4collegewomen.org - Endometriosis

General

Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found on other organs of the body outside its normal location. Women can develop the disease even as teenagers and young girls, and the disease can strike any socioeconomic class. So, being a college woman does not exclude you from the risk. It is estimated that approximately 10-20% of women of child-bearing age have endometriosis ^[1]. [ To Top ]

Symptoms

Endometriosis causes a range of symptoms in young women. Occasional or constant pelvic pain and/or severe period cramps (unusual for your regular menstrual cycle) are the most common symptoms. The location of the abnormal endometrial tissue and the manner in which the lesions affect the pelvic organs contribute to the symptoms that adolescent and adult women may experience.

The chronic pelvic pain linked with endometriosis can occur before, during, or after your menstrual period. The pain may occur at regular times in your cycle or at any time during the month. Also, don't ignore pain that comes with exercise, sex, and or/after a pelvic exam-it is not normal and could be linked with reproductive system problems, such as endometriosis. When these symptoms appear it is important to take immediate action by visiting a gynecologist. [ To Top ]

Diagnosis

While the symptoms may aid your doctor in identifying the disease, a true diagnosis is made when there are severe problems through a technique called laparoscopy. This procedure allows your doctor to look inside your body at the pelvic organs with a special lens. Other tests that may be ordered by your health care provider BEFORE a laparoscopy might include blood tests, cultures to check for infection, ultrasound or an MRI. [ To Top ]

Causes

Although we know that some young women may be slightly more likely to develop endometriosis due to a genetic predisposition, the exact cause of the disease is unknown. There are at least three generally accepted theories about how endometriosis develops:

One theory suggests that the flow of menstrual blood gets "backed up", causing some of the blood to flow in a reverse direction. This process causes blood containing endometrial tissue to attach to surfaces outside of the uterus.

A second theory proposes that specific cells in the reproductive system called "metaplastic cells" are actually present at birth and change into endometrial cells causing endometriosis.

A third one suggests that the endometrial tissue "travels" through the body via the blood stream. It then reaches various tissues, implants on them, and begins to grow.

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Treatments

Treatments include:

Hormonal Medications
For example -- birth control pills, which regulate and stabilize your period.

GnRH
A family of medicines used to treat endometriosis by lowering the level of estrogen in your body.

Surgery
Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia. It requires a small incision to be made near the belly button and a laser to cut away the endometriosis ^[2].

Lifestyle Changes
A healthy diet and regular exercise helps to relieve some pelvic pain. Also, practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation lessen some of the menstrual pain. Although college life can be stressful, it is important to remain healthy throughout the experience and avoid health risks that may at first go on unnoticed. For example, lack of rest can seriously harm the immune system and cause great damage to an already unhealthy situation.

Complementary Medicine
Although many people are hesitant to try alternative medical treatment, some can actually be helpful but not all are effective and safe. Acupuncture, herbal remedies, homeopathy and healing touch are among popular "alternative approaches" to medical treatment ^[3]. [ To Top ]

References

[1]http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/endometriosis/index.htm

[2]http://www.CenterForEndo.com/

[3]http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/endoinfo.html

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