Endometriosis

Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common disorder that affects women during their reproductive years. It occurs when endometrial tissue, which lines the uterus, grows outside the uterine cavity, or rarely in distant sites such as the navel or lungs. This tissue may grow in small, superficial patches called implants: in thicker, penetrating nodules: or it may form cysts in the ovary called endometriomas.

Endometriosis is highly unpredictable. Some women may have a few isolated implants that never spread or grow, while in others the disease may spread throughout the pelvis. Endometriosis irritates surrounding tissue and may produce web-like growths of scar tissue called adhesions. This scar tissue can bind any of the pelvic organs to one another and may sometimes cover them entirely.

Many women who have endometriosis experience few or symptoms. In fact, it is often diagnosed when a patient is undergoing pelvice surgery for other reasons. However, in some women, endometriosis may cause severe menstrual cramps, pain during intercourse, infertility, or other symptoms.

Many specialists feel that endometriosis is more likely to be found in women who have never been pregnant. For this reason, the condition is sometimes labeled a “career woman’s disease, “ because working women often delay pregnancy. But endometriosis cannot be so easily generalized. Sometimes it affects women who have had children and it can also occur in teenagers.

Female reproductive System
Endometrial tissue, whether it is inside or outside tht uterus, responds to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone produced by the ovaries during the reproductive cycle. The roles hormones play in the function of the reproductive organs will help you understand endometriosis, its diagnosis, and treatment.

The Reproductive Organs

The uterus is a hollow organ in the center of the pelvis similar in size and shape to a pear, but usually smaller. The cervix, or lower part of the uterus, protrudes into the upper vagina. The two fallopian tubes are attached to the upper part of the uterus, one on each side attached to the upper part of the uterus, one on each side. Each tube forms a narrow passageway that opens into the pelvic portion of the abdominal cavity, near the ovaries.

The female reproductive Organs.
A basic knowledge of these organs and their functions is essential to understanding endometriosis month at the time of ovulation, a mature egg is released by an ovary. Tiny, hair-like cilia on the inner lining of the fallopian tubes catch the egg and draw it inside. The egg may be fertilized during the journey through the tube toward the uterus. If it has been fertilized, the fertilized egg (embryo) may implant in the lining of the uterus known as the endometrium.

CAUSES OF ENDOMETRIOSIS
Several theories exists as to how endometriosis

Moderate Endometriosis:
The “chocolate cysts” of endometriosis amy be smaller than a beans or larger than a large orange. The leading theory is retrograde menstruation, the backward flow of menstrual discharge through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis. According to this theory, the endometrial cells may implant on the ovaries or elsewhere in the pelvic cavity. There is support for this theory, because women with reproductive tract abnormalities that prevent the normal outflow of menstrual blood have an increased chance of developing endometriosis. However, retrograde flow has been noted in many women who never develop endometriosis, so there may be other mechanisms involved.

What does endometriosis look like:
Early implants look like small, flat patches or flacks of dark paint sprinkled on the pelvic surface. The small patches may remain unchanged, become scar tissue, or spontaneously disappear over a period of months. Endometriosis may invade the ovary, producing blood-filled cysts called endometriomas. With time, the blood darkens to a deep reddish-brown color. Once a cyst has developed to this point, it is often described as a “chocolate cyst.” These cysts may be smaller than a bean.

Severe Endometriosis:
In some cases bands of fibrous scar tissue (adhesions) bind the pelvic organs together or larger than an orange. Sudden pain may occur when a large cysts bleeds into itself or bursts. The spilled fluid may cause further inflammation and the development of scar tissue.

SYMPTOMS OF ENDOMETRIOSIS:
Menstrual Cramps
Dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramping may be a symptom of endometriosis. Primary dysmenorrhea, which occurs during the early years of menstruation and tends to decrease with age and after childbearing, is usually unrelated to endometriosis. Secondary dysmenorrheal, which occurs later in life and may increase with age, should be viewed as a possible warining sign of endometriosis.