Uterine endometriosis is a disease that is quite common in the practice of gynecologists. It is generally accepted that it is considered a hormone-dependent pathology, in which the endometrium (the mucous layer that lines the inside of the uterus and regularly comes out with menstruation) begins to grow in other parts of the female body, where, in principle, it should not be.
At what age can endometriosis develop?
By the number of cases, they were able to “overtake” endometriosis of uterine fibroids and various inflammatory processes in the genitals. And, as studies have shown, the most commonly described disease occurs in women of reproductive age (after thirty years and up to fifty). For women over fifty, this disease is already impossible: after all, with the onset of menopause in women, the endometrium practically disappears, which means there is no risk of developing the pathology to which this article will be devoted.
The mystery of endometriosis
The researchers believe, bearing in mind the endometriosis of the uterus, that this disease is polyetiological, that is, one that can have many reasons that led to its development. And sometimes these reasons cannot be precisely determined. The most common of them are:
- Genetic predisposition. So, according to the results of recent studies, in the family of a woman with endometriosis, as a rule, there is at least one other blood relative affected by this pathology. Separate genetic traits have also been identified that determine the predisposition of a particular woman to endometriosis.
- Hormonal disorders. It was also found that in patients with the described disease, the level of progesterone decreases and changes in the ratios of steroid hormones are observed.
- Immunity violation. A normal level of immunity does not allow endometrial cells to survive outside the uterus. A decrease in the protective functions of the body leads to the fact that endometriotic tissue continues to grow both outside the uterus and inside it, growing into its body (thus, endometriosis of the uterus and cervix begins).
- Metaplasia. So in medicine is called the degeneration of one tissue into another. In the case of endometrium, the causes of this transformation are unknown and cause controversy.
How does the pathological process begin?
It is also worthwhile, when discussing the diagnosis of uterine endometriosis, to know that this disease begins with dropping small particles of the endometrium with the flow of menstrual blood into the abdominal cavity (or along with the lymph) and into other organs of the woman’s body. There, tissue particles attach and begin their pathological growth, often disrupting the functioning of the affected organ and causing suffering and pain.
Foci of tissue growth can be observed both close to the genitals, in places in contact with them (intestines, peritoneum or bladder), and in distant ones (for example, in the larynx, lungs, and even in the eyes).
Disease classification
In gynecology, types of endometriosis are usually distinguished depending on its location.
- Genital endometriosis is characterized in that foci of endometrioid tissue are found within the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Endometriosis inside the body of the uterus is called "adenomyosis" and is the most common type of this disease.
- Extragenital form of the disease implies the presence of foci outside the genitals. It, in turn, is divided into peritoneal (the surface of the peritoneum, ovaries and pelvis is affected) and extraperitoneal (damage to the external genital organs, vagina, uterine ligaments and cervix).
- The combined form combines lesions in both the genital and extragenital cavities of the female body.
Symptoms of uterine endometriosis
Signs of uterine endometriosis appear depending on the characteristics of each organism. Occasionally, for example, this disease does not make itself felt at all, and it can be detected only during preventive examinations. Although usually any symptoms are always present.
The most common is pain. It is present in 60% of patients with endometriosis and, as a rule, manifests itself as dysmenorrhea. That is, in the form of pains in the lower abdomen that a woman experiences during the onset of menstruation. They may be accompanied by weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea, lack of appetite and vomiting. All these signs are most pronounced with endometriosis a couple of days before the onset of menstruation and in its first three days.
Menstrual flow becomes abundant, and sometimes appear between menstruation. Often there is a violation of the cycle.
In cases of endometriosis, dyspareunia (pain and discomfort during intercourse) is common. Most often, such phenomena are found in patients with damage to the vagina, sacro-uterine ligaments, space in the region of the rectum and uterus, as well as the rectovaginal septum.
Uterine adenomyosis
Now we will dwell in more detail on the particular case of endometriosis - adenomyosis, since this is the most common form of the described disease. In another way, it can be called internal uterine endometriosis, since pathological changes in this case occur in the cavity of the named organ. The mucous membrane grows inside the body of the uterus, into its muscle layer, forming diffuse changes or, less commonly, nodular and focal lesions.
All this causes impaired organ function, edema in the affected area and pain. Four degrees of damage are distinguished depending on how deeply the endometrium has grown into the tissue. And all of them are accompanied by abundant discharge during menstruation, and sometimes between them. As a result, women develop anemia, pallor or yellowness of the skin, lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
Internal uterine endometriosis, the treatment of which will be described below, is often combined with uterine myoma or (sometimes) with an ovarian tumor. Often, chronic inflammation of the appendages also joins it.
Perhaps the most serious consequence of the described disease is infertility (namely, the inability to conceive a child), which occurs in 40% of patients.
Endometriosis and pregnancy
Surely this will scare women with a diagnosis of uterine endometriosis. Can I get pregnant in this case? What prevents to conceive a baby?
It should be noted right away that the relationship of infertility with endometriosis has not yet been sufficiently studied and there are ongoing ongoing disputes among specialists around it. There are several opinions on what provokes the named problem:
- with this disease in the fallopian tubes, mechanical impairment of patency is detected;
- sometimes pregnancy is prevented by the presence of an adhesion process that makes it difficult to exit the egg, or a violation of the structure of the ovaries ;
- upon closer examination, the immunological disorders referred to above are also guilty of infertility, they impede the process of ovulation, fertilization and implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus.
Interestingly, according to recent studies, most women with endometriosis do not experience true ovulation, despite regular periods. And conception is impossible without it. In addition to the above, there is an opinion that the female body itself determines whether a woman can bear a child, and therefore pregnancy does not occur due to the lack of favorable conditions for her.
Of course, endometriosis is not a sentence for those who want to have a baby. Although the treatment lasts a long time.
Treatment of uterine endometriosis
Now let's talk about how to treat uterine endometriosis in modern medicine. This process can be carried out by a conservative (medication), surgical (organ-preserving or radical way) and a combined method.
Conservative treatment is used when the course of the disease is asymptomatic, as well as if the patient is younger than 30 years old, in the period before menopause and in cases when it is necessary to restore the ability to conceive. It includes traditional therapy, which involves the use of hormonal, anti-inflammatory, desensitizing drugs, as well as symptomatic treatment.
In no case do not self-medicate, relying only on the use of folk methods! Urgently contact a specialist!
Treatment: uterine fibroids, endometriosis
Endometriosis is often combined with uterine myoma. And they are used to treat these diseases, due to the same development mechanisms and pathological conditions, similar methods.
How is uterine endometriosis and fibroids treated? Depending on the condition and age, the patients resort, as already mentioned, to drug therapy and surgical intervention. Both of these methods are carried out on the background of taking hormonal drugs, since both of these diseases appear most often due to a violation of the hormonal background of the woman.
For therapy, gestagens are used, combined estrogen-progestogen, as well as antigonadotropic drugs that exclude menstrual function during treatment. And this, in turn, helps to regress foci of endometriotic lesions, regardless of their location.
Progestogens - preparations containing the natural hormone progesterone or its synthetic substitutes. This hormone establishes a condition of the endometrium when it is ready to receive and develop a fertilized egg. These drugs include medicines such as Norkolut, Getstrinon, Dufaston, etc. They are prescribed at all stages of the disease. The course is from six months to 8 months.
Antigonadotropic drugs inhibit the production of hormones (called gonadotropes), which stimulate the functioning of the sex glands. These drugs include medicines “Danol”, “Danogen”, “Danazol”, etc. They are taken for six months. And they are contraindicated only in cases where the level of androgens is already high in the woman’s body.
Surgery
Now we will clarify how to treat uterine endometriosis with surgery. It is divided into two types: with one, organs are preserved, and only foci of the disease are removed, and with the other, organs are removed along with extensive affected areas.
The latter method is most often used for nodular forms of the disease, the presence of ovarian cysts provoked by endometrioid tissue, or when the described pathology is combined with uterine fibroids.
In the postoperative period, hormone therapy is prescribed for six months. And in some cases, and before the operation, hormonal treatment is performed.
In the presence of infertility and small lesions in the form of adhesions, laparoscopy is performed. It belongs to the type of microsurgical operations and is performed through a small incision.
It is also important to conduct electrocoagulation of the foci of the disease with subsequent hormonal therapy.
Alternative methods of treating endometriosis
As mentioned above, self-treatment of endometriosis can lead to serious consequences. It is impossible to make such a diagnosis without a special examination, since the disease does not have specific symptoms that belong only to it. This means that it is also impossible to be treated without monitoring the results.
Before you start taking any medicinal herbs, be sure to consult your doctor. Sometimes, to improve the condition, a patient doctor offers treatment of endometriosis with a pine uterus. Now we will dwell on this tool in more detail, explaining how this herb works and is prepared.
Endometriosis and Pine uterus: recipes
Pine uterus is a medicinal plant (in another way - orthilium is one-sided), which since 2003 was authorized by the Ministry of Health for use in the treatment of the female genitourinary system.
It is prescribed in cases of inflammatory diseases, infertility, fibromyomas, uterine bleeding, the presence of adhesions, menstrual irregularities, as well as with endometriosis. To do this, use infusions and decoctions of the named medicinal herb.
The broth is prepared from one tablespoon of the product. It is added to boiling water (1 glass) and for ten minutes continue to boil over low heat. Then the broth is allowed to stand for about 4 hours and filtered. It should be taken in a tablespoon half an hour before meals up to 4 times a day.
Treatment of endometriosis with the uterus is also carried out with the help of infusion. It is prepared from 2 tablespoons of grass. They are poured with boiling water (2 glasses), covered with a lid and wrapped. They are allowed to infuse for 15 minutes, after which they are filtered. Such an infusion is taken in several dosages: either 4 times a day, half a glass half an hour before meals, or (more gentle method) a tablespoon 3 times an hour before meals.
Both decoction and infusion can be used for douching according to indications.
Some tips
As you probably already understood from the foregoing, endometriosis can not be detected independently, and regular pain associated with the menstrual cycle can be attributed to the characteristics of your body. However, at the initial stage of the disease, even they may not be. Therefore, it is imperative to undergo a timely examination by a gynecologist. And with the appearance of any suspicious pain or heavy menstruation, do not delay with a visit to the doctor.
If you want to maintain your health and the opportunity to give birth to a strong baby, be attentive to your well-being and prudent. And then you don’t have to find out with fear how uterine endometriosis is treated and how this can threaten the body. Be healthy!