvis. While it’s not always life-threatening, it can definitely be agonizing and often affect quality of life.
Understanding the signs and symptoms of endometriosis
The signs and symptoms vary from person to person, and the severity can also differ. Also, it should be noted that the severity of any discomfort or pain is not a measure of the severity of the problem.
Pelvic pain is the first sign of endometriosis, but there are also some other symptoms:
- painful periods
- Menstrual cramps about a week near the cycle.
- copious flow
- bleeding between periods
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- lower back pain
Understanding endometriosis: is it curable and preventable?
Speaking exclusively to India.com, Dr Shabreen Sahar, MBBS MS OBG at Even Healthcare said that “there is no known cure for endometriosis, nor is it preventable. However, some treatments can help alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it.
hormone treatment – The cause of endometriosis is unclear, however we do know that it is exacerbated by estrogen. Therefore, hormone treatment aims to reduce the production of estrogens in the woman’s body, thereby suppressing the symptoms, added Dr. Sahar.
There are several types of drugs that work by contracting the lining of the uterus and endometriotic lesions:
- The oral contraceptive pill
- Progestins/progesterone
- GnRH analogs
- danazol
- Mirena
Surgery – Laparoscopic surgery is the only definitive way to diagnose endometriosis and, in most cases, the disease can be diagnosed and treated in the same procedure.
What causes it and what triggers this disorder, there is no scientifically proven answer for it. There is still more research underway to identify the exact cause and effect. However, it is a chronic condition that so far cannot be cured, but it can be managed with the right interventions.
Therefore, this also constitutes another reason why all ladies should have regular gynecological checkups.
$(document).ready(function(){
$(‘#commentbtn’).on(“click”,function(){
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1&appId=178196885542208”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
$(“.cmntbox”).toggle();
});
});
