Live Healthy: ENDOMETRIOSIS is a Silent Disease

         ENDOMETRIOSIS A SILENT DISEASE       

ENDOMETRIOSIS

Most Women consider painful menstrual cycles an unavoidable part of the process and, many a times they do not research on the real reason for pain. when asked about Endometriosis even one of ten doesn't have answers. Only in INDIA more than 25 million people suffer from the disease.

Gynecologists explains that a lot have to be done to bring awareness among people on Endometriosis   as many patients come in too late for treatment. The incidence of endometriosis is about 5 to 10 percent in general population. An approximate of 30 to 40 percent of women with endormetriosis have difficulty in conceiving. It affects 89 young million women in the reproductive age group worldwide, of which about 25 million are INDIAN women.

What is ENDOMETRIOSIS ?

Tissue that forms the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is sometimes present in other places in some women. These sites can be ovaries, Fallopian tubes, cul-de-sac, intestines, rectum and the urinary bladder. Endometriosis tissue outside the tissue also responds to changes in harmones. It also breaks down and bleeds like the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle. However the bleeding inside the uterus has a passage to come out as menstrual bleeding through vagina. The Bleeding in endometriotic sites accumulates and forms cysts or adhensions. This can cause can pain, especially before and during period. One third cases of infertility is due to endometriosis. It mostly affects women between the age of 25 and 40 years.

Experts Talk

Often the pain is due to endometriosis has no correlation with the severity of the condition. There are cases where mild disease causes pain. But the most severe form, also referred to as pelvis, is absolutely painless ans asymptomatic. In 25 percent of patients there are no symptoms. In these women, the condition is accidentally diagnosed during an abdominal surgery for some other condition. Long standing vague pelvic symptoms are more likely due to endometriosis. Most women come to doctor when they can't bear children majority of them come at stage 4 of the disease which is quite late. Genetic basis accounts for less than 10 percent of patients. But so far no single gene has been identified which can be accountable for the disease. There is still no known cause for the disease. 

When young women in the age group of 25 years and above come to the clinic they are advised to continue with medical management till the time she wants to conceive. But after that also the disease continues Ovaries removal is recommended.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

The lining in the bowels causes bowel endometriosis. It is difficult to treat this type of endometriosis but a healthy lifestyle maintaining normal weight, regular exercise and balanced diet reduces the impact of symptoms.

Surgery helps Tackle the problem

With the lining of the uterus also found in intestines and stomach region, often surgical treatment is recommended. Most often women come with symptoms like bloating or altered bowel habits which are the non specific symptoms. Laparoscopic surgery helps to treat endometriosis and gives patient relief for a year or two. This treatment improves results of pregnancy by 30 percent. This is if the patient comes in the first or second stage of the disease. However, if it is in advanced stages then IVF procedures are recommended .
If the painful cycle is recurrent and the disease shows a severe prognosis then ovary removal is recommended, But the downside is that women have or early or severe osteoporosis, dsylipidemia, coronary heart disease and even Alzheimer's. Therefore the need to remove the ovaries has to be a balanced decision