Information and facts on Endometriosis

 

Endometriosis is a health problem where the cells from the lining of the uterus called the endometrium grow other places within the abdominal area. It has these symptoms: pain in the uterus, lower back pain, and pain in the organs in the pelvic area, off and on pain during menstrual cycles, painful sexual intercourse, excessive bleeding and passing of large clots and tissue during the menstruation, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and infertility. Because menstruation is normally heavy, anemia is often also a problem. Women with cycles shorter than 27 days and those with periods lasting over a week are at increased risk of anemia. Endometriosis is a condition that can be passed to daughters by the mother. Growths of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity occur most often around the ovaries, the  fallopian tubes, the urinary bladder, the bowel, the pelvic floor, and/or the pentoneum which is the membrane that  lines the walls of the abdominal cavity, and within the uterine muscles. The most  common area of endometriosis is probably the deep pelvic peritoneal cavity, known as the "cul-de-sac". The chances of endometrial problems outside the body's pelvic area is not as common.

During a woman's normal menstrual cycle, an always changing hormone environment stimulates the endometrium to grow to prepare for a possible pregnancy. This same cycle causes a follicle within one of the ovaries to ripen, and an egg is then released. The fingerlike tissues on the fallopian tube clasp the egg, and the small hair like cilia inside the tube transport the egg toward the uterus, the lining of which is now spongy and well supplied with blood. If the egg is not fertilized within 24 hours, the uterine lining starts to die and be sloughed off,  passing through the vagina during the woman's menstruation.   

They are not inside the uterus, but the abnormal implants of endometriosis also respond to the hormonal  changes that control menstruation. Just like the uterine lining, they also build tissue every month, then break down and bleed. However, unlike blood from the uterine lining, the blood from the implants does not have a way to leave the person's body. So it is absorbed by surrounding tissue, and is a somewhat slow process. Meanwhile, the blood will accumulate in available body cavities. This entire sequence, from bleeding through absorption, may be very painful. As the menstrual cycle goes month after month, these implants may start to get bigger and bigger. They may also seed new implants and form local scar tissue and adhesion scar tissue that attaches to pelvic organs and can bind them together. Of course, this adds to the pain of endometriosis, and it may cause extreme pain in pregnancy later on, as the uterus enlarges and the organs in the woman's abdomen are pushed into different positions. Sometimes blood collects and  a sac or cyst will form. Endometrial also called  “chocolate cysts” are common on the ovaries. They are normally found to contain moderate amounts of oxidized blood, which looks sort of like chocolate syrup thus the name. If one of these cysts breaks, it can cause very severe pain. 

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In all matters related to your health please contact a qualified, licensed Medical Consultant or Doctor.