What Is Endometriosis?

Now, I know that most of us have heard this word endometriosis but, exactly what is endometriosis? The name itself points to a monster-like disease but let’s see in this segment if we can understand what exactly it is and how to cope with the disease. Karibuni.

Cramping, bloating and back pain are expected when your body is literally expelling the inside of an organ, but at what point is a certain level of pain not normal? The whole idea that periods are supposed to hurt often means that people may not get the help they need to manage certain conditions like endometriosis. Endometriosis is when you have cells that are similar to the lining of the uterus, but they are external, or are found outside of the uterus. each cycle, endometrial cells inside the uterus are reacting to changing hormone levels by breaking down and then being released through the vagina as a period but with endometriosis, the endometrial-like tissue growing outside of the uterus is doing the same thing, except these cells have no way to get out of the body. Symptoms of endometriosis will vary, especially based on where the endometrial-like tissue is growing in the body, and often these symptoms aren’t taken that seriously. They’re brushed off as just a ‘bad period’.Endometriosis is this invisible disease and many patients describe the disease like barbed wire being wrapped around their abdomen. Mostly the patient looks okay and healthy, but they feel miserable.

The clumps of tissue that grow outside the uterus are called implants, and they can literally pull on and distort internal organs and muscles. Those degrading cells can cause inflammation that spreads to the surrounding area. In severe cases, implants may eventually scar and basically act like glue, causing organs to stick together when they shouldn’t. All of this contributes to the increased risk of issues like ectopic pregnancy and infertility in those with endometriosis because when it’s found around the reproductive organs, rogue endometrial-like tissue can prevent normal ovulation. Lack of awareness around this disease means that many patients who struggle with it may not get diagnosed for a long time. On average, it takes about 7 to 10 years. There’s only one way to definitively diagnose endometriosis and it’s surgery through a tiny incision to take a biopsy to make sure that there really is endometrial-tissue growing outside the uterus.

A recent study found out that Black and Hispanic women are typically diagnosed with endometriosis at later ages than their white counterparts, and this reflects the larger societal biases and inequalities related to race and ethnicity. There are ways to manage this condition for instance hormonal medications like the birth control pill can often ease the symptoms. Medication can also help, but it just masks the pain. It’s important to remember that none of these options actually make the endometrial-like tissue go away. Surgery is another treatment for endometriosis.There are two kinds of surgeries, ablation and excision. Ablation is where the tissue is basically burned away, and excision is when the implants are cut out. Excision is the preferred treatment for most cases of endometriosis, especially where that endometriosis has deeply infiltrated other areas of the body. More research could help us better understand the appropriate treatment for different stages and types of endometriosis. Surgery isn’t a perfect cure either—because while that endometrial-like tissue won’t grow back in an area where it’s been cut out, the tissue could develop in new areas of the body and pain could persist after treatment.

It’s so important to speak with a specialist and make sure your care plan for endometriosis works for your specific situation. The more people talk about endometriosis, the more they advocate for more research and better solutions, hopefully. Do not ignore period pains, check with your doctor if you notice your period cycle has changed abnormally and let your doctor advice you. There may be no cure for this monster but with proper diagnosis it can be managed. If you ever wondered if your period pain was normal or ignored your cycle change, please know that it is important to get an opinion from a doctor to rule out any possible diagnosis of endometriosis. I hope that this has taught you something you didn’t know about and you can always leave a comment and I will appreciate.

https://youtu.be/gUzCUvrjMbc