endometriosis is a condition in which the cells that grow in the lining of the uterus implant in atypical locations such as the tubes, ovaries and the bowel, and the lining of the pelvis. It is believed that one of the reasons that this occurs is because of a backflow of blood when a woman has her period. About six to 10 per cent of women have
endometriosis, but it is more prevalent in women who have chronic pelvic pain or infertility. Research suggests that there is a hereditary component to this condition.
Endometriosis is not a life-threatening disease but it can be devastating nonetheless. It is the kind of disease that can lead a young fertile woman to beg for the removal of her reproductive organs. It is also the kind of disease that delays or prevents a woman from having the child that she so desperately desires.
A woman with
endometriosis may experience pain with her periods and/or pain with sexual intercourse. Her period pain usually starts a day and a half to two days before her periods and may feel like a dull ache or severe pain. She may experience the pain on one or both sides of her pelvis and it may even extend to her legs, lower back and groin. The pain with intercourse is usually with deep penetration and it may last for hours after sex. However,
endometriosis is a very unpredictable disease and for some women, the pain may last for many days both before and after their periods.
A significant percentage of women have no pain at all and some women, who are discovered by surgery to have extensive disease, have minor symptoms while others who appear to have minimal disease have severe symptoms.
Since
endometriosis can also affect the bowel and the bladder it can even cause some women to have diarrhoea, constipation, frequent urination, pain with urination and with defecation and blood in the urine.
A woman is at higher risk for the disease if she starts having her period before age 11, has heavy, long periods and has menstrual cycles less than 27 days. However, exercising more than four hours per week can reduce her risk. For women who have had children, their risk is reduced if they breastfeed for a longer period of time or have more children.
Surgery is the traditional way to
diagnose endometriosis although in some instances an ultrasound, a CT scan or an pMRI may be helpful. Nevertheless, if the disease is suspected, treatment with various medications, usually herbal medicine such as
Fuyan Pill, can be used to treat the pain before surgery is performed.
Keywords: Endometriosis ; treatment for endometriosis
