The 💯 Faces Of Endometriosis

What is Endometriosis?

The uterus has a thick muscular layer called the myometrium. It is responsible for contractions during childbirth and those wonderful menstrual cramps we all know. The inner lining layer of the uterus is called endometrium and is the ‘functional’ part. The endometrium grows and sheds with each menstrual cycle and is responsible for the bleeding: during the first half of the menstrual cycle it grows and then breaks down in the second half of the cycle and finally sheds off during menstruation. 

Endometriosis is defined as patches of endometrium-like tissue that is found outside the uterus. Endometriosis is responsive to hormones just like the normal endometrium, so throughout the menstrual cycle, endometriosis grows and bleeds, but unlike the normal endometrium, the blood has actually nowhere to go because its inside the pelvic cavity. Whether or not endometriosis does actually ‘bleed’ can vary but the pure presence of endometriotic lesions does lead to inflammation and pain, depending on the extent and location of endometriosis in the pelvis. More important as what endometriosis is, is what endometriosis is not! Endometriosis is not an infection of any kind, it’s not communicable, it’s not a cancer and is not fatal, however just because something is not fatal, doesn’t mean it can’t take your quality of life away. For sure endometriosis is a very complex condition that requires a holistic and personalized approach.

Some women with endometriosis have painful periods, some don’t. One woman may have severe pelvic pain, depression, anxiety and bowel pain, whereas another woman may have no pain or psychological symptoms, but is infertile due to endometriosis, these two cases would require very specific and

different approaches.

What are typical symptoms of endometriosis?

Everything, nothing and all things in between! Some women are only diagnosed when they are having an operation for another condition, or when there is an investigation for something linked to endometriosis like fertility issues.

For those experiencing symptoms, the most common one is pain, such as dysmenorrhoea which is defined as excessively painful periods that cause interference to the daily life and massively clouds the overall emotional well-being. If periods are causing someone to regularly miss school/work/social occasions because they are so painful, this is not ok and could very well be a sign of an underlying medical condition, like endometriosis.

Another of the common symptoms associated with endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain. Chronic pelvic pain can be continuous or intermittent and can be associated with a variety of factors, for example exercise, specific foods or certain activities, or it may just come on randomly. Painful sex (also known as dyspareunia) is one of the symptoms of endometriosis that doesn’t get much

attention since it is a very personal and private matter, which can understandably be difficult to talk about. Endometriosis symptoms vary from person in frequency and severity, including leg pain, bloating, painful urination, painful bowel movements, heavy menstrual bleeding, spotting in between periods and fatigue. A lot of sufferers want to rest and be left alone.The pain takes so much out of them, sometimes taking a nap feels like the only option to escape. Trying to summon enough energy to continue with the day but for at least the first three or four days of period, they just want to sleep a lot.

Which types of endometriosis do we know?

Endometriosis is usually categorized into stages (minimal, mild, moderate and severe) which depend on type, extent and location of the disease. The stage of disease does in no way correlate with the symptoms experienced, so a woman with severe disease can have no symptoms and a women with minimal disease can have debilitating symptoms and vice versa. Superficial endometriosis are lesions that can be found anywhere around the pelvic area, most frequently found on the surface of organs/ligaments/structures of the pelvis and can be as small as to be almost invisible to the naked eye, or about as large as a pea and any size in between. They often show scarry tissue associated with them which can pull or restrict the surrounding tissue leading to pain such as pain in emptying the bladder or in bowel movements, intercourse or sports.

Another entity type are endometriotic cysts. Most commonly found on the ovaries, these endometriosis cysts are filled with old blood that takes on a brown color, giving them the undeservedly pleasant name ‘chocolate cysts’. Endometriosis cysts can grow to be quite large, ranging from a few centimeters

to massive cysts in very rare cases.

The third type is called deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). As the name suggests these lesions actually penetrate deep into the tissue of the pelvis and are known to cause the more severe symptoms associated with endometriosis.

Who can get endometriosis?

We do know that endometriosis affects more then 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, but endometriosis can affect anyone, of any age and of any race/socioeconomic background. Women with a family history of endometriosis are more likely. Still, because of a lack of awareness and education about endometriosis, the majority of sufferers remain not diagnosed.

What are treatment options?

Endometriosis is not a uniform disease so there are many treatment options pathways open for women with endometriosis and it is often quite a minefield of trial and error to find the right one for each woman. Endometriosis for sure requires a holistic approach to therapy that considers all aspects and impact the disease has on a person’s life.

There are several types of hormonal medication that women with endometriosis may be offered, the most common ones are: Birth control pills (BCPs), Progestin only pills (POPs), Gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), Aromatase inhibitors, complimentary therapies and surgical treatment options.I can’t emphasize enough the importance of education in endometriosis in order to find the best treatment for every single affected women.

Dr. Amelie Hofmann-Werther

Specialist in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

(Facharzt Germany)

Cervical Dysplasia & Coloscopy

Master Class in Fetal Medicine

http://www.fetalmedicine.ae/#dr-amelie