Endometriosis
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a common condition that affects women during the reproductive years. It occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining (endometrium) attaches to organs in the pelvis and begins to grow. This displaced endometrial tissue causes irritation in the pelvis that may lead to pain and infertility.
As well as causing painful periods endometriosis can also cause:
- constant pelvic pain
- back pain
- groin pain
- leg pain
- pain during and after sexual intercourse
- pain with passing urine or on opening bowels
- infertility
- fatigue.
How common is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is extremely common especially in women with the above symptoms. Endometriosis affects up to 2 million women in the UK or up to 1 on 10 women or 10 % of women with reproductive age! It frequently presents in teenage girls but there is often a delay in getting a diagnosis.
True incidence of endometriosis is unknown as many patients are either underdiagnosed or simply do not seek medical advice or are given the wrong advice for help for their symptoms.
Is my disease mild, moderate or severe?
American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) (www.asrm.org) defines four stages of endometriosis I-minimal, II-mild, III-moderate, and IV-severe depending on location, extent, and depth of endometriosis implants; presence and severity of adhesions; and presence and size of ovarian endometriomas. Most women have minimal or mild endometriosis, which is characterized by superficial implants and mild adhesions. Moderate and severe endometriosis is characterized by chocolate cysts and more severe adhesions. The stage of endometriosis does not correlate with the presence of or severity of symptoms with the exception of fertility. The more severe the disease the more adverse effect there is upon fertility.
Further information
|
