New Treatments May Provide Relief from Endometriosis
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Endometriosis is a disease that affects around 2 percent to 10 percent of women in their reproductive years and is among the diseases that are usually undetected, untreated, and misdiagnosed. It is reported that, in many cases, severe menstrual cramping is caused by endometriosis.
When the cells that line the uterus start developing in other areas of the body—i.e., outside the uterine cavity—a medical condition called endometriosis occurs. It is a hormonal and immune system disease that typically affects the membrane lining the abdominal cavity: the peritoneum. Under the influence of female hormones, endometrial cells align along the uterine cavity. The cells outside the uterus are affected by hormonal changes in the body and respond similarly as they do in the uterus.
The common symptoms include infertility and constant pelvic pain, which gets worse during menstruation and is often considered a common cause for secondary dysmenorrhea. In spite of numerous advances in therapeutic analytic equipments, a confirmed endometriosis diagnosis still requires surgical biopsy, which is typically performed as a laparoscopy wherein the doctor inserts a surgical viewing tube into a small incision near the navel under general anesthesia.
In harsh cases, a laparotomy is suggested, in which a larger incision is made into the belly and a removal takes place if the lining is obvious and immediately detachable. Although laparotomy doesn’t stop the growth of endometrial cells, it provides relief from endometriosis pain instantly. It can restore fertility and increases the chances for pregnancy.
So far, there isn’t any cure for endometriosis. However, treatment is possible through pain medication, hormonal treatments, and surgery. The treatment to provide relief from endometriosis depends on a variety of factors, such as:
- Aim of the treatment
- Age
- Symptoms (Intensity and frequency)
- Severity of the diseases and their overall effect
Additional treatment for infertility
If the symptoms are mild painkillers, they will be effective enough to provide relief from endometriosis.
Recently, the introduction of advanced hormonal treatment has created hope for women who are suffering from the disease, though there are no scientific reports backing them as a source of relief from endometriosis.
The combined oral contraceptive pill, as reported by some females who were using it, puts them at ease and improves the symptom. The pill influences estrogen production by stopping ovulation. As a result, periods are less painful. It also relieves other symptoms, such as painful sex and consistent pelvic pain. Danazol and GnRH (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) are two similar, viable options. They help control the amount of gonadotrophins, which consequentially reduces estrogen.
The last option is removal of the uterus, hysterectomy, as well as removal of the ovaries. There is a good chance of a complete cure this way, but this would mean you won’t be able to conceive, and it is irreversible.