A health care team that has experience diagnosing and treating endometriosis can help improve your quality of life. Your care may include a gynecologist and doctors from other specialties.
Endometriosis occurs when cells similar to those in the uterus lining grow outside of the organ, causing pain and other symptoms like fatigue, heavy menstrual bleeding and infertility. These cells may form cysts on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, bowel and other pelvic structures. In some cases, the tissue is inserted into the vagina or rectum.
The condition is hard to diagnose because the symptoms of endometriosis often look like other conditions that cause pelvic pain, such as ovarian cysts or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes bouts of abdominal cramping and diarrhea or constipation. Some women don’t even know they have endometriosis until their teens, when it starts affecting fertility and making it harder to get pregnant.
To diagnose endometriosis, your doctor will listen to your story and perform a physical exam. They will then order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tests use sound waves to make pictures of your pelvic organs. Your doctor may also order a biopsy of endometriosis tissue, which is done through minimally invasive surgery.자궁근종한약
Some women have only mild or moderate endometriosis and can conceive with little problem. For other women, the disease interferes with fertility in ways that aren’t as clear. For example, the scar tissue that forms on the ovaries and in the fallopian tubes can stop eggs from getting into the tube to be fertilized by sperm. It’s also thought to damage or degrade sperm cells.
For some people, hormone medicine — such as pills, injections or a vaginal implant — eases pain and stops new endometriosis tissue from growing. But this treatment isn’t a permanent fix, and the pain can return.
When other treatments don’t work, your health care team may recommend hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus. This surgery also can remove cysts on the ovaries related to endometriosis and adhesions. It also can be used to treat severe endometriosis that is causing serious problems, such as pelvic pain and infertility.
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to your symptoms,자궁내막증한의원 reproduction goals and the stage of your disease. It’s important to find a health care professional with whom you feel comfortable. You should always ask for a second opinion. This will help you understand your treatment options and decide what’s right for you.