by Shaheen Darr

Created on: April 28, 2008   Last Updated: January 21, 2010

Endometriosis is a medical condition that affects women between the age of 25 and 40. It occurs when endometrium cells (cells lining the uterus) are found in other areas of the female body. These can be in areas around the womb including the fallopian tubes and also in areas around the pelvic region like the rectum and the vagina.

If pregnancy does not occur, normal uterine cells escape from the vagina as a monthly bleed. The extra endometrium cells, also thicken and swell up with blood like normal uterine cells but in their case there is no escape route. Therefore during a monthly period there is a lot of pain and discomfort in the regions where these cells are present. Heavy periods, bleeding outside normal periods, lower back pain, difficulty in conceiving and pain during sexual intercourse are all additional symptoms of this condition.

There are no specific explanations why some women suffer from this condition and others dont. It can sometimes be explained by genetic factors as statistics show that it is present in a higher percentage of Asian women than Afro-Caribbean or Caucasian women.

Diagnosis involves a medical examination using a laproscope, which is a tube with a camera at the end. The tube is normally inserted through the navel to get access into the pelvic region. This provides images to a specialist who can then try and find out more about the endometrium tissue. The procedure is called a laproscopy and is done under a general anaesthetic. If there are cells present in other areas of the body, then further tests might be necessary.

Treatment of endometriosis includes pain relieving drugs, hormone treatment to stop production of oestrogen which is the main cause of this extra production of endometrium cells, or surgery as a final resort. Key hole surgery can be used to remove any adhesions that have ccurred due to these cells attaching themselves to other body organs. If all else fails, then a full or a partial hysterectomy would be performed. If the pain of endometrioisis is bearable then it is best not to go for any surgical treaments especially hysterectomy because this is not a reversible operation.

For those women who do not want to opt for surgery, natural remedies can be explored. Acupuncture, herbal treatments or homeopathy can provide relief for some sufferers and for other women a change of diet and nutrition plus excercise might provide the answer.

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