Endometriosis is a rather painful disorder and abnormal growth of endometrial tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus – the endometrium – grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis is most commonly found on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, surface of the uterus, the bowel and on the membrane lining of the pelvic cavity. Endometrial tissue is shed each month during menstruation.

With endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would – it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. Endometriosis can cause pain, sometimes severe, especially during your period. Fertility issues may also develop. There are certain issues only women with endometriosis will understand. Let us understand the signs, symptoms and causes associated with endometriosis.

Signs & Symptoms

The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, often associated with menstrual period. Although many women experiences cramping during their menses, women with endometriosis typically describe menstrual pain that’s far worse than usual. Often some women with the disorder do not have any symptoms. And those who do, the most common include:

  • Pain and cramping during sexual intercourse

  • Pain during bowel movements or urination

  • Excessive bleeding during periods (menorrhagia) or bleeding between periods (menometrorrhagia)

  • Infertility

  • Other symptoms include fatigue, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating or nausea especially during periods.

The pain in women with endometriosis partly depends on where endometrial implants of endometriosis are located. Deeper implants and implants in areas of high nerve density are more apt to produce pain. The implants may also release substances into the bloodstream which are capable of eliciting pain. Rare symptoms include chest pain or coughing blood due to endometriosis in the lungs and headache or seizures due to endometriosis in the brain.

Causes

The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, possible explanations include:

  • Retrograde menstruation – The menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body. These displaced endometrial cells stick to the pelvic walls and surfaces of pelvic organs, where they grow and continue to thicken and bleed over the course of each menstrual cycle.

  • Hormones such as estrogen may transform embryonic cells – cells in the earliest stages of development – into endometrial cells.

  • After a surgery such as hysterectomy or C-section, endometrial cells may attach to a surgical incision.

  • Another possibility is that a problem with the immune system may make the body unable to recognize and destroy endometrial tissue that’s growing outside the uterus.

Most cases of endometriosis are diagnosed in women aged 25 to 35 years. Risk factors include delay in pregnancy until an older age, early onset of menses and late menopause all have been shown to be risk factors for endometriosis. It is highly recommended to visit your healthcare provider if you have signs and symptoms that may indicate endometriosis. Although it can be a challenging condition to manage, an early diagnosis may result in better management of your symptoms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2018 01:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).