by Olivia Elsom

Created on: April 27, 2008   Last Updated: April 29, 2008

Endometriosis is a condition which causes cells found in the lining of the womb to appear elsewhere in the body, most commonly in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, vagina, rectum, bladder, bowel and intestines. These cells behave in exactly the same way they do in the womb, they develop and thicken during the menstrual cycle and then shed blood. When endometrial tissue develops outside the womb with no way of leaving the body the tissue becomes trapped. This can result in pain, swelling, and bleeding in whichever part of the body is affected.

Usual symptoms include heavy and/or painful periods, bleeding in between periods, pain in the pelvis or lower back, discomfort during urinating and pain during sexual intercourse. Fertility can also be affected so it may result in difficulty in conceiving or may render a woman infertile. Some women experience only one or two symptoms and some experience no symptoms at all. The severity of symptoms will depend on where the endometriosis is in the body rather than the amount of endometrial tissue present. For example, endometrial tissue in the lungs can result in coughing up blood. Endometrial tissue present in the lower pelvis, hip ligaments, or on the sciatic nerve can produce hip joint pain. Endometriosis hip joint pain will usually worsen during menstruation and ease during the rest of the menstrual cycle. Research suggests there is an increased risk of ovarian cancer developing in endometriosis sufferers, but the increase in risk is small. However, as endometriosis symptoms and the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be similar it is important that a correct diagnosis is made.

There is no cure for endometriosis therefore treatment is designed to ease the symptoms and make the condition easier to live with. Endometriosis treatments include pain relief, hormone treatment and surgery if necessary. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen are the preferred choice as a painkiller because they not only deal with the pain but also help to reduce the inflammation which causes it. Hormone treatments, aimed at reducing or stopping the production of oestrogen in the body, can also be used to ease endometriosis symptoms. These treatments put the body into an artificial pregnancy or menopause, so that menstruation stops and the endometriosis is no longer aggravated. The combined oral contraceptive pill can also be used to relieve milder symptoms of endometriosis and, unlike many other hormone treatments available, can be taken over a long period of time.

In severe cases of endometriosis surgery can be used to remove the affected tissue. This is usually performed with a laporoscopy and often includes laser surgery techniques. However, as it's difficult to remove all traces of endometriosis the symptoms may recur again after a while. If other treatments are not working, and if the woman is sure she will not want to have children in the future, a hysterectomy can also be considered. As a hysterectomy is radical surgery it will only be performed as a last resort when all other treatments have failed.

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