Endometriosis Today

More than five million American women are afflicted with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a common, mostly progressive disease where the tissue lining your uterus (endometrium) implants and spreads to other areas of your body, normally in the pelvic region. It's commonly found in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, and sometimes even outside the pelvic area. In very rare cases, endometriosis has been found under the skin, in the lungs and even the brain.

Many people believe that in these instances, endometriosis travels along with the backflow of the menstrual blood and tissue, out from the uterus and into the bladder, pelvis, ovaries, fallopian tubes and abdomen; where it causes scarring and adhesions. When active, the tissue grows outside of the uterus and is stimulated by the same hormone which causes the disease to grow inside the uterus. The tissue will eventually die, causing great trauma to the reproductive organs. Then sadly, new tissue will form and continue to grow, unless the disease is  medically is arrested.

There are many beliefs as to how the medical condition travels to other parts of the body, away from the pelvis. There is the common theory that the menstrual blood carries the disease through the lymph system and another that the endometrial tissue doesn’t travel to these parts of the body, but are present in these locations from the individual’s birth.

It's not clear why some women inflicted with this painful disease have severe cases and others don’t, or why some women affected with endometriosis, will suffer miscarriages and others won’t. However, it's widely acknowledged that there is a clear link between the severity of an individual’s endometriosis and the degree of their infertility.

Despite its commonness, endometriosis is more often undiagnosed and untreated. Because the symptoms are so broad and often times non specific, endometriosis can be misdiagnosed much like appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel obstruction, ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Symptoms related to endometriosis include:

• - chronic or recurring pain in the pelvic region

• - backache

• - leg pain

• - nausea

• - vomiting,

• - diarrhea or constipation

• - rectal bleeding

• - blood in the stool or urine

• - urgency with or frequency in urination

• - high blood pressure

• - chest pains

• - coughing up blood

• - history of ectopic pregnancy or miscarriages
  

Endometriosis can be diagnosed and lesions removed with laparoscopic surgery or a laparotomy. Unfortunately, there is only a temporary way to completely halt the disease, by taking medications that’s purpose is to shut down the reproductive organs making it impossible to conceive. Once the medication is discontinued, the endometriosis will return.

 
Endometriosis is wide spread among the conditions related to infertility. Approximately 35% of women, who suffer from infertility, have endometriosis. On the other hand, if you have the disease, there is a 45% chance that you suffer from some degree of infertility. In addition, studies show that 30% of all laparoscopic surgeries for unexplained infertility, results in endometriosis.

Doctors agree that patients whose sisters or mothers are affected by endometriosis, are 60% (or greater) more likely to have the disease, than those not exposed. It's also believed that of those fighting mild or minimal endometriosis and infertility, as many as 70% will conceive without any treatment, within three years. However, if a women’s endometriosis is moderate to severe, their chances of conceiving are greatly lessened, without medical assistance. It's also believed that after surgery, nearly 40% of those affected will become pregnant.

Endometriosis interferes with fertility in several ways. The disease can cause scarring in the fallopian tubes, which makes them impassable to both sperm and egg. It can also cause structural abnormalities in the uterus or on the ovary, which would also interfere with ovulation or implantation. Doctors have also suspected that endometriosis has some idiosyncrasy in a woman’s immune system, which makes them more likely to miscarry.

If a laparoscopy is performed, you must remember that there is a window of opportunity to get pregnant. The most optimal period is between six months to one year after surgery. When endometriosis is diagnosed, a woman must be aggressive and decisive about her infertility treatment. Unfortunately, there is a very limited window in which to conceive or to consider more surgery.

Depending on the severity of the disease, many women bypass the surgery completely and immediately opt for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Performing IVF will give the individual a greater chance of conceiving, since fertility is not dependant on the use of a woman’s fallopian tubes.

Other effective ways to treat the progression of endometriosis include acupuncture and dietary changes. Some Doctors believe there is a link between one’s diet and their immune system. Combined with acupuncture, many women reported success in restoring endometriosis-impaired fertility.

In spite of endometriosis diminishing a women’s chance to conceive naturally, the disease itself, has no effect on the success when in vitro fertilization is attempted.