What is endometriosis?

The lining of your uterus or the endometrium usually stays where it should – in the womb. If you have endometriosis, cells of the lining appear in other areas, including your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the outer surface of the uterus. 

In rare cases, endometrial tissue may migrate to the bowel, cervix, vagina, vulva, or rectum.

What symptoms suggest endometriosis?

Misplaced endometrial tissue still acts as it would inside the uterus. It sheds and bleeds monthly, but when out of place, this menstrual tissue has nowhere to go. Symptoms that result include:

• Painful menstrual cramps
• Intestinal pain
• Infertility
• Pain during sex
• Digestive distress such as bloating, nausea, and diarrhea

You may experience bleeding or spotting between menstrual periods due to endometriosis.

Who is at risk of endometriosis?

Any pre-menopausal woman can develop endometriosis, though it’s most common in your 30s and 40s. Risk factors that increase your chance of endometriosis include:

• Menstrual periods longer than seven days or cycles that are shorter than 27 days
• Never having had children
• A family history of endometriosis

The exact reason that some women develop endometriosis isn’t completely understood. It likely has to do with dysfunction with the production of the hormone estrogen.

How is endometriosis diagnosed?

Endometriosis has symptoms similar to many other reproductive disorders, so it can be hard to diagnose. 

Sometimes, Oasis Women's Wellness Center doctors can detect abnormal uterine tissue during a pelvic exam. You may need an ultrasound to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms and narrow down the diagnosis of endometriosis.

The only way to diagnose endometriosis is with minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. The surgery gives your doctor a clear view of any errant tissue and allows them to take a sample to examine under a microscope to confirm the presence of endometriosis.

How is endometriosis treated?

Your treatment depends largely on the severity of your symptoms, your age, and your family goals. There is no cure for endometriosis, but the symptoms may be managed, including infertility.

Hormonal birth control can ease mild symptoms associated with endometriosis and even control the growth of the tissue.

If you’re trying to become pregnant, you may benefit from a gonadotropin-releasing hormone that stops your body from making the hormones responsible for your menstrual cycle and puts you in temporary menopause. Once the medication controls the growth of endometrial tissue, you may have a better chance of getting pregnant.

In some cases, surgery may be the only way to get rid of excess endometrial tissue. Surgery can resolve infertility temporarily, too.

To learn more about your options when you have endometriosis, call Oasis Women's Wellness Center, or schedule an appointment online.