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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a very common condition. It affects about one in ten women in their fertile years.

While it can be painful, there is a high likelihood it can be addressed, giving you less painful periods and significantly increasing your chances of falling pregnant.

It starts with the endometrium.

This is the layer of tissue formed on the walls of your uterus each month. This layer of tissue then falls away in your period if you don’t fall pregnant. 

In some cases, this tissue is lost through other parts of the body, mostly in the pelvis. Because it is still in your body, it still responds to the hormonal messages from your ovaries each month. This tissue fills with blood, and loses that blood every month.

This then results in a number of different symptoms, ranging from painful periods, bloating, and rectal pain, to pain with intercourse and abnormal bleeding. However, it’s worth nothing some women with endometriosis have no symptoms at all and will only discover they have endometriosis if they have tests done for unexplained infertility.

It can be quite hard to detect, or to isolate the exact cause or position of the tissue. If you are experiencing painful periods, or odd pains (especially in the pelvis or hips) when you have your period, please call. Guy has extensive experience with endometriosis and will be able to help you understand your likelihood of having endometriosis.

He will start with an ultrasound. If nothing is found, you may then need a laparoscopy. This is the insertion of a camera through your belly button and it allows Guy to have a closer look at the organs around your uterus and determine if you do have endometriosis.

The good news? It can often be managed through hormonal treatments such as the contraceptive pill, or a mirenaIUD if you are not trying to fall pregnant. If you do require surgery, Guy has over 20 years’ experience with gynaecological surgery and can successfully conduct procedures to clear your body of an endometriosis. This has been shown to improve the chances of falling pregnant and can also help dealing with especially painful or uncomfortable periods.

FAQ’s

Endometriosis is a reasonably common condition that affects a little more than 10% of women. While the cause is not known, it is where tissue normally found on the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the abdomen. Like ovaries. Or fallopian tubes.

Depending on the amount of tissue, this can be mildly uncomfortable in some cases and painful and distressing in others.  

Left unattended, endometriosis can have a large impact on your quality of life and can, in some cases, affect your ability to fall pregnant.

Fortunately, there are treatments.

We don’t really know. No one really knows.

There are several possible causes, and each case could be caused by one of these, or by a combination of two or more. Possible causes include:

  • genetics – endometriosis often runs in the family. Some ethnic groups are more susceptible to endometriosis
  • retrograde menstruation – retrograde means “backward”. Retrograde menstruation means the womb lining is not lost through the vagina as a period, but flows backwards through the fallopian tubes and into the organs in the lower abdomen and pelvic area 
  • compromised immunity – either temporary or long-term – or if the cells of the endometrium spread through the bloodstream or lymph system

Potentially.

The chances of falling pregnant can be improved with a variety of treatments – which Guy can take you through if you’re concerned about this. These treatments include surgery.

It’s worth knowing, while endometriosis can reduce the chance of falling pregnant, falling pregnant also reduces the chances of getting endometriosis. 

The symptoms can vary. Endometriosis affects some women quite badly. Some women barely notice it. Individual symptoms can also be symptomatic of other conditions – so it’s best to talk to a specialist gynaecologist about your specific symptoms and your specific case. They include:

  • abdominal or lower back pain which worsens during your period
  • significant pain during your period
  • pain when you have sex or just after
  • heavy periods
  • feeling sick during your period 
  • constipation or diarrhoea during your period
  • blood in your pee during your period
  • difficulty getting pregnant

It can. For some women, the regular pain and discomfort of endometriosis can cause anxiety and depression. If period pains are causing you to feel depressed, please tell your gynaecologist.

At the present point in time, there is no cure. But treatments are available to help you deal with the discomfort and ease the symptoms. These include:

  • simple pain relief – using common painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol (in many cases, the endometriosis, and the symptoms, will disappear over time)
  • hormone medicines  – these include the contraceptive pill, contraceptive patches, IUDs or a medicine known as a Gonadtrophin-releasing Hormone 
  • surgery – in some cases the most effective way to get rid of endometrial tissue is surgical removal. This can be as simple as a day procedure using keyhole surgery
  • removal of organs – surgery to remove parts of organs which the endometrial tissue has attached itself to, or surgery to remove the womb, a hysterectomy, which is most often recommended once you have decided to not try for any more children.  

Whatever treatment you choose, Guy will discuss your options – and the likely outcomes – with you.