Endometriosis: An Overview to Understand the Details of Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Endometriosis is a very painful disorder when tissue similar to the inner lining present in the uterus subsequently grows outside the uterus. Similar tissues can be found in the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and the lining tissue of the pelvis. In certain rare situations, the growth can also be found away from the genitals.

In the section below, we will cover more details regarding endometriosis symptoms, causes, and details of treatment.

What is endometriosis?

A very common question that is asked is the endometriosis definition. The most simple definition is it is a disorder in which the tissue that is supposed to line the uterus grows outside the uterus, creating a painful condition. The most common areas for the growth of tissue are the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and intestines.

The tissue lining inside the uterus becomes very thick and breaks down to bleeding in each menstrual cycle. The growth happens in places where it is unusual, and it also does not leave the body. Endometriosis Ovarian Cyst can cause a lot of pain, especially during the menstrual cycle.

The pain can be very high during the menstrual period. Symptoms can be seen when women face fertility issues. Treatments from a fertility clinic help you take charge of the condition and also deal with the complicated issues. The treatment will be provided using IUI or IVF, which will help you in your pregnancy.

Indications of Endometriosis Treatment

This section will involve details regarding the endometriosis symptoms and their causes.

Symptoms

One of the primary symptoms of the disorder is pelvic pain. Most women relate it to the menstrual cycle in the initial stages. It is common to have some cramping during the period, but the pain with endometriosis is extremely unbearable. The pain will become worse as the disease progresses.

The common symptoms are:

• Pain in Periods: This is one of the most common symptoms. Pelvic pain and cramping might start before the menstrual period, and the pain will last for many days after the completion of the menstrual cycle. You can also witness lower back pain and stomach pain. Endometriosis pain during periods is known as dysmenorrhea.
• Painful Sex: Another very common symptom of endometriosis is pain during or after sexual activity.
• Pain in Urination: You will have pain in urination, but during the menstrual cycle, the pain level increases a lot.
• Excessive Bleeding: The bleeding will occur only during your period cycle, but it will be heavy and not similar to your regular menstrual periods.
• Infertility: The disease in the ovary will cause infertility among women. For these infertility treatment are very essential in the initial stages.
• Other Symptoms: The various other symptoms that you can face are diarrhea, fatigue, bloating, constipation, and nausea. All these symptoms are primarily common before or during your period cycle.

The endometriosis stages cannot be judged only by your symptoms; for that, the doctor will have to perform surgery.

Endometriosis Causes

The exact cause of the growth of the tissue is not very clear. The few commonly known endometriosis causes are:

• Retrograde Menstruation: This is a situation when the menstrual blood suddenly flows backward through the fallopian tubes and goes into the pelvic cavity rather than going out of the body. The period blood consists of endometrial cells passing through the inner lining of your uterus. These cells stick to your pelvic walls and the surfaces of your pelvic organs. The growth of the tissue will continue, and bleeding will increase throughout the period cycle. This is one of the most common causes of endometriosis pain.
• Embryonic Cell Changes: Hormones like estrogen suddenly transform embryonic cells, which are in the earliest stages of development, into endometrial growth cells during puberty.
• Transformed Peritoneal: Many experts have suggested that the immune factors or hormones help the cells lining the inner side of the abdomen, which are known as the peritoneal cells, transform into the cells that line outside the uterus. This causes the severe growth of the tissue.
• Surgical Scar Complication: Endometrial cells are directly attached to the scar tissue from a cut that is made during the surgery of the stomach area, such as the C-section. This might cause scar endometriosis through stomach surgery.
• Immune System Condition: Any issue with your immune system might make the body unable to recognize or destroy any endometriosis tissue. This increases the growth of the tissue, causing severe pain.
• Endometrial Cell Transport: The tissue fluid system, or the blood vessels, moves all the endometrial cells to different parts of the body. The movement may cause the growth of the tissue outside the uterus.

Pelvic endometriosis is one of the primary diseases that is caused by the retrogression of menstruation. Immediate treatment may help you reduce the symptoms and pain in the initial stages of the tissue's growth.

Diagnosis Procedure for the Endometriosis Treatment

The doctors will run some tests to understand the clues to endometriosis in your body. These are:

• Keyhole Surgery: One of the most efficient ways to diagnose the clue for endometriosis is the keyhole surgery. It can also help you identify the stages of endometriosis.
• Pelvic Exams and Ultrasound: It is also some simple ways to recognize endometriosis in your uterus.

Some advanced techniques involve:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Endometriosis Biopsy Test

Details of the Endometriosis Treatment: Medical and Surgical

The treatment for the tissue growth will involve surgery and medicine. The stage of the disease will help the doctor determine which type of treatment will be most efficient for you. Most of the women only have one concern: becoming pregnant, for which ovarian stimulation is very important.

The doctors also try treating the disease with medicine first, but if it does not work, then surgery is the only option left.

The details of the endometriosis treatment are:

A) Medical
B) Non-Hormonal

The doctor will recommend some pain relievers that will be easy for you to buy without a prescription.

These are the medicines that primarily include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil, others)
• Naproxen Sodium (Aleve)

These will help you reduce endometriosis pain and also control the pain caused during the menstrual cycle. Reducing the pain will help the doctors recommend hormone therapy that will control tissue growth and help you become pregnant.

C) Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy and medicine will not only help you get rid of your pain but might also reduce the growth of the tissue outside your uterus. The increase and decrease of hormones during your period cycle cause tissue growth, breakdown, and severe bleeding. Hormone therapy will slow down the growth of these tissues and will also prevent the formation of new endometriosis tissue.

Hormone therapy is not a permanent solution for your disease, as there is a high chance that the symptoms can come back if you stop taking the therapy.

The different types of therapies that are used for the treatment of the disease are:

• Gn-RH Agonists and Antagonists: These are the medicines that block the menstrual cycle and also lower estrogen levels in your body. The tissue will shrink as the medicine causes an artificial menopause. These medicines can be easily given for 6 months by avoiding their side effects. If the doctor feels that the period has to be extended, then the dosage will be reduced. Your ability to get pregnant will return when you stop taking the Gn-RH medicine.
• Hormonal Contraceptives: The birth control pills, patches, shots, and vaginal rings primarily help in controlling the hormones that regulate tissue growth in your body. These medicines reduce the number of periods in the cycle, reducing the effects of endometriosis. Many women experience a short and light menstrual flow when they are using hormonal birth control. Using a contraceptive will help you get rid of the pain. In some cases, you can also get a lot of pain relief by taking birth control pills for a year or more without breaks. This will also help you to prevent the stimulation of endometriosis ovarian cysts.
• Aromatase Inhibitors: These are a type of medicine that also lowers the amount of estrogen in the human body. Your doctor will recommend an aromatase inhibitor along with a combination birth control pill or progesterone for treating endometriosis tissue growth.
• Progestin Therapy: Progestin is a lab-made version of a particular hormone that has a very essential role in pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. A variety of progestin treatments will help you stop the growth of the tissue by stopping your menstrual periods, which will help you get relief from your painful symptoms. The therapy will include a tiny device that will be placed inside your uterus and release levonorgestrel. It is a contraceptive rod that will be placed under the skin of the arm. You will also have birth control shots or a progestin birth control pill.

The hormone therapy will work as a temporary solution as it will help you get relief from excessive endometriosis blood clots, and pains. If you stop taking the treatment, then the symptoms will come back again.

D) Surgical

1. Conservative Surgery

Endometriosis surgery is an overall process of identifying the endometriosis tissue and removing it from your uterus in various ways. The primary aim of the surgery is to preserve your ovaries and uterus during the procedure. This can also be offered to patients who cannot get naturally pregnant because the surgery will help control the endometriosis, helping in their natural fertility. Any woman having terrible pain is recommended to have the surgery immediately, but there have been cases where the pain comes back over time after the surgery.

The doctor will make small cuts known as endometriosis laparoscopic surgery. If a large cut is placed in your abdomen, then it is to remove the thick bands of your scar. The laparoscopic method is the primary treatment method for severe cases of tissue development as well.

The doctor will then place a slender viewing instrument through the small cut near your navel. Some surgical tools will also be inserted to remove the endometriosis tissue from another small cut in your stomach. The overall surgery can also happen with a robotic device. There will be some surgical pain, so taking some hormonal medicines will help reduce the pain.

2. Fertility Treatment

As mentioned above, endometriosis has a lot of trouble getting you pregnant. If you are having difficulty conceiving, then you need to take infertility treatment. Referring to a specialist will help you understand how you can conceive a child by controlling your tissue growth. The treatment will include the consumption of medicines that help ovaries to create more eggs. IVF treatment can also be a very efficient solution for a woman diagnosed with endometriosis. According to the stage of your tissue growth and the understanding of the doctor, the type of treatment will be recommended to you.

3. Hysterectomy

One of the last options available for doctors when the medical management of endometriosis is difficult is hysterectomy surgery. This option is especially for patients whose family is already complete. It is the surgery for the removal of the uterus from the human body. In the past, removing the ovary and uterus was one of the primary treatments for tissue growth. In the current situation, reducing the pain and helping the woman conceive a child is considered more efficient. Many experts also recommend surgery for the removal of the tissue.

Removing the ovary will mean that the woman will face early menopause. Your doctors will discuss the scenario with you so that you can make an informed decision. The lack of hormones will reduce the pain of tissue growth. Many have also reported that a certain amount of pain remains after the surgery itself. Early menopause will increase the risk of blood vessel diseases and heart diseases with more metabolic conditions that might cause early death.

Women who do not want to get pregnant might undergo uterus removal surgery. This will include heavy menstrual bleeding and more painful menses due to uterine cramping. The surgery might have a long-term effect on your health, especially if you take it before the age of 35.

These are the few types of available treatments for your endometriosis tissue growth. Consult a doctor immediately to understand the treatment that will be favourable for you.

Recovery and complications

The consumption of pain medicines and hormonal medicines will not have any side effects or complications. These are temporary treatments, and as you stop taking the medicines, the symptoms might come back. There are certain complications of a permanent treatment, such as endometriosis laparoscopic surgery. These include:

• Infections
• Possible injuries to nearby organs like the bowel and bladder.
• Bleeding
• Blood vessel damage
• An abnormal connection between two organs is known as the fistula.

The details of recovery that are necessary to follow are:

• Excessive rest is very important after the surgery to complete the recovery.
• People with advanced cases of tissue growth might need at least six weeks to recover fully.
• Any physical activity within a few days of your surgery might cause bleeding.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you have any pain or any other symptoms after your surgery.

If you are searching for a clinic that is going to provide you with the best endometriosis treatment and is also a top ovarian reserve, then Bloom IVF is the best choice for you to select. With more than 29 years of experience in this field, we have helped many women recover from the painful disease and also conceive a child after that. The cost of the treatment at our clinic is extremely affordable, and in the past few years, the procedures of treatment have grown under the leadership of Dr. Nandita Palshekhar and Dr. Hrishikesh Pai.