What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, including the ovaries and fallopian tubes, for example. It can affect women and those assigned female at birth of any age and is a long-term condition which can have a significant impact on one’s life.
It has been found that 1 in 10, or 10%, of women and those assigned female at birth who are of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis in the UK; that’s about 176 million worldwide!
Furthermore, the prevalence of the condition in women with infertility is as high as 30-50%. It is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK, affecting 1.5 million, which is similar to the number of people affected by diabetes. It takes an average of 8 years from the onset of the symptoms to be diagnosed. The cause is unknown and there is no definite cure.
Symptoms
The symptoms of endometriosis can vary from person to person, but a few of the most common symptoms include:
- Pain in the lower stomach or back (pelvic pain) which is usually worse during ones period
- Period pain that stops one from doing their everyday activities
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Feeling tired, sick, constipated, diarrhoea, or having blood in ones urine
- Heavy periods
Diagnosis
Many other conditions cause similar symptoms, and they may vary considerably, which can make it difficult to diagnose.
For endometriosis to be diagnosed a laparoscopy (a thin tube passed through a small cut in ones stomach) can be used to be certain of the diagnosis, if any patches of endometriosis tissue are present. Otherwise, you can be referred to a gynaecologist for further tests such as an ultrasound scan or an MRI.
Treatments
Although there is currently no cure, there are treatments that can help to supress the symptoms, including:
- Painkillers (e.g., paracetamol, ibuprofen)
- Hormone medicines and contraceptives (e.g. combined pill, contraceptive patch, IUS, contraceptive implant)
- Medicines called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues
- Surgery to remove and cut away patches of endometriosis tissue, or to remove part or all of the organs affected by it (e.g., removing part of the womb)
Impact & getting support
One of the main problems include an increased difficulty in becoming pregnant, or the inability to get pregnant at all. Surgery to remove endometriosis tissue can help improve these chances, however there is still no guarantee, and there are risks such as infections, bleeding or damage to the affected organs.
Furthermore, not only can endometriosis be physically damaging, but it may affect a person emotionally.
It may be helpful to contact support groups in addition to your doctor, or research various endometriosis campaigns or websites to find out more about it and talk to others who may have the condition, examples of which are: