Endometriosis is a condition that develops with time and years. This article focuses to explain what endometriosis is, its symptoms, complications, and risk factor. It aims to inform women of the scope in endometriosis and the impact it has on a woman’s body.
The unprecedented part of endometriosis
What is endometriosis?
It is a disorder that is often a painful ordeal, in which the tissue that forms the lining of your uterus grows outside the uterine cavity or grows on other organs. The organs include ovaries, bowel, and tissues on the pelvic lining. The fluctuation of your hormones during your menstrual cycle affects the displaced endometrial tissue causing the area to be inflamed and swollen.
This happens during your periods when the uterine tissue breaks apart and you bleed, and the blood is trapped, it has nowhere to go. The inflamed area then forms scar tissue, hence generating pain. As the scar continues to grow, the more pain you will feel especially during your menstrual cycle and can cause fertility complications. Endometriosis affects about 11% of reproductive-aged women.
Symptoms
Some women don’t experience any symptoms; others have mild symptoms that can arise from moderate to severe. There are varieties of symptoms one can encounter and they include;
- Painful sex
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Intense during your menstrual cycle
- Fatigue
- Infertility in some cases
- Lower back pain
The intensity of your pain does not necessarily mean your condition is worse; some could have mild endometriosis with excruciating pain, while others could have advanced endometriosis and feel no pain.
Complications
Endometriosis causes damage to the body, in some cases; it develops into a disease. The complications are;
Infertility- is the main complication faced by women with endometriosis. It affects the fertility rate making it hard to get pregnant. Although, those with mild symptoms are able to conceive. It is advisable, for women with endometriosis to conceive early since the condition might worsen with time.
Cancer-studies suggest that endometriosis increases the risk to get cancer but it is relatively low. Nonetheless, there are other types of cancer-related to endometriosis such as adenocarcinoma.
Risk factors
- Various factors put you at risk of developing endometriosis
- Genetics- where one or more of your relatives has endometriosis
- Getting your periods at an early age
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Having high levels of estrogen in your body
- Not being able to conceive
- Lower body mass index
