What is Endometriosis ?

Endometriosis is a very common condition affecting the women in the reproductive age group. Every 10th women in 100 suffers from this disease. It is a chronic condition which causes constant or periodic pain . The inner lining of uterus is known as endometrium, This endometrial tissue gets displaced and starts growing outside uterus and thereby causing symptoms of pain and discomfort . The commonly involved sites are ovary, fallopian tubes, pouch of douglas, uterosacrals and peritoneum. In ovaries endometriosis presents as chocolate cyst. Your risk of having endometriosis increases if your mother or your sister is suffering from endometriosis.

 

Symptoms :

• You may experience a range of symptoms:
• Dysmenorrhoea: you may experience severe pain during your periods.
• Dyschezia : you may have pain while passing stools.
• Dysuria: you may have pain while passing urine.
• Dyspareunia: you may have pain while having intercourse.
• You  may also experience bloating
• Inability to conceive.
• Chronic pelvic pain , fatigue, tiredness, irritability

When to visit a gynecologist?

If you are experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, or you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, consult your gynaecologist. Book an appointment.  Endometriosis requires a multidisciplinary approach to treat the pain, infertility and other associated symptoms. It requires close patient monitoring and followup.

Complications of endometriosis

• Adhesions
• Tubal motility disorders
• Infertility
• Chocolate cyst
• Rectal nodule
• Very rarely ovarian cancer

WHAT TESTS DO I NEED TO UNDERGO?

ULTRASOUND IS THE FIRST TEST TO LOOK FOR THE PRESENCE OF ANY ENDOMETRIOTIC CYSTS

LAPAROSCOPY IS THE GOLD STANDARD TO MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS

TREATMENT OPTIONS :

• Medical management with:hormonal and non hormonal therapy
• Non hormonal treatment consists of pain killers to ameliorate your pain 
• Hormonal consists : oral contraceptive pills(they act by inhibiting ovulation and thereby decreasing the hyperestrogenic state),  progesterone tablets, dienogest ( a type of progesterone ), gnrh agonist injections 
• Intrauterine device like Mirena
• Surgical options :ovarian cystectomy and fulguration(patches of endometriosis are destroyed) of endometriotic nodules by Laparoscopy.
• Removal of uterus(last resort), laparoscopic hysterectomy
• For patients suffering from infertility : you need to undergo a thorough and etailed examination and according to you and your husbands profile , you might be suggested to undergo intrauterine insemination (IUI),in vitro fertilisation(IVF) or intra cystoplasmic sperm injection
• Fertility preservation/ social egg freezing.