If you have been having difficulty getting pregnant and your periods seem extra intense, you might want to talk with your doctor about endometriosis. Its a common condition that affects approximately 11 percent of women in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 44, and is most common in women in their 30s and 40s, according to womenshealth.gov.

Endometriosis classically causes painful periods with heavy bleeding and sometimes spotting between periods. It can also cause pain with intercourse, and fatigue. It can even mimic irritable bowel syndrome with symptoms like bloating, nausea, constipation and diarrhea.

With endometriosis, the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, grows outside of the uterus, most typically into the fallopian tubes, ovaries and the lining of the pelvis. Since its tissue from the uterine lining, it thickens and breaks down just like your uterine lining during your normal cycle, causing excessive bleeding and cramping.

I see it commonly in my practice at MRH Medical Clinic, said Dr. Scott Ellis, OBGYN physician. If women are having trouble getting pregnant and they have the classic symptoms, we check for endometriosis.

The good news is that its treatable. If you have endometriosis and want to become pregnant, Ellis, or his partner Dr. Eileen Joyce, can perform laparoscopic surgery to remove scar tissue from the uterine lining, or remove endometriomas cysts that form in the ovaries. This conservative surgery can increase your chances to conceive. You can also try hormone therapy for a while to suppress endometriosis, then go off it and try to get pregnant.

Endometriosis can cause problems in the fallopian tubes, disrupting the motility of the egg during ovulation, Ellis said.

For women not trying to get pregnant, hormone therapy is often the first line of treatment. By controlling the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, physicians can lessen painful symptoms. Birth control pills, vaginal rings, patches, shots and the progestin IUD are common choices. Surgery is saved for when hormone therapy fails, or the pain is severe.

Surgery is a last resort, but it can successfully lessen pain by removing scarring, adhesions and endometriomas, Ellis said.

The cause of endometriosis is not fully known. There are theories, as outlined by the Mayo Clinic, including blood flowing back into the fallopian tubes and out into the pelvic cavity during menstruation, abdominal cells transforming into endometrial cells, embryonic cells becoming endometrial cells, immune system disorders, and others.

Were not sure what causes it, but we think it has to do with changes in the germ cells that form the uterus in vitro. When you were an embryo, those germ cells may have migrated down along your spine and become stuck in places they were not supposed to be, Ellis explained.

Ironically, the severity of your endometriosis does not correlate with the pain you feel. In other words, you can have mild endometriosis with severe pain, or severe endometriosis with little or no pain. The only way to diagnose endometriosis definitively is through exploratory surgery, where an OBGYN doctor inserts a camera through your belly button. Ultrasound does not provide a full picture.

Join me at the Health Fair on April 1 for a talk on endometriosis, with a slide show demonstrating its effects and time for questions, said Dr. Eileen Joyce, OBGYN.

If you are concerned that you might have endometriosis, consider talking with your doctor or making an appointment with Dr. Ellis or Dr. Joyce, by calling MRH Medical Clinic at 970-826-2420. Please note that after May 1 this number will change to 970-826-8230, with the move of Womens Health to its new location within the hospital.

Read the original:
Endometriosis: A cause for painful periods, heavy bleeding and some infertility - Craig Daily Press

Comments are closed.