What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis ("endo" for short) is a chronic disease in whichtissue like the endometrium (which is the inner lining of the uterus) appearsoutside of the uterus, usually in the pelvic area, like on the outsideof the uterus, or around the bowel. Now, if that's not strange enough,what happens is that this misplaced tissue follows your menstrual cycle:it grows before your period, and breaks down a bleeds during your period.So basically you are suffering from monthly internal bleeding, which causesall sorts of symptoms.
Common Symptoms
- Pain before and after periods
- Pain with sex
- Infertility
- Painful bowel movements during periods
- Diarrhea, constipation and nausea
Women with endometriosis also often suffer from allergies and chemicalsensitivities.
Because these symptoms are so varied, and could be due to many differentcauses, endo often goes undiagnosed. Women are often told that their symptomsare all in their head, or just a normal part of having a period.
How is it Diagnosed?
The only sure way to diagnose endo is to actually see the growths, andthis is usually done using laparoscopy, a minor surgical procedure involvinga tiny camera. Once the location and extent of the growth is known, youand your doctor can discuss treatment options.
If you want to know more about endometriosis, please leave my site andgo visit people who know a lot more than I do. Start with the EndometriosisAssociation International Headquarters.