Endometriosis a common problem in Girls : Causses, Signs, Symptoms and treatment
If you are a teenage school going girl or you are in your twenties, and suddendly over time your periods started getting so painful that you dreaded their arrival. The cramps eventually became so bad that you are missing your school or office a couple of days a month, and the pain even started happening between periods.There is a possibility that you have endometriosis. So, you are quickly advised to see your doctor for help.
It is very important for every girl to know what is Endometriosis ? What are Endometriosis Causes signs and Symptoms. How you can diagnose endometriosis and how endometriosis can be treated. Lets take a look step by step:
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a tissue that looks and acts like the lining of the uterus starts growing outside the uterus. The most common locations for these growths( endometrial implants) are the outside surface of the uterus, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the ligaments that support the uterus, the bladder, the intestines, the internal area between the vagina and rectum, and the lining of the pelvic cavity.
Doctors assume that painful periods are a normal part of menstruating. But continious, excessive pain that limits activity is not normal. A girl should always be take it seriously. Because severe endometriosis can make it complicated for a girl to have children in the future, it’s a good idea to get medical help for endometriosis and not wait too long.
If you want to understand why endometriosis causes problems, You need to have a basic understanding of how the monthly menstrual cycle works: During the course of each cycle, the lining of a woman’s uterus builds up with blood vessels and tissue. This happens because the uterus is getting ready to receive the egg that will be released from one of the ovaries. If the egg is not fertilized by sperm, the uterus sheds the tissue and blood; this is the menstrual period.
In the uterus, if the egg is not fertilized, the extra tissue and blood leave a girl’s body in the form of menstrual fluid. With endometriosis, though, there is nowhere for the accumulating blood and tissue to go once the implants start to break down. For this reason, the implants usually become somewhat larger with each cycle, and the symptoms of Endometriosis tend to become more painful over time.
What are Endometriosis Causes?
Doctors are not sure what causes endometriosis. According to the one theory the menstrual blood flow somehow “backs up” into the fallopian tubes, carrying some tissue from the uterine lining with it. In effect, the tissue gets transplanted and starts growing outside the uterus. According to another theory endometrial tissue cells travel out of the uterus through blood or lymph vessels, and then start growing in the new locations where they’re deposited. Yet another theory suggests that some girls are born with “misplaced” cells that can turn into endometrial implants later in life. Scientists continue to research the condition to help doctors fully understand and treat it.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of endometriosis ?
The most common sign of endometriosis is severe pelvic, lower abdominal pain. Pain may occur occasionally or constantly, and it may be associated with a girl’s period. Although slight cramps for a couple of days before or during a menstrual period are normal, lasting or intense pain that disrupts a person’s day is not. With endometriosis, the pain is usually so bad that it causes a girl to miss school, sports, and social activities.
Other possible symptoms include:
1. pelvic pain that gets worse after sex, or after a pelvic exam
2. a very heavy period
3. lower back pain
4. constipation, diarrhea, or feeling pain or seeing blood when going to the bathroom (endometrial implants can press on some of the organs involved in getting waste out of the body, such as the bladder, intestines, and rectum) If you notices these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have endometriosis. Lots of other things — like an infection may cause similar symptoms. But it’s important to see a doctor right away if you notice these symptoms. It is advisable to visit a gynecologist for the first time .
How Endometriosis Diagnosed?
Diagnosing endometriosis isn’t always easy. Lots of things can cause pelvic pain, so even if a girl’s symptoms point to endometriosis, a doctor may want to rule out other possibilities. In addition to doing a physical examination, the doctor will ask you about any concerns and symptoms you have, your past health, your family’s health, any medications you’re taking, any allergies you may have, and other issues. This is called the medical history. Depending on your symptoms, a doctor may also ask you to keep a pain diary. This may involve recording the following information every time you experience pain:
type of pain (is it sharp? dull? aching? crampy?)
location (where is it?)
duration (how long does it last?)
intensity (on a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is the pain?)
treatment (did you try anything to make the pain go away? did it help?)
The severity of the pain isn’t always an indicator of how severe the endometriosis might be. A girl may have many growths and just a little pain or a few growths and a great deal of pain. Every person’s situation is a little bit different.
Some doctors will prescribe birth control pills, not as a method of contraception but because they have been proven to reduce painful periods, especially those associated with endometriosis.
If these approaches don’t work, and the doctor thinks a girl has endometriosis, then he or she will probably order the laparoscopy.
Prevention of Endometriosis
Endometriosis can’t be cured, but its symptoms can usually be controlled. Doctors often prescribe birth control pills because they use hormones to prevent ovulation (the monthly release of an egg from an ovary). If a girl doesn’t ovulate, then the endometrial implants won’t build up as much, and this can make endometriosis less painful.
Other medications used to treat endometriosis work in the same way as birth control pills to modify the hormone driven buildup and breakdown of endometrial tissue. Doctors typically don’t recommend these treatments for teens until well after puberty is completed, though.
Surgery is often helpful if medications don’t work. A doctor can remove endometrial growths by directing an intense
light beam (laser) onto them with the help of a laparoscope. After this treatment, many girls find relief from their
symptoms, but some may experience pain again if the growths return over time. Laparoscopic treatment is the typical type of surgical treatment for endometriosis, although in rare cases more extensive surgery may be needed.
Doctors often suggest lifestyle changes for teens who have endometriosis, too. A healthy diet, moderate exercise, and relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation can help.
