To know what it is - endometriosis, symptoms and treatment, effective in such a violation, should any modern woman. The term denote the pathological process of proliferation of the internal mucous uterine layer. Any modern woman has a risk of endometriosis, although doctors have identified certain factors that are more likely to provoke negative processes. We will understand what the disease is and how it can be defeated.
general information
Any woman needs to imagine what it is - endometriosis, how to treat the disease. If the pathological process begins, there is a chance of overgrowth of the uterine tissues with germination deep into the walls of the organ. Possible coverage of the pipes, intestinal tract, ovaries. Sometimes endometriosis captures the area of the bladder.
Normally, the endometrium is the tissue that covers the uterus from the inside. During cyclic bleeding, the functional layer departs. A pathological condition is accompanied by a risk of transition of mucosal elements and spotting to the abdominal cavity. Here, cells can attach to organs and begin to grow. To understand that treatment of endometriosis is already necessary, with symptoms, signs, a woman needs to see a doctor. The doctor prescribes special checks, tests that allow you to confirm the diagnosis or identify other health problems. What treatment is needed in a particular case? Pick up a specialist. Attempts to deal with the pathological condition on their own are unlikely to lead to anything good, since there is a high risk of complications.
Where did the trouble come from?
Forms, causes, symptoms, treatment of endometriosis - topics that have long been attracting the attention of prominent doctors around the world. No wonder, because the pathological condition is quite common, in some cases it hinders conception, that is, it is an important problem of the reproductive human function. The most prominent specialists around the world are studying the features of endometriosis, signs, symptoms, causes. Treatment will be most effective if it is possible to identify why the violation developed. Unfortunately, science is currently at a stage where it cannot be said that all possible explanations are already known. There are several factors whose influence has been proven undeniably, but many cases are not explained by them.
Symptoms and signs indicating the need for treatment of endometriosis in women more often appear at the age of 30-50 years, that is, in the period when the reproductive function is most powerful. The start of the pathological process falls on menstruation. Blood and cells exfoliating from the surface of the uterus penetrate into the abdominal cavity, where they attach to tissues and organs.
Also possible reasons:
- genetic background;
- mucosal metaplasia;
- hormonal imbalance;
- weakening of immunity.
And if in more detail?
In descriptions of the disease “endometriosis” compiled by prominent scientists, it is noted that one of the possible causes of the disease is metaplasia. The term designate the process of tissue transformation. Others believe that the endometrium, once in the abdominal cavity, can change its qualities and transform into a different tissue than the original. Such a theory has its supporters and opponents. It was not possible to prove either its truth or error. No mechanisms have been identified that would explain the ability of tissue to degenerate.
Mostly the treatment of endometriosis (a disease associated with the malfunctioning of the organs of the reproductive system) is necessary for people suffering from hormonal imbalances. In the body, the balance of steroid hormones is disturbed, the concentration of luteinizing, follicle-stimulating active compounds increases, the amount of progesterone decreases, prolactin accumulates. Under such conditions, malfunctioning of the adrenal cortex, responsible for the production of sex hormones, is observed.
More often they learn from their own experience that these are symptoms and treatment of endometriosis, women, among whose close relatives there have already been cases of such a pathological condition. Scientists know the genetic markers by which they can identify a predisposition to the development of the disease.
An important role in the development of a pathological condition is played by the immune status. If the system responsible for the body’s natural defenses is strong enough, endometrial cells simply cannot take root outside the uterine cavity. The protective abilities of the body allow you to destroy cells that spread outside the organ in which they must develop. Against the background of weakened immunity in women, the need for treatment with symptoms of endometriosis of the cervix, intestinal tract, ovaries and other organs of the abdominal cavity is much more often necessary, since natural processes do not prevent the cells from implanting.
Risk group
Statistical studies have revealed that there are factors under the influence of which it is more likely that a woman will require treatment of endometriosis of the ovaries, intestines, and other organs of the abdominal cavity against the background of symptoms. These hazards include:
- Transferred abortion.
- Excess weight.
- Bad environmental conditions.
- Failures in the liver.
- Inflammation of the reproductive system.
- Using a uterine spiral.
- Iron deficiency in the body.
- Surgery involving the pelvic organs.
There is a higher probability of surviving endometriosis of the uterus, cervix, and surrounding organs in women:
- age group 30-40 years;
- not giving birth;
- having among close relatives of patients with endometriosis.
The probability is higher for those who have their first menstruation before the age of twelve. Endometriosis threatens women who are characterized by a short menstrual cycle or prolonged bleeding (more than 7 days).
As practice shows, treatment with menopause is rarely required against the background of symptoms of endometriosis - in this period, the woman's condition improves significantly. In a rather large percentage of cases, the disease itself exhausts itself with the advent of menopause. Similar processes occur if it is possible to become pregnant.
In every third case, patients with endometriosis noted to a mild degree that the pathology went away on their own, they did not resort to specific medical care.
Types and Types
When choosing a treatment program for the symptoms of endometriosis, diagnosis is one of the most important stages. Several varieties of the disease are known. To choose the best course, you need to understand in which scenario the case develops. The division into categories is based on the localization of pathological processes. Commonly recognized forms of endometriosis:
- genital;
- external;
- combined.
The largest percentage of cases occur in genital endometriosis.
Symptoms
Symptoms indicate the need for treatment of endometriosis. They are quite diverse, each type has its own unique manifestations. Associated pathologies, if any, play a role. With endometriosis, severe pain in the lower abdomen is disturbing. Sensations are described as bursting. Shortly before bleeding and on the first day, bloating is observed. With intimate contacts, a woman is haunted by pain. True, you need to consider that not in all cases there are manifestations. At the initial stage of the pathology, there is a probability of a complete absence of any signs.
Clinical manifestations, symptoms of endometriosis (treatment should not be delayed when they appear, but it is better to provide the doctor with the choice of course):
- soreness in the lower back, lower abdomen;
- pain can vary in strength;
- with intimate contact and during menstrual bleeding, the pain syndrome becomes stronger;
- soreness radiating to the intestine;
- menstrual irregularities;
- heavy discharge during menstruation;
- increase in the duration of menstruation;
- the appearance of vaginal discharge (with blood impurities) between cyclic bleeding;
- inability to get pregnant;
- symptoms of general poisoning of the body.
Status Update
To understand whether treatment is necessary, a doctor should be visited with symptoms of endometriosis. The doctor will direct you to specific examinations. Mandatory set of procedures:
- ultrasound;
- laparo-, hysteroscopy;
- hysterosalpingography;
- blood test for markers indicating endometriosis.
In a specific case, the attending physician chooses which studies should be taken first and which should be postponed. The doctor may refer to additional activities to clarify the condition. There are cases when the diagnosis is made already on the basis of examination and ultrasound. In more complex cases, resort to laparoscopy.
What to do?
With symptoms of endometriosis, conservative, mixed, radical treatment can be prescribed.
A conservative approach is the use of medicines. In the predominant percentage of cases, enough hormonal drugs. Have to prepare for a long course. Well proven in endometriosis:
- single-phase hormonal combined birth control;
- funds on norsteroids;
- androgens;
- aGnRH;
- MDA long-acting.
As can be seen from numerous reviews, with symptoms of endometriosis, treatment most often involved the use of COCs. Women who have had the disease admit that the Regulon, Zhanin, and Logest drugs taken by the long course (from 6 to 9 months, sometimes longer) showed a good effect. The choice of a specific option is up to the doctor. The doctor evaluates the individual characteristics of the case. Suspecting endometriosis in yourself, you cannot start using these compounds without the recommendation of a professional - there is a risk of harming your health.
Alternatives
Of the class of norsteroids, the most widely used agents are those containing levonorgestrel. Doctors often recommend that patients stay on the Mirena spiral. The product is installed in the uterus for a five-year period. No additional measures are required.
A good reputation is the tool "Depo-Provera". Such a substance is injected into muscle tissue. The frequency of injections is once in 2-3 months. The duration of therapy is from 6 to 9 months.
For the period from three months to twice the time period, androgen-based drugs may be prescribed. Quite a good reputation are the drugs Gestrinon, Danazol.
The course of use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists may last up to 6 months. At pharmaceutical points of sale, such products are presented under the trade names Zoladex and Buserelin.
Often, an increase in the effectiveness of a therapeutic course is achieved by combining hormonal formulations and agents for stopping inflammatory processes and eliminating spasms. The patient may prescribe sedatives, vitamin complexes or enzymes.
Radical intervention
Surgical treatment is sometimes possible with the symptoms of endometriosis of the intestines, ovaries, and other organs located in the abdominal cavity. It is shown if conservative approaches do not give a pronounced result. Surgery is needed for certain types of endometriosis. The doctor will definitely direct you to the operation if the case is accompanied by complications and provokes pelvioperitonitis. Do not do without the help of a surgeon in the following cases:
- endometrial ovarian cyst;
- retrocervical form of endometriosis;
- a combination of fibroids, bleeding localized in the uterus, adenomyosis;
- increased likelihood of tumor processes in the ovaries;
- malfunctions of organs located next to the uterus.
Surgical treatment for symptoms of endometriosis of the intestines, ovaries, uterus, and other nearby organs is possible by laparoscopic methods. Less commonly, a laparotomy is required, a more traumatic method in which the abdominal wall is dissected.
Laparoscopy is accompanied by cauterization, electrocoagulation, removal of pathological cells with a laser.
In a predominant percentage of cases, a combination of surgical intervention and hormonal therapy is indicated. First, the patient is prescribed a six-month course (sometimes - twice less or a little more) of hormonal drugs, after which they conduct an additional examination and issue a direction for the operation. There is a likelihood of a reverse order, when first the woman is sent to the surgeon, after which a course of hormonal drugs is prescribed to maintain the condition.
Relevance of the problem
Studies show that endometriosis worries 5-10% of all young women living on our planet. Of those who cannot become pregnant, about 20-30% suffer from endometriosis. The process itself is benign in nature, and the cells that form during endometriosis are close in structure and functionality to the uterine endometrium. When penetrating into tissues and organs near the uterus, pathological formations lead to the appearance of adhesions.
The disease belongs to the class of gynecological. If you suspect endometriosis, it is necessary to visit a doctor of this orientation. There is a higher risk of getting sick if a woman is exposed to frequent stress. If endometriosis begins, during menstruation, endometrial cells will increase in volume everywhere - both in the uterus and outside it. Cases are known when endometriosis affects the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity, visual organs, and respiratory system. So that the case does not become so severe and does not spread throughout the body, it is necessary to begin its treatment as soon as possible.
It is known that women are more likely to develop endometriosis, often suffering from infectious diseases. Especially important are those that were pursued in childhood. Inflammatory processes in the ovaries are another factor that can provoke endometriosis. Often, a woman's condition is complicated by uterine myoma.
It is known that retrograde menstruation is inherent in any woman, but not everyone has endometriosis. Doctors failed to identify why the process is so selective. Others believe that this can be explained by the structural features of the appendages: with a certain configuration of organs, too much blood enters the abdominal cavity during menstrual bleeding, which becomes a factor provoking endometriosis. In addition, doctors believe that those who take drugs have a higher risk of a pathological condition, prefer caffeinated drinks, alcohol.
Hazards and Probabilities
Currently, there are many theories trying to explain endometriosis, but there is no one that applies to all cases of the disease. It was possible to establish certain patterns, to identify factors under the influence of which the risk of the pathological process is higher, but a certain percentage of cases of endometriosis does not lend itself at all to any explanation.
As statistical studies have shown, more often endometriosis develops in women living under stressful conditions, forcing them to breathe air mixed with dioxin. This substance is present in industrial emissions. If a woman lives in an area where many plants are located, the concentration of dioxin in the atmosphere is increased, for her there is a high probability of endometriosis from a young age.
More often, endometriosis worries those who use hormonal birth control. One of the risk factors is smoking.
Disease and reproductive function
Endometriosis in most cases does not lead to the formation of a vivid picture, so it is simply not noticed. You can suspect a problem if you can not conceive a child. Infertility is the case when sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives is regular, but during the year there was no conception. The causes of infertility are many, one of them is endometriosis. In this condition, pathological cells prevent fertilization, and if it occurs, inhibit the vital activity of the embryo. Endometriosis leads to hormonal imbalance, that is, the body does not produce the substances necessary for a successful pregnancy, bearing the fetus.
Against the background of endometriosis, the appearance of adhesions is possible. More often they are localized in the uterine neck, appendages. Under the influence of such formations, the organs grow together, the walls fasten, the tubes of the uterus become impassable. This is another reason for the inability to get pregnant with endometriosis.
A pathological condition depresses the immune system of a woman. If pregnancy occurs, bearing a child in a predominant percentage of cases is impossible. Either spontaneous abortion or fetal freezing occurs.
Status Nuances
The following health features signal the need to visit a doctor:
- the cycle is unstable;
- the interval between bleeding reaches several months;
- The discharge is long and plentiful.
These manifestations are not always explained by endometriosis, but they signal a malfunction of the reproductive system, so it is important to visit a doctor as soon as possible. By delaying the diagnosis, you can encounter a large tumor, inflammatory processes and infertility in the future, which will be extremely difficult to eliminate.
Endometriosis: all women are at risk
Although in a predominant percentage of cases, endometriosis disappears when menopause occurs, the opposite process is possible: it is with menopause that the woman's condition worsens. This is explained by hormonal disorders, a decrease in the concentration of progesterone. More often in older women, endometriosis occurs when there are concomitant factors:
- excess weight;
- metabolic disorder (diabetes mellitus);
- malfunctioning thyroid gland;
- frequent infection in the vulgar;
- operations transferred earlier.
You can notice endometriosis over the age of 50 by the following manifestations:
- Sick
- dizzy, headache;
- vomiting
- sore lower abdomen (rarely).
With endometriosis, mental changes are possible: a woman becomes tearful or irritable, while others have aggressiveness.
If endometriosis occurs in menopause, profuse or minor spotting is possible.
How to help yourself?
Perhaps the treatment of endometriosis in women with folk remedies. You should not abuse such approaches: the main course should be medication, chosen by the doctor. But as additional recipes and methods known by generations can be used. Based on the description of the disease "endometriosis", the most useful are compounds aimed at increasing immunity. If it is possible to activate the body's own defenses, the cells of the immune system will struggle with the spreading endometrial. In some cases, an increase in immunity allows significant progress in the patient's condition. So that the selected recipes do not harm the main program, all options must be agreed with the doctor. It is strictly unacceptable to replace the program recommended by a professional with healer advice.
Additionally, recipes and formulations can be used to relieve pain. With symptoms of endometriosis, treatment with folk remedies involves the use of infusions for:
- rosemary;
- mint;
- melissa;
- pharmacy chamomile;
- cinquefoil.
You can use only one species, you can combine several herbs at once to your taste. A small amount of dry grass is poured into a teapot, poured with boiling water and allowed to infuse, then they are drunk instead of ordinary drinks. The product is easy to prepare, will not cause harm, relieve pain and increase the body's natural defenses.
If endometriosis provokes heavy bleeding, it is believed that improvement can be achieved by using decoctions as drinks:
- viburnum bark;
- yarrow;
- raspberry leaves;
- highlander;
- hemorrhage.
It is recommended to use propolis and honey for home treatment. The first is suitable for both ointment and rectal suppositories, tincture. Honey performs well in combination with fresh aloe and viburnum juice. In equal proportions, they take all these components, fill them with the same amount of vodka, interfere with a few tinctures of calendula, wormwood, plantain, celandine. The finished product can be used three times a day for a teaspoon.