Endometriosis - do you know the symptoms?

FROM bloating to back pain to painful cramps, menstrual cycle problems are common, but usually not that serious.

But if a women has endometriosis, a gynaecological disorder that affects as many as one in 10 Malaysian women, she may experience crippling pain, gastrointestinal problems, pain during and after sex, painful bowel movents or urination, infertility, lower back pain, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, fatigue and heavy or irregular bleeding .

However, although it’s one of the most common health problems for women, endometriosis is often overlooked and frequently misdiagnosed. Dr Susan Evans, an Australian endometriosis specialist and author of the book Endometriosis and other pelvic pain, said it’s because the symptoms of endometriosis are so similar to a regular menstrual period that the signs are overlooked.

“Each month, when a woman gets her period, the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) breaks down and is shed as menstrual flow. “When a woman has endometriosis, the kind of tissue that makes up the lining of the uterus also shows up in other parts of her body, including the ovaries, the bowels, and the bladder.

“During her period, this tissue breaks down — but since it’s outside the uterus, it can’t leave the body during menstruation, and cysts and scar tissue may form as a result,” explained Dr Evans, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently for the second Asia Pacific Endometriosis Alliance scientific meeting.

Endometriosis can occur at any age to any girl or woman during her menstruating years. Unfortunately, experts have not yet been able to isolate one particular cause of endometrioses.
While there are various theories floating around, most agree that excess estrogen in the body can make the condition worse.

Deborah Bush, CEO of the New Zealand Endometriosis Foundation, who also attended the alliance meeting, said that there is strong evidence to suggest that endometriosis may be genetic. “Women who have a family history of the problem are more likely to have it, as are their daughters,” she said. Bush explained that the patches of endometriosis can vary in size from the size of a pinhead to large clumps, and it tends to get worse over time without treatment.

Some women with endometriosis have no signs and symptoms at all, and the disease is discovered when they’re trying to get pregnant. “Pain is a common symptom of endometriosis. However, severity of pain isn’t necessarily a reliable indicator of the extent of the condition.

”The prevalence among Malaysian women who have it is said to be on par with the global estimate — roughly occuring in 10 per cent of women during their reproductive years.

Conference chairman Colonel Dr Hanifullah Khan, of Lumut, Perak, said that the rate may be as high as 35 per cent among infertile women. “Although endometriosis is typically diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 35, the problem probably begins about the time that regular menstruation begins,” he said.

There is no cure (drugs he means) for endometriosis, but there are ways to reduce the pain it causes, restore fertility, and shrink the size of the “lost” tissue.However, the best long-term treatment option is to remove the offending tissue if possible.
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Many ladies with endometriosis have used natural herbs like Perform a hormone regulator, Red Clover Plus containing natural plant estrogens and Native Legend Tea, an Essiac formulation to successfully prevent, arrest and reverse Endometriosis.

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