Medically reviewed by Mary Rani Cadiz, MD · Obstetrics and Gynecology
Endometriosis is a condition wherein tissue that is identical to the tissue lining the walls of the uterus, otherwise known as the endometrium, grows outside the uterus.
Oftentimes, endometriosis is a painful condition that affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining the pelvis.
In rare cases, it can spread beyond the pelvic region. What are the first signs of endometriosis?
The endometrial-like tissue behaves as real endometrial tissue would: thickening, breaking down, and bleeding with every cycle.
The problem arises when this tissue has no way of leaving the body. The tissue accumulates.
When it involves the ovaries, “endometriomas”, or cysts, can develop, and cause the surrounding tissue to scar and form adhesions, which can glue pelvic tissue and organs together.
Endometriosis occurs in women of reproductive age. 90 to 99% of them are between the ages of 20 and 50, regardless of ethnicity and socioeconomic situation.
Worldwide, endometriosis affects an estimated 89 million women.
What are the first signs of endometriosis? The major symptoms are pain in your pelvic area which usually happens with menstruation.
Those with endometriosis describe their pain to be worse than menstrual cramping.
Read on to find out what are the first signs of endometriosis:
Cramping and pain in your pelvic area can start a few days before your period and continue several days into it. You may also feel pain in your abdomen and lower back.
Pain during and after sex is not uncommon in women with endometriosis.
These symptoms typically happen along with your menstrual period.
This can come in the form of heavy menstrual periods or inter-menstrual bleeding (or bleeding in between periods).
This is one of the most common effects of endometriosis. Endometriosis can be diagnosed when people consult with experts to treat infertility.
Other symptoms of this condition include fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and nausea which occur together with your menstrual periods.
The level of pain you may be experiencing does not necessarily indicate how serious your condition is.
Some women can have mild endometriosis with extreme pain while others can have advanced endometriosis with little to no pain.
Sometimes, endometriosis is confused for other problems like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts, which both cause pelvic pain.
It is sometimes mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which causes periods of diarrhea, constipation and abdominal diagnosis. When IBS presents with endometriosis, the diagnosis becomes more complicated.
You should consult your doctor if you are concerned and showing what are the first signs of endometriosis.
Undoubtedly, endometriosis is difficult to manage but it is doable with early diagnosis, a thorough understanding of your diagnosis, and sound medical advice.
The defining factor that causes endometriosis is not yet known, although there are several possible causes listed below:
These requires learning what are the first signs of endometriosis.
Apart from identifying what are the first signs of endometriosis, it is also important to identify the factors that could make you more inclined to get endometriosis. You may get endometriosis if:
What complications come with endometriosis?
Complications make it important to know what are the first signs of endometriosis.
Endometriosis almost always causes pain during menstrual periods and may even affect a woman’s fertility.
The reasons for this are:
To get pregnant, women with endometriosis should consult with their doctor on what to do.
Factors such as how advanced your endometriosis is and how long you have been trying to conceive come into play.
Women may have surgery to remove lesions and scar tissue or do in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a method that removes the obstacle of the inflammatory pelvic environment, thus allowing the sperm and egg to meet.
If you are experiencing what are the first signs of endometriosis, it is very important to talk to your doctor. To determine if you have this condition, your doctor may perform the following methods.
Endometriosis can be treated in the following ways.
Surgery is another option: endometriosis lesions outside the uterus can be burned away. Scar tissue or adhesions can be removed to allow the ovaries and tubes to return to their normal location.
Surgery often improves pain symptoms and can help women get pregnant. A woman can also opt to have a hysterectomy, the total removal of the uterus and removal of cysts (cystectomy) or removal of ovary (oophorectomy) for endometriotic cysts.
After determining what are the first signs of endometriosis, one must seek medical advice.
In addition, this condition can be managed non-medically or non-surgically in the following ways.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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