Endometriosis affects females where tissue similar to the uterus lining grows outside the uterine cavity. This abnormal growth can affect any part of your body but mainly affects the ovaries, uterus, or fallopian tube. Hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle affect these endometrial-like tissues leading to inflammation and pain in the affected part. This tissue grows, thickens and finally breaks down, and it has no place to go, so it gets trapped on your pelvis, causing pain. Endometriosis Jackson Heights can cause severe pain affecting your daily activities.
Symptoms
In some cases, you may not show any symptoms. Symptoms vary from mild to severe. The severity of pain does not define the stage of your complication. The main symptoms you may experience are pelvic pain, severe menstrual pain, back pain, heavy bleeding during the menstrual period, painful sex, and discomfort or pain when passing urine. Endometriosis can finally lead to infertility.
Diagnosis
The symptoms you may be experiencing can be related to endometriosis. Your doctor carries out some confirmatory tests, such as:
History: Your doctor will inquire about the detailed history of your symptoms and family history based on cases of endometriosis. An overall health assessment can help determine other signs of a chronic disorder.
Pelvic exam: This can help your doctor feel cysts or scars behind the uterus.
Ultrasound: Transvaginal or abdominal are the two types of ultrasounds used in endometriosis diagnosis. Both types show images of the reproductive organs. Transvaginal ultrasound involves your doctor inserting a probe in your vagina. These tests are not a specific diagnosis of endometriosis, but it helps your specialist identify cysts related to the disease.
Laparoscopy: This test involves your doctor making an incision in your belly and inserting a thin tube with a camera located at the end. It shows how extensive your lesions are. Laparoscopy ascertains you have endometriosis.
Biopsy: In this test, your doctor will take a tissue sample, especially in the laparoscopy process, and observe it under a microscope to confirm the test.
Treatment
Pain medications: Over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen can relieve mild pain.
Hormone therapy: Doctors can give you supplemental hormones to relieve pain and stop endometriosis from progressing. Hormone therapy regulates the monthly hormonal changes that stimulate tissues’ growth, causing endometriosis. Hormonal treatment reduces estrogen production and can prevent menstruation. Low estrogen levels make lesions bleed less, hence reducing inflammation, scarring, and formation of cysts. The commonly used hormones include birth control pills, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, progestin-only contraception, and danazol.
Surgery: Your doctor can recommend surgery to take out the affected tissue. Your surgeon may perform a laparoscopy surgery to remove the abnormal or displaced endometriosis-like tissue. Your surgeon will make minor cuts in your abdomen to remove, burn or vaporize those tissues. Doctors use this surgery to visualize and diagnose endometriosis. Your doctor will recommend a hysterectomy surgery that takes out the ovaries, uterus, and cervix in severe cases. After the removal of these reproductive parts, you cannot get pregnant.
Although endometriosis is a chronic condition that does not have a cure, proper treatment and management can help to control symptoms, side effects, and complications. Schedule an appointment at Raveco Medical to learn more about the treatment options for your endometriosis disease.
