Endometriosis
is a painful, chronic disease that affects 12 million
women and girls in the USA, and millions more worldwide.
It is a puzzling hormonal and immune disease affecting
girls and women in their reproductive years. Endometriosis
or Endo as it is commonly called, occurs when the tissue
that lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium)
is found outside the uterus — usually in the abdomen,
on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, and ligaments that
support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum;
the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the
pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths
may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva,
and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are
found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations.
This misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions
which respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that
the tissue of the uterine lining does: each month the
tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. |
Menstrual blood
flows from the uterus and out of the body through the
vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial
growths has no way of leaving the body. This results in
internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from
the lesions, and inflammation. The endometrial tissue
develops into what are called "nodules",
"tumors", "lesions",
"implants", or "growths"—
and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation,
adhesions, and bowel problems.
Other complications, depending on the location of the
growths, can be rupture of growths (which can spread endo
to new areas), the formation of adhesions, intestinal
bleeding or obstruction(if the growths are in or near
the intestines), interference with bladder function(if
the growths are on or in the bladder), and other problems.
Symptoms seem to worsen with time, though cycles of remission
and reoccurrence are the pattern in some cases. |
