Being able to conceive and give birth to a new life is something that most women dream about. The natural instincts of motherhood give a lot of joy to women after they reach a certain age and this is something that is hormone driven so that they are inspired to get pregnant and give birth, keeping the life cycle of humans regular and growing.

A lot of women may be able to easily conceive and go through a natural pregnancy without any major glitches or problems, but everyone may not be as lucky and there may be those women who may be suffering from health issues that make it difficult for them to conceive.

One problem in women that may lead to difficult in conceiving or infertility may be the problem of endometriosis. This is a health issue that affects the uterus and it is defined as a problem in which the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, disturbing menstrual cycles as well as the ability to conceive and carry a foetus in the uterus.

Is it possible to get pregnant?
There is widespread misconception that women who suffer from endometriosis may never be able to conceive because the uterus lining that is needed for the inception of the embryo in early pregnancy may be missing. However, the truth is that the problem is a treatable one and with the right medical help and guidance, it may be possible to make sure that the problem is brought under control or reversed and that a successful pregnancy may be achieved.

While it is possible to reverse the problem, it is also important for aspiring couples to choose the right gynaecologist for the treatment, because it is a complex issue that can be resolved only with expert and experienced interference. The medical professionals may put you under medication that works on the hormones and creates ways to reverse endometriosis. However, in patients who suffer from severe endometriosis, a surgery may be one of the alternative treatments.

The relation with pregnancy:
As it is suggested by experts in the field of gynaecology, finding difficulty in conceiving may be a real possibility. However, with the help of modern medical practices such as in vitro fertility, it may be possible to conceive when all other forms of treatment fail and in order to achieve such a feat it may be important to trust a doctor that has a perfect backing of knowledge and experience in the field.
The modern world of medicine is no shorter than a marvellous miracle, however, the success or failure of any treatment depends a lot on the kind of medical aide and specialist that you decide to opt for.

Endometriosis - How it Affects Pregnancy?

When tissues that usually grow inside the uterus, start growing outside the organ, it is called endometriosis. Painful periods, pain during sex, pain while urinating or bowel movements, extreme bleeding, fatigue, infertility, diarrhea, bloating and nausea are some of the symptoms of endometriosis.

Treating endometriosis usually depends on the following factors

Age
Severity of symptoms
Severity of the disease
Future plans for children
Depending on these the doctor might opt for any of the following treatments

Medication for Pain: If the symptoms are mild, then the doctor will prescribe some pain killers like Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. 
Hormone Therapy: Hormone therapy is effective, but once you stop them, your symptoms may come back. Some of the hormone therapies include: 
Hormonal Contraceptives: Birth control pills, vaginal rings and patches are useful in controlling the hormones that are responsible for tissue build-up outside the uterine cavity. 
Medroxyprogesterone: This drug stops menstruation, which in turn stops the tissue build-up and put an end to all the symptoms. But on the other hand, gaining weight, low bone production and depression are some of the common effects of this drug. 
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) antagonists and agonists: Hormones that stimulate ovaries are blocked by these. They bring down oestrogen levels and hence prevent menstruation. 
Danazol: This drug prevents menstruation and symptoms of endometriosis by blocking the hormones that stimulate the ovaries. However, Danazol may not be a favourable option because of its side effects. The drug should be avoided during pregnancy.
Conservative Surgery: If you are trying to get pregnant, but you already suffer from endometriosis, then removing endometriosis surgically is a viable solution. Your uterus and ovaries will be preserved, which might increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Even suffering from severe pain might find relief from conservative surgery. 
Hysterectomy: In extreme cases, the only way to deal with the symptoms is to completely remove the uterus, ovaries and cervix. Since a hysterectomy means you cannot have children, it is kept as the last option for women in their reproductive age.

Management of Endometriosis

The tissue that lines the uterus is known as the endometrium. In some cases, it can grow outside the uterus. This is known as endometriosis. Endometriosis usually involves organs in the pelvic cavity such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel and lining of the pelvic cavity. In rare cases, it may involve the vagina, cervix and bladder as well.

Depending on the location and extent of endometrial tissue, it can be classified into four stages ranging from minimal to severe. Most cases of endometriosis fall into the minimal or mild category which involves mild scarring and superficial tissue implants. Moderate or severe endometriosis can cause cysts and severe scarring. Infertility is also commonly associated with severe endometriosis.

Pain in the pelvic area just before and during menstruation is one of the most characteristic symptoms of this disorder. This is because the overgrown endometrial tissue acts like normal endometrial tissue and is shed during menstruation. The only difference is that since there is no exit for this overgrown tissue, it is trapped in the pelvic cavity. The location of the implantation of endometrial tissue also plays a role in the amount of pain experienced. The deeper the implant, more the pain. Implants near areas with high nerve density are also more likely to be painful than implants in areas with low nerve density.  These implants may also release substances into the blood stream that can cause pain.

Other symptoms associated with this disorder are:
  Painful intercourse
  Painful urination
  Pain during bowel movements
  Infertility

These symptoms especially the pelvic pain can vary from month to month in terms of duration and intensity.

A few simple changes in your diet can help manage the symptoms associated with this disorder and in some cases, prevent it as well. Avoid processed food and foods that are high in sodium content. You should also avoid high-fat dairy and food that is rich in arachidonic acid. Instead, increase your consumption of carbs and green leafy vegetables. You could also add two tablespoons of walnut oil a day to your diet to help combat inflammation and the other effects of arachidonic acid.

Early stages of this disease can be treated with hormone therapy, but if it has progressed to the later stages, surgery may be needed. This surgery is performed laparoscopically and aims at removing all the implanted tissue from outside the uterus. However, in cases where the anatomy of the pelvic organs has been distorted by the implants, a hysterectomy may be required. This option, however, it usually considered only in cases where a woman does not have any plans of conceiving more children. 

Endometriosis - How It Is Affecting Your Life?

The uterine cavity has a tissue base that is known as the endometrium. When this endometrium spills over or spreads to the other parts of the reproductive organ, it begins to punch through the uterine lining. Such a condition creates complications and even infertility, and is known as endometriosis.

Read on to know more about endometriosis and how it can cause infertility.

Endometriosis

When the endometrium tissue spreads to areas like the ovaries, and the abdominal cavity, it can lead to numerous complications. Apart from pain, this may also cause infertility. 5 to 10% of the women worldwide suffer from this condition and have trouble conceiving. Additionally, about 30 to 40% of the infertility cases are due to endometriosis, not all cases. These figures are all confirmed by various medical studies.

How does it cause infertility?

Endometriosis can prevent ovulation, which is the process that occurs every month. During the ovulation process, the ovaries release eggs that may be fertilised in order for the woman to conceive. In this condition, the fimbria of the fallopian tubes also has trouble in capturing the egg, which prevents conception from taking place. This leads to infertility in the long run. Endometriosis also interferes with the proper production of the hormones that are required for normal ovulation and fertilisation of the egg.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis of the condition can be done with the help of lab tests and ultrasounds as well as imaging tests that can create the image of the womb and the endometrium lining. This will help in showing the severity and damage caused by the tissue. A surgical procedure called a laparoscopy may be carried out by the doctor to ascertain whether the patient is suffering from this condition. In this procedure, a small incision will be made and a camera will be inserted to view the insides on a screen, to learn more about the tissue s spread and the kind of treatment that will be required. The doctor will also diagnose the condition on the basis of various symptoms like irregular and heavy bleeding.

Treatment:

Treatment for endometriosis associated with infertility needs to be individualized for each woman. There are no easy answers, and treatment decisions depend on factors such as the age of the woman, the severity of the disease and its location in the pelvis, the length of infertility, and the presence of pain or other symptoms. Some general issues regarding treatment are discussed below.

Treatment for Mild Endometriosis

Medical (drug) treatment can suppress endometriosis and relieve the associated pain in many women. Surgical removal of lesions by laparoscopy might also reduce the pain temporarily.

However, several well-controlled studies have shown that neither medical or surgical treatment for mild endometriosis improve the pregnancy rates for infertile women as compared to expectant management (no treatment).

For treatment of infertility associated with mild to moderate endometriosis, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination - IUI is often attempted and has a reasonable chance to result in pregnancy if other infertility factors are not present.

Details about IUI success rates with endometriosis

IUI and endometriosis

Success rates with IUI for endometriosis have been variable in studies, showing:

A pregnancy rate of 6.5% for women with endometriosis vs. 15.3% per cycle for unexplained infertility
A pregnancy rate of 5.6% for women with advanced endometriosis vs. 22.7% per cycle for mild endometriosis vs. 25.7% for no endometriosis
Pregnancy chances with insemination for natural cycle IUIs (no drugs) with endometriosis are about 2% per cycle vs. 11% with injectables plus IUI for endometriosis
Treatment for severe endometriosis

Several studies have shown that medical treatment for severe endometriosis does not improve pregnancy rates for infertile women.

Unfortunately, the infertility in women with severe endometriosis is usually resistant to treatment with ovarian stimulation plus intrauterine insemination. If the pelvic anatomy is very distorted, artificial insemination is unlikely to be successful. These women often require in vitro fertilization in order to conceive.

Although the studies of in vitro fertilization for women with severe endometriosis do not all show similar results, pregnancy success rates are usually good if the woman is relatively young (under 40) and if she produces enough eggs during the ovarian stimulation.

Endometriosis - How It Results in Infertility?

Endometriosis is a painful disorder wherein, a tissue that normally belongs to the inside of a woman s uterus, starts to grow out of the uterus. It common involves a woman s ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue, which lines the pelvis. In case of endometriosis, the displaced endometrial tissue continues to act like normal, becomes thick, breaks down and leads to bleeding with each menstrual cycle. Endometriosis can lead to pain, which might be severe especially during a woman s period. 

Causes of Endometriosis:

Embryonic Cells Getting Transformed: Hormones like estrogen might transform the cells, which are in the early stage of development, into implantation of endometrial cells at the time of puberty. 
Surgical Scar Implantation: After undergoing a surgery like a hysterectomy or C-section, the endometrial cells might get attached to the incisions done for conducting the surgery. 
Transport of Endometrial Cells: The tissue fluid system or the blood vessels might transport the endometrial cells to different parts of the body. 
Let us take a look at some of the symptoms of endometriosis: 

Periods which become painful 
Pain suffered during or after the intercourse. 
Feeling of pain during bowel movements 
Excess bleeding 
Infertility 
Possible location of endometriosis: 

Ovaries(the most common site) 
Fallopian tubes 
Back of the uterus 
Front of the uterus 
Uterine ligaments such as the broad or round ligament of the uterus 
Pelvic walls 
Intestines 
Urinary bladder and ureters 
Investigations Required in Endometriosis 
The investigations required in endometriosis are as follows: 

Pelvic Exam   In this exam, a doctor manually tends to feel certain areas in pelvis for any kind of abnormality like cysts or the reproductive organs or scars behind the uterus. 
Ultrasound   High-frequency sound waves are used to create certain images inside the body, through capturing them via a device known as transducer and getting it pressed against a woman s abdomen.
MRI   MRI by way of magnetic field and radio waves help to get detailed images of the tissues and organs in the body. 
Laparoscopy Endometriosis through the eyes of ayurveda: The signs and symptoms mentioned in endometriosis are described in ayurveda under the heading of vataja yonivyapadh and udavartha. 
Apana Vata is considered as the main functioning agent to maintain normal menstruation. 
This is vitiated due to sedentary life style, lack of exercise, sleep, irregular sleep, stressful professional atmosphere, mental tensions and unhealthy food habits. 
The deranged apana vata causes retrograde menstruation leading to endometriosis. Along with this, the other two doshas-pitta and kapha are vitiated leading to hormonal imbalance and abnormal growth of endometrium respectively. Hence, the first and foremost step is to restore the physiology of these doshas. 
What are shodhanas? 
Shodhanas are detoxifying procedures like snehana, svedana, vamana, virechana and basti. Benefits of shodhana in female reproductive system: 

Biological systems return to normalcy. 
Revitalizes body tissues 
Potentiates pharmacological actions of internal medicines 
Removes toxins 
Improves physiological functions and gut absorption. 
Also, improper metabolism is corrected 

Mental faculties, strength and vitality are enhanced 
Fine tunes the endocrine system (hormonal balance correcting hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis). 
Promotive-promotes fertility, preventive-prevents recurrence and curative- cures from the root and rehabilitative too. 
Ayurvedic Treatment for Endometriosis 
Endometriosis s treatment in Ayurveda requires an anti-Pitta diet and regimen, where there would be complete avoidance of all spices, except coriander, turmeric and saffron. One must also refrain from having 

Salt 
Alcohol 
Refined sugar 
Good herbs might get included in the form of: 

Shatavari 
Kumari Saar 
Kanchanar 
Ashoka 
Lodhra 
Pradranta Churna 
As per Ayurveda, Endometriosis happens as a result of more Kapha due to increased growth of the uterine membrane. Anti-kapha, anti-tumor and general detoxification can be helpful along with some typical herbs like Guggul, Myrrh, Turmeric and Dandelion. 

How can Diet and Yoga help to improve Endometriosis? 
Modifications in diet by switching to the intake of healthy foods and Yoga can help to a great extent in improving Endometeriosis. Some of the diet tips include: 

Avoiding foods like cakes, donuts and fries that contain trans fats. 
Cut down on consumption of red meat. 
Have lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains 
Put a check on consumption of caffeine and alcohol 
Reduce the intake of processed foods. 
Impact of Yoga 
Yoga s positive impact in treating endometriosis includes: 

Yoga, with its structured approach towards the body help reduce the symptoms of emdometriosis, while improving the general functioning of the body & oxygenation to the organs. 
Women, who have tried out Yoga in order to decrease pain, also observed that there has been an improvement in their condition through healing. 
Control in the breathing exercises decrease anxiety and a general sense of well-being is promoted. 
Yoga helps to ease out menstrual pain, improves fertility and helps in bringing about hormonal balance.

Endometriosis - A Possible Therapy In Ayruveda!

Endometriosis is a painful condition where the endometrium tissue lining the walls of the uterus, grows as implants outside the womb of the patient. This can lead to a number of painful conditions and is often considered as a common cause behind severe pelvic pain, as far as women are concerned. Here is all you need to know about endometriosis and pelvic pain.

 Painful menstruation: depending on the stage of the condition, the implants could remain on the surface or go deeper into the ovaries which may cause acute and severe problem during ovulation as well as the menstrual cycles. This is one of the symptoms that one must not ignore. If you are having painful cramps that affect the pelvic area and the abdomen, and if these cramps last throughout the duration of the cycle, then there are strong chances that you are experiencing the pain that comes with endometriosis. 
 Pain during and after intercourse: while there are many reasons why women may face pain during intercourse, it may be noted that vaginal and pelvic pain that come during and after intercourse could point towards the presence of endometriosis, which is causing irritation and discomfort due to the implants. 
 Bowel movements and urination: usually, pelvic pain may trickle down to and also get activated by the bowels when there is a motion as well as urination. This is a common problem that can cause pain, which spreads throughout the region if the patient is suffering from endometriosis. 
 Bloating and other symptoms: when the abdomen and nearby regions face bloating due to the implants and their painful spread, the pelvic region as a whole bears the brunt in terms of severe pelvic pain. The bloating and other symptoms like loose motions and constipation can also create pain in the abdomen and pelvic region on a persistence basis. Sharp pains may also shoot up and down the lower back due to such symptoms which should not be ignored if they do not abate within a few days. 
 Misdiagnosis: many times, the bloating and pelvic pain may be linked with pelvic inflammatory disease, which causes pain in the muscles and joints. But if you are having pain in the abdomen as well as problems during your menstrual cycle, then it may be helpful to have the tests for endometriosis done as well. 

In order to diagnose the condition, the doctor must ensure that proper imaging tests like mri and ct scans as well as an ultrasound with lab tests based on blood samples have been conducted. The pelvic pain that comes with this condition can be treated with the help of pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin.

Could Your Pelvic Pain be Endometriosis?

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