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Serious Signs of Endometriosis

When it comes to signs of endometriosis, the main symptom involves pelvic pain or discomfort, which is usually associated with a menstrual period every month. While most women will experience some cramping during their period, women with endometriosis will often describe the pain they feel as significantly worse than usual. A gradual increase in pain has been reported over time. Increased infertility is also often associated with endometriosis and it’s usually diagnosed in women who are seeking fertility treatment.

Common Symptoms and Signs of Endometriosis

Common signs of endometriosis can include cramping and pelvic pain. The pain can begin before or during a period and often involves abdominal pain and lower back pain. Painful intercourse is also often reported. During a period the woman can experience pain with urination and bowel movements. Heavy periods or bleeding between periods is also very common. Women who have trouble conceiving may have endometriosis. Other signs of endometriosis include increased fatigue, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and bloating.

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The level of increased pain you’ll experience during a period is not necessarily an indicator of endometriosis. Some women with mild forms of this condition have extensive pain, while others with a more advanced form may experience minimal pain or no pain at all.

The signs of endometriosis can often be mistaken for other types of medical conditions that cause pelvic discomfort, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or cysts on the ovaries. It can also be confused with irritable bowel syndrome. IBS also features symptoms such as abdominal cramping, constipation and diarrhea.

Meet with your physician if you have signs of endometriosis. The cause of severe or chronic pelvic pain can be hard to pinpoint. But determining the problem early on can help to avoid any type of unnecessary pain and complications.

While the exact cause of this condition is not certain, there are several possibilities such as embryonic cell growth, retrograde menstruation, surgical scar implantation and cell transport and disorders of the immune system.

How Endometriosis Develops: Complications

The most likely cause of endometriosis is retrograde menstruation. With this condition, the menstrual blood that contains endometrial cells which will flow back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic area, instead of being flushed out of the body. These displaced cells will stick to the surfaces of the pelvic organs and pelvic walls, where they will grow and thicken, bleeding over the course of each menstrual period.

The cells that line the pelvic and abdominal cavities will come from embryonic cells. When these areas turn into endometrial tissue, then endometriosis will develop.

After a major surgery such as a cesarean section or a hysterectomy, endometrial cells can attach to the incision, causing endometriosis.

There are a number of factors that can increase your risk of developing endometriosis, such as uterine abnormalities, never giving birth, a family history of endometriosis, a medical history of pelvic infections and uterine abnormalities.

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This condition will usually develop many years after the onset of menstruation. The signs of endometriosis will temporarily end during pregnancy and will cease permanently with menopause, unless you have been prescribed estrogen.

The main complication associated with endometriosis is infertility. Half of the women with endometriosis will have difficulty conceiving.

In order to conceive, the egg needs to be pcos diet 1,11 14800 28 released from the ovaries and travel to the fallopian tubes where it will become fertilized. After fertilization the egg attaches to the uterine wall. Endometriosis can obstruct the tube and prevent the egg from becoming fertilized. The condition also affects a woman’s fertility in less direct ways, such as damage to the egg and sperm.

Women who have mild or moderate endometriosis will still be able to conceive. A doctor will typically advise women with this condition to not delay having any children because endometriosis will worsen over time. Women with endometriosis are also at a higher risk for ovarian cancer.

When to See Your Gynecologist

If you are experiencing any signs of endometriosis it’s important to not ignore them and make an appointment with your primary doctor or a gynecologist. Be sure to go to your appointment prepared and have a list of questions to ask your doctor, such as: how is this condition diagnosed, what medications can treat this condition, what are the side effects of these medications, is surgery recommended, can treatment increase fertility and can they recommend any type of alterative treatment. Be sure that you understand everything your physician says and take notes if necessary.

In order to diagnose endometriosis, your doctor will ask you about the types of symptoms you’re experiencing and where the pain is located. The tests used to diagnose endometriosis include pelvic exams, ultrasounds and laparoscopy. During the pelvic exam the physician will manually feel the pelvic area for such abnormalities as cysts or scar tissue.