The Treatment of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease for which their is no medical cure but there are
medical options to treat the symptoms and pain it causes. The type of
treatment you choose will depend on what your future plans are as far as
having kids. It is important that you talk to your doctor because the treatment
can vary from woman to woman depending on their symptoms and future
plans.
The cause of endometriosis is unknown but doctors and medical
researchers do know a diagnosis of endometriosis refers to the growth of
endometrial tissue outside the uterus. This growth usually occurs in the
abdomen and can affect the reproductive organs and the bowels.
These endometrial cells react to estrogen just as the lining of the uterus
does and they thicken with the blood and nutrients a fertilized egg would
need to implant. During menstruation the trapped endometrial cells cannot
leave the body a simply bleed into the abdominal cavity. this process repeats
every month and causes scar tissue to form in the abdominal cavity.
One form of endometriosis treatment is the use of hormones to regulate a
woman's monthly cycle. Sometimes this can be as easy as a prescription for
birth control pills. Birth control pills help shrink the endometrial tissue which
in turn reduces the pain caused by it. Birth control pills can also be taken in
conjunction with NSAIDs like ibuprofen to help relieve the pain.
If birth control pills do not work to control the endometriosis a stronger
hormone therapy may be needed. Drugs such as Danazol, Gestrinone and
Lupron keep the ovaries from producing estrogen by reducing the hormones
released by the pituitary gland. Without estrogen the endometrial cells
cannot grow during the woman's monthly cycle. This is in essence drug
induced menopause and the symptoms associated with menopause can
accompany this type of endometriosis treatment.
If hormone treatment does not effectively deal with the endometriosis then
your doctor may recommend surgery. There are two type of surgery for
endometriosis.
Operative laparoscopy in which the surgeon uses a slender tube inserted
into the abdominal cavity through a small incision. This is the only definitive
way to diagnose endometriosis. The surgeon can physically see if
endometriosis is attached to the organs in the lower abdomen. They can
also remove endometrial cysts and lesions by cutting or cauterizing them.
There is a good chance that they will not see or remove all the endometriosis
with this method simply for the fact that most of it can be to small to see.
The last method of treating endometriosis is a hysterectomy. In this
procedure the entire uterus is removed. In severe cases the fallopian tubes
and ovaries are removed. This is the surgical way of forcing menopause with
a more permanent way of stopping the release of estrogen.
The treatment of endometriosis can be a a long and winding road. There are
many ways to approach its treatment. Only you and your doctor can decide
which course or sources of action are best for you.
Treating Your Endometriosis:
A Comprehensive Guide That Uncovers All You
Need To Know About Endometriosis And Its Treatment | 