Endometriosis is a common health problem affecting two to ten percent of American women of childbearing age. The condition gets its name from the word endometrium – the tissue that lines the womb or uterus. Jackson Heights endometriosis happens when endometrial-like tissue grows outside the womb and on other surfaces where it does not belong. For instance, tissue similar to the uterus lining can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and outer surface of the uterus.

What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

Pain is the primary symptom of endometriosis; women with this health problem may have different kinds of pain. For example, most women with endometriosis experience excruciating menstrual cramps that are much worse than the usual cramping. The pain also tends to worsen with time. Other common signs and symptoms of endometriosis include:

  • Pain during or after sexual intercourse
  • Painful bowel movements or urination. You are most likely to have these symptoms during your menstrual period. Although rare, you may also find blood in your urine or stool.
  • Bleeding between periods or occasional heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Infertility. Some women seeking infertility treatment are first diagnosed with endometriosis.
  • If you have endometriosis, you may experience fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, headache, bloating, and nausea, mostly during your menstrual periods.

Why does endometriosis cause pain?

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that lines your uterus or womb grows in other body parts where they do not belong. In the same way, endometrial tissue thickens and bleeds with each menstrual cycle, and so do endometriosis growths. However, the endometrial-like tissue cannot exit the body, so as it swells and bleeds, it causes pain. The abnormal tissue may continue to grow, resulting in several problems. For example:

  • Scar tissues and adhesions may form, binding organs together. Scar tissue may cause pelvic pain and affect fertility.
  • The growths may cover or grow into your ovaries, blocking your fallopian tubes. Blood may also get trapped in the ovaries, forming cysts.
  • Inflammation or swelling
  • Intestines and bladder problems

The intensity of your pain usually is not a reliable indicator of the severity or extent of your condition. You could have mild pain with severe endometriosis or excruciating pain with or no pain with advanced endometriosis. Diagnosing endometriosis can be challenging because it can be mistaken for other conditions associated with pelvic pain, like ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease. It can also be mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome, which causes constipation, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.

What causes endometriosis?

The exact cause of endometriosis remains unknown, but possible explanations include:

  • Embryonic cell transformation. Estrogen hormone may transform embryonic cells into endometrial-like cell implants during puberty.
  • Retrograde menstruation. Instead of menstrual blood existing in the body, some of it flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity. Because menstrual blood contains endometrial cells, they stick to the pelvic walls and other surfaces where they grow, swell, and bleed with each menstrual cycle.
  • Transformation of peritoneal cells. Hormone or immune factors may cause the cells in the inner side of your abdomen to transform into endometrial-like tissue.

If your menstrual cramps are overly painful or you have other endometriosis symptoms, book an appointment with your doctor at Raveco Medical for diagnosis and treatment.