LIFESTYLE NEWS - Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus (the endometrium) grows outside your uterus.

Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, bowel or the tissue li-ning your pelvis. Spread beyond the pelvic region is rarely seen.

Endometriosis usually develops several years after the onset of menstruation (menarche). Signs and symptoms of endometriosis end temporarily with pregnancy and end permanently with menopause, unless you are taking oestrogen.

In endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. When endometriosis involves the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions i.e. abnormal tissue that binds organs together.

The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, often associated with your menstrual period but far worse than normal menstrual cramps. This pain also tends to increase over time.

Other common signs and symptoms of endometriosis:

• Pain with intercourse
• Pain during or after sex is common with endometriosis
• Pain with bowel movements or urination. You are most likely to experience these symptoms during your period
• Excessive bleeding. You may experience occasional heavy periods or bleeding between periods

Infertility
The severity of your pain is not necessarily a reliable indicator of the extent of the condition. Some women with mild endometriosis have extensive pain, while others with advanced endometriosis may have little or no pain.
Endometriosis is sometimes mistaken for other conditions that can cause pelvic pain, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts. It may be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes bouts of diarrhoea, constipation and abdominal cramping. IBS can accompany endometriosis, which can complicate the diagnosis.

Risk factors
Several factors place you at greater risk of developing endometriosis, such as:

• Never giving birth
• One or more relatives (mother, aunt or sister) with endometriosis
• Any medical condition that prevents the normal passage of menstrual flow out of the body
• History of pelvic infection
• Uterine abnormalities

The main aims of treatment are to improve symptoms such as pain and heavy periods and to improve fertility if this is affected. There are various treatment options that you can discuss with your doctor or visit Walk in Doctor at any one of their branches.

Article compiled by Dr MM Herbst, MBChB (Stell)

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