What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis (en-doe-me-tree-O-sis) is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus the endometrium grows outside your uterus (endometrial implant). Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, bowel or the tissue lining your pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond your pelvic region.
Endometriosis Treatment
There is currently no cure for endometriosis, but there are:
- Treatments for Pain from Endometriosis
- Treatments for Infertility Related to Endometriosis
Health care providers will consider several factors when determining the best treatment for endometriosis symptoms, including:
- Your age
- How severe your symptoms are
- How severe the disease is
- Whether you want children
It is also important to note that not all treatments work well for all women with endometriosis. Similarly, there is always the chance that the endometriosis symptoms may return after the treatment is stopped or, in the case of surgery, as more time passes since the treatment.
Treatments for Pain from Endometriosis
Treatments for endometriosis pain fall into three general categories:
- Pain medications - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are usually the preferred painkiller used to treat the pain associated with endometriosis. This is because they act against the inflammation (swelling) caused by the condition, which may help ease pain and discomfort. It is best to take NSAIDs the day before (or several days before) you expect the period pain.
Paracetamol can be used to treat mild pain. It is not usually as effective as NSAIDs, but may be used if these types of drugs cause any side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Codeine is a stronger painkiller that is sometimes combined with paracetamol or used alone if other painkillers are not suitable. However, constipation is a common side effect that may aggravate the symptoms of endometriosis.
- Hormone therapy - Because hormones cause endometriosis patches to go through a cycle similar to the menstrual cycle, hormones also can be effective in treating the symptoms of endometriosis. Additionally, our perception of pain may be altered by different hormones.Hormone therapy is used to treat endometriosis-associated pain. Hormones come in the form of a pill, a shot or injection, or a nasal spray.Hormone treatments stop the ovaries from producing hormones, including estrogen, and usually prevent ovulation. This may help slow the growth and local activity of both the endometrium and the endometrial lesions. Treatment also prevents the growth of new areas and scars (adhesions), but it will not make existing adhesions go away.
- Surgical treatment - Surgery can be used to remove or destroy areas of endometriosis tissue, which can help improve symptoms and fertility. The kind of surgery you have will depend on where the tissue is. The options are:
- laparoscopy (the most commonly used and least invasive technique)
- laparotomy
- hysterectomy
Any surgical procedure carries risks. It’s important to discuss these with your surgeon before undergoing treatment.
