Shedding Light on Endometriosis
Shedding Light on Endometriosis
08 March 2023 | Article is written in collaboration with Endometriosis Association of Malaysia (MyEndosis)
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What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis happens when tissues that normally line the inside of your uterus, or known as endometrium, grows outside of the uterus especially around the pelvic area, bowel, and in rare instances, in the stomach or lungs.
Four stages of endometriosis
What does endometriosis feel like?
Majority of women or girls with endometriosis experience excruciating, painful periods. Other symptoms include:
Symptoms of endometriosis
Delay in diagnosis
One of the biggest problems with endometriosis is that there is a significant delay of 7-11 years before the average woman with the disease is diagnosed.
This delay is due partly to a lack of awareness of endometriosis, social taboos surrounding the disease and the fact that women don’t know what is normal and what isn’t when it comes to menstrual health.
Early detection and management of the disease might improve fertility in some of the patients. On the other hand, delayed diagnosis and treatment risk the progression of the disease and possibly increase the risk of infertility, which can increase the long-term cost of treatment.
Do you need to do a test?
There is a significant diagnostic delay of endometriosis because symptoms of the disease are not easily recognised by healthcare providers or even by women themselves.
At present, the only reliable way to decisively diagnose endometriosis is by performing laparoscopy and to take a biopsy of the tissue. However, this is an expensive procedure and not everyone would be comfortable to have a surgery. An experienced gynaecologist should be able to recognise symptoms from the history of the patient’s symptoms.
There are tests, which the gynaecologist may perform to clinically diagnose endometriosis. These include:
- Gynaecological examinations
- Ultrasound
- MRI scans
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How can endometriosis be treated?
There is no known cure for endometriosis. But, there are treatments which can help relieve your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Non-surgery
Painkillers
Painkillers help purely with the pain and certain ones reduce period flow. These can either be oral tablets or monthly injections. Women with endometriosis are sometimes prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for managing pain. These drugs can be effective in alleviating pain and inflammation, but they must be used correctly.
Hormone treatment
There are also oral contraceptive pills (a combination of estrogens and progestin hormones) that help with reducing pain during periods and controlling the flow.
Progestin cuts down monthly periods and prevents the endometrial lining from building up to bring about a period, thus reducing the pain. Progestin can either be given orally, through implants, injections or even through an intrauterine system (a device that goes into the uterus). Besides that, there are also GnRh (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) injections that shut down periods for a specific amount of time.
Hormonal therapies have varying degrees of side effects. Pain relief is most often obtained while staying on treatment.
Surgery
Surgery may be recommended for women suffering from severe endometriosis in hope of removing as much of the visible endometriosis tissues that have grown very large around the ovaries or around the uterine cavity. If your fertility is being affected by your condition, surgery can remove the tissues as well as repair the blocked fallopian tubes.
However, repeated surgeries may affect your fertility or decrease your egg supply which makes it harder for you to conceive.
The success of surgery is dependent on the surgeon, so finding someone who is experienced in the surgical removal of endometriosis is recommended.
Conclusion
Understanding the symptoms of endometriosis as well as early detection and management of the disease are essential in improving the quality of life for women with the condition.
By seeking medical help from healthcare professionals, women with endometriosis can find the best treatment plan for their individual needs and improve their chances of managing their condition.
Would like to speak to doctors more about endometriosis? Ask our experts via Doctor2U app.
References
1. Hudson, N. (2021, August 13). The missed disease? endometriosis as an example of ‘undone science’. Reproductive biomedicine & society online. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8517707/
2. Moradi, M., Parker, M., Sneddon, A., Lopez, V., & Ellwood, D. (2014, October 4). Impact of endometriosis on women’s lives: A qualitative study. BMC women’s health. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4287196/A