By Sanjana Malkareddy
What is endometriosis?
Affecting at least 11% of women living in America, endometriosis is when tissue similar to endometrium (tissue lining the uterus’s inside) grows on the outside of the uterus or other body parts. Body parts affected include the ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina, vulva, cervix, rectum, bladder, bowel, and more. As it affects your reproductive organs, endometriosis can also decrease your chances of getting pregnant.
How does endometriosis affect a menstrual cycle?
During a normal menstrual cycle, hormones are released causing the endometrium to thicken. Hormones also cause ovulation. The egg then moves to the fallopian tubes where it waits for fertilization. If it is not fertilized the endometrium sheds, resulting in your period. However, if a female has endometriosis, the tissue is found on other body parts resulting in irregular and shorter menstrual cycles. Since there is a greater amount of tissue to be shed a period can last longer than the average five days. Endometriosis can also cause painful periods due to inflammation and adhesions from endometrium-like tissue that grows outside the uterus.
Symptoms
Whether the number or intensity of symptoms varies from person to person; not everyone with endometriosis will experience symptoms. However, those with symptoms may experience:
Unbearable menstrual cramps.
Pain in the abdomen or back throughout your period or menstrual cycle.
Dyspareunia.
Heavy periods or spotting during the menstrual cycle.
Infertility.
Dyschezia.
It’s important to remember that symptoms do not determine the severity of endometriosis. For example, someone with mild endometriosis can feel intense pain or a female with numerous patches of endometriosis can feel slight pain.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
If you show symptoms of endometriosis and go to a healthcare provider, he or she may prescribe or perform tests to confirm the diagnosis. Those tests may include:
During a pelvic exam, a healthcare provider will feel your uterus for large cysts or scars.
An ultrasound can be performed to look for ovarian cysts caused by endometriosis.
An MRI can also be performed to see what’s happening inside the body.
If a health care provider is unable to find evidence of endometriosis in an ultrasound he or she may prescribe hormonal medicine. If symptoms get better with medicine, you likely have endometriosis.
Being the most accurate way to diagnose endometriosis, laparoscopy surgery might be conducted to see endometriosis tissue in your pelvic area.
Treatments
Although there is no cure for endometriosis, treatments are effective in alleviating symptoms and other problems caused by endometriosis. If a pregnancy is not what you want, hormonal birth control would be the common first step. Options include extended-cycle birth control, continuous-cycle birth control, and an IUD. However, if you’re attempting to become pregnant then a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist would be suitable for you. Taking this medicine results in temporary menopause and helps prevent the growth of endometriosis from progressing. If you discontinue the medicine, the menstrual cycle reappears, and your chances of becoming pregnant increase. If you show severe symptoms, the treatments above are unable to provide relief, or fertility problems are present, surgery might be an option. During surgery, endometriosis patches are removed and hormone treatments are often started after surgery unless you’re trying to conceive.
Citations
Endometriosis. Endometriosis | Office on Women’s Health. (n.d.). https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/endometriosis#references
Grimsley, B. R., Staff, B. N., & Malone, B. K. (2024, March 6). How does endometriosis affect my menstrual cycle?: NWHN. National Women’s Health Network. https://nwhn.org/endometriosis-affect-menstrual-cycle/#:~:text=How%20does%20Endometriosis%20affect%20my%20Period?,pain%20with%20bowel%20movements.
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-a). Endometriosis: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10857-endometriosis#symptoms-and-causes
professional, C. C. medical. (n.d.-b). Menstrual cycle (normal menstruation): Overview & Phases. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10132-menstrual-cycle