In light of March being endometriosis awareness month, this blog post will provide an educational resource to learn all about the ins and outs of endometriosis. We will also touch on the term “Endo Warriors,” or individuals who suffer from endometriosis. Many endo warriors, including myself, wish to spread factual and beneficial knowledge to bring awareness to this very real and common medical condition.
What is Endometriosis?
You may be thinking, “Endometri-what?” That kind of reaction is common towards endometriosis due to the lack of medical research on this particular chronic disease. Endometriosis is a condition where cells that are similar to the lining of the uterus, also called the endometrium, are found outside of the uterus on either the walls of the abdominal cavity or on surrounding organs such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or bladder. In severe cases, this tissue can be found near the bowels and chest cavity. The endo-tissue acts just as the endometrium lining within the uterus would; it thickens, sheds, and bleeds but in parts of the body that it should not be in. The resulting effect is the blood becoming trapped internally. Your body reacts to the internal bleeding with inflammation, a process that can lead to the formation of scar tissue, also called adhesions (Surrey). With endometriosis, there are effective treatments to manage the persistent symptoms.
What are the symptoms of Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a fairly common health problem. More than 5 million people are affected by it in the U.S (Planned Parenthood). While this disease is a common one, that does not excuse the fact that it can cause many health problems and extreme physical pain. Symptoms include: painful menstrual cramps, pain during or after intercourse, heavy bleeding during menstruation, diarrhea, infertility, and pelvic pain. Most individuals who have endometriosis describe the symptoms as an intense period. Cramping, bleeding, and fatigue tend to be on the extreme side for endo-warriors. It should be noted that the severity of your pain may not be a reliable indicator of the extent of your condition (Wasson, 2018). Meaning, one could have a mild case of endometriosis but the pain is severe and on the other hand, one could have a severe case of endometriosis and little to no pain. Oftentimes, endometriosis can be mistaken for other conditions that share similar symptoms. Some of these conditions include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Although endometriosis can be confused with other conditions, there are various ways to diagnose and treat endo-warriors.
How is Endometriosis diagnosed and treated?
Despite the fact that endometriosis is comparable to other pelvic and gastrointestinal conditions, the diagnosis is a simple one. If an individual and their doctor believe the patient experiences symptoms and has past medical history that could be a potential cause for this disease a pelvic exam, transvaginal ultrasound and/or laparoscopy procedure will be done. Although these words may be a little intimidating, I can confidently say from personal experience, that there is nothing to be afraid of with these procedures. The pelvic exam is the same as any other routine pelvic exam. With the transvaginal ultrasound, a wand is inserted into the vaginal canal to view the uterus, pelvis and reproductive organs. The most important diagnosis tool to identify endometriosis is the laparoscopy procedure. The laparoscopy procedure allows the doctor to make a small incision and insert a tube connected to a light and camera to view the abdominal cavity and the surrounding organs. During this time, the doctor may biopsy any tissue they believe to be endometriosis or any other concerning material.
The cure for endometriosis has yet to be found but there are ways to manage the symptoms and theoretically stop the growth of endometrial tissue. The most common ways to treat this condition are hormone therapy and surgery. Oral contraceptives, gonadotropin-releasing antagonist and agonist hormones are all hormones that can be taken to control your menstrual cycle and also stop your body from producing certain hormones that benefit the growth of endometrium cells. The laparoscopy procedure is routine for some endo-warriors when their endometriosis is on the more severe side. Doctors will go in and remove any endometriosis tissue every few years, with the time between each surgery depending on the severity of the condition.
Who are Endo-Warriors?
As mentioned previously, March is not only national women’s history month but also endometriosis awareness month. The individuals who endure the complications of having such a disease are called endo-warriors. Endo-warriors around the world are banding together to spread accurate and educational information on endometriosis. Most also share their stories on the beginning symptoms of the disease and how they were ultimately diagnosed. A great website I highly recommend checking out is https://endowarriorssupport.com/. This website helps share quick facts on endometriosis and provides a discussion forum to help connect endo-warriors who feel alone or need advice.
Conclusion
Overall, endometriosis is a common condition for women and individuals with uteruses. Symptoms can range from nonexistent to severe, but the severity of the symptoms does not directly relate to the classification stage of the endometriosis. Diagnosis and preventative treatments are available and necessary for an individual's pain management. Last but not least, endo-warriors are here to share and provide resources for anyone who may be experiencing symptoms or has been diagnosed with endometriosis. Think of the endo-warriors around you and help them feel special this month!
References
Broster, A. (2021, June 2). Why is endometriosis so poorly understood? The Gender Health Gap may explain. Endometriosis : Causes - Symptoms - Diagnosis - and Treatment. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.endofound.org/why-is-endometriosis-so-poorly-understood-the-gender-health-gap-may-explain#:~:text=The%20lack%20of%20medical%20research,doctors%20understand%20about%20the%20condition.
Endometriosis. Endometriosis | Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/endometriosis
EndoWarriors. (2014, October). Endo Warriors. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://endowarriorssupport.com/
Parenthood, P. (n.d.). How can I get testing and treatment for endometriosis? Planned Parenthood. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/endometriosis/how-endometriosis-diagnosed-and-treated
Surrey, E. S., Editors, H. W., & Battaglino, B. (2023, February 27). Endometriosis. HealthyWomen. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.healthywomen.org/condition/endometriosis
Wasson, M. (2018, July 24). Endometriosis. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656
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