What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is one of the common problems for women of reproductive age. It normally manifests in women over 30 years of age, but can also affect girls as early as 16 years before they even start menstruating.  It is believed to be caused by excessive production of estrogen in the body.

The endometrium is a lining of the uterus that separates the myometrium from the uterine cavity.  During a woman's menstrual periods, the uterus sheds off the endometrial lining in response to the body's hormone production. Endometriosis is often mistaken for regular menstrual periods in the sense that the endometrial lining is shed off.  However, with endometriosis not all of the endometrial lining is shed off and excreted. Instead, some of it is transported to other organs in the pelvic cavity.  It may attach itself to the bowel, bladder or small intestines among other organs, causing infection, scarring, and worse - infertility.

The most common symptoms of endometriosis include pelvic and abdominal pain. Other symptoms include, fatigue, infertility, headache, low-grade fever, hypoglycaemia and anxiety.
During menstruation, women usually experience abdominal cramps . This is believed to be due to the level of estrogen in the body that fluctuates during that time.  But for women who are suffering from endometriosis this pain tends to increase in severity over time.  Women with endometriosis also experience dyspareunia, or painful sexual intercourse.  They can also experience dyscheria or dysuria.

Dyschezia is a condition in which you experience discomfort during bowel movement.  Dysuria  on the other hand is a condition characterized by painful urination.  In both cases you may experience hematochezia or hematuria in which there is blood your faeces and urine. 

Menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding is another symptoms of endometriosis.  It may manifest itself as prolonged menstrual bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, or even both.  Some women are used to long menstrual periods which can take two to three weeks to finish. As a result, this symptom is always difficult to detect as menstrual cycles differ for every woman. 

Nausea and vomiting are also symptoms of endometriosis.  This can be a sign that endometrial lining had attached itself onto your gastro-intestinal organs. 

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor for treatment. There are various cures for endometriosis that can help you to cope with signs and symptoms of this condition. Your doctor should be able to prescribe appropriate medication to reduce the pain associated with endometriosis.