Endometriosis and Infertility.
If you are having trouble conceiving a baby one of the reasons may be endometriosis, a known cause of infertility. Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial cells grow outside of the uterus, usually in a woman's abdomen, and attach themselves to the reproductive organs and in severe cases other abdominal organs. These cells react to the woman's monthly menstrual cycle the same way the endometrial cells of the uterus do. Unlike the cells inside the uterus, which slough off and leave the body during a woman's period, the endometriosis cells bleed into the abdomen causing pain and discomfort.
Endometriosis does get worse with time as the cells slowly multiply. The
result of this is an increase of blood and nutrient matter released into the
abdomen each month. With no place to go the blood pools and causes
inflammation which in turn can cause scarring on and in the organs affected.
It is this scar tissue which may be responsible for a woman's infertility. It can
block the fallopian tubes keeping the egg from reaching the uterus or
sperm from reaching the egg. Endometriosis is also responsible for ovarian
cysts, which are called endometrioma. These cysts can be extremely painful
and can interfere with a woman's ability to ovulate.
Women with mild cases of endometriosis are usually able to conceive and
have children. The disease is not advanced enough to cause any lasting
affects on the woman's reproductive organs or her ability to get pregnant.
Women with severe endometriosis struggle the most with infertility. Not only
does this condition produce scarring and cysts, it can cause a distortion of
the pelvic anatomy. The endometriosis actually fuses organs together,
pulling them away from their natural position. Ovarian cysts are not only
painful but can damage eggs in the ovaries, reducing the quality and quantity
of the eggs available for reproduction.
The treatment for women with infertility caused by endometriosis consists of
laparoscopic surgery to remove as much scar tissue and endometrial
growths as possible. This can then be followed up with six months of a
hormone suppressing drug such as Lupron or Zoladex. It is important that
women do not attempt conception during this six months as these drugs
have been shown to harm unborn fetuses.
It should also be noted that there is a low success rate of women with
infertility attributed to severe endometriosis actually getting pregnant. The pelvic
distortion and scarring attributed to endometriosis makes natural conception
a hard proposition. Women with severe cases of endometriosis can turn to
in-vitro fertilization, which has shown some success for those afflicted with
this disease.
If you have or suspect you have endometriosis and are thinking about having
a baby it is important that you talk to your doctor about your options and the
impact it may have on your chances of getting pregnant.
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