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?

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

Endometriosis is a condition in which the endometrial cells lining the inside wall of the uterus begin to grow outside the uterus. In a majority of the cases, the growth is on the ovaries, the Fallopian tubes, or the tissues around the uterus. In rare cases, it occurs in other body parts. Normally, women in the age group of 30 to 40 years are prone to developing this condition and genetics is believed to be the reason behind this disorder. It is a serious medical condition if it causes discomfort to the woman.

Signs and Symptoms:  The signs and symptoms of endometriosis include chronic pelvic pain, pain during menstruation, urination, and intercourse, longer periods, bleeding between menstrual cycle, bloody urine or stool, and urinary and bowel problems.

Treatment methods:  In many cases, endometriosis goes undiagnosed and it can only be diagnosed through biopsy. If the biopsy confirms endometriosis, then it can be treated in the following ways:

Hormonal treatment: Hormonal treatment includes birth control pills, placement of the intrauterine device, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, and Danazol or Medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera).
Pain medication: Pain killers with anti-inflammatory properties are prescribed to those who suffer from painful menstruation.
Surgery: This is the last treatment option and only advised to those who did not find relief from medicines and hormonal treatment. Surgeons try to remove the areas affected by endometriosis but in severe cases, the ovaries might need to be removed completely.
Complications: It is important to treat endometriosis on time as delay can lead to complications. The complications arising out of endometriosis include the following:

Infertility: The scarring and distortions caused in the reproductive organs due to endometriosis and the endometriotic cysts can make a woman infertile.
Scarring: The bleeding and the inflammation caused by endometriosis leads to scarring of the tissues of ovaries.
Ovarian cysts: Sometimes, the abnormal growth of endometrial cells outside the uterus spreads to the ovaries and starts growing over there, leading to cysts.
Prevention: As it been mentioned before, in many cases, endometriosis goes undiagnosed but it can be prevented or its symptoms managed effectively if one is cautious. One should do the following:

Exercise regularly: Exercise increases immunity and also reduces the level of estrogens, which slows down the progression of endometriosis. It also provides relief from pain.
Eat nutritious diet: A diet rich in vitamin and minerals ensures good health of the reproductive organs and a fine immune system. This helps to fight the symptom of endometriosis and keeps the disorder in check.
Endometriosis is known to affect a large number of women and since the early symptoms are mild or confusing, most of the time they go undetected. Nevertheless, a woman can avoid it and the complications arising out of it by being mindful of the symptoms. They should also undergo a regular pelvic exam and follow the instructions of their gynecologist. This would ensure timely detection of the disorder and if this is ensured, the management also becomes easy.

Suffering From Endometriosis - What Are Its Treatment Options?

What is Endometrium?

The uterus is where the fetus grows and develops. It has three linings- the outermost lining, the middle layer and the innermost lining. The innermost layer is called Endometrium. The endometrium is made of mucosal tissues.

How the endometrium changes and what is its function?

Before ovulation, when an egg is released, the functional layer of the endometrium undergoes a change. Vascularization takes place i.e. a buildup of blood vessels and tissues that thickens the endometrium in anticipation of implantation of a fertilized egg. If conception does not take place, the tissues and cells are shed from the endometrium lining. This is when a woman gets her period.

When conception does take place, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the endometrium. The endometrium also supports the placenta, which provides the fetus with oxygen and nutrition.

What is the ideal thickness of the endometrium?

In pre-menopausal women, the thickness of the endometrium should be-

  Between 2-4 millimetres during menstruation,
  5-7 millimetres at the onset of the early proliferative phase
  Around 11 millimetres during the late proliferative phase
  16 millimetres during the secretory phase



What is a poor/thin endometrium?

If the endometrium lining does not meet standard thickness and is not conducive to implantation, it is called a poor endometrium.

Causes behind thin endometrium

There could be many reasons that can lead to a poor endometrial layer-

  Inadequate secretion of estrogen
  Insufficient blood flow
  Prolonged use of birth control pills
  Substandard quality of endometrial tissues
  Presence of fibroids (small uterine tumours)
  Amenorrhea (unnatural periods/ excess bleeding or too little bleeding)
  Intrauterine adhesions (scar tissues form between the layers of the uterus and glue them together)
  Pelvic inflammatory disease
  Use of clomiphene

What are the symptoms of poor endometrium?

  Infertility (inability to conceive)
  miscarriage
  Irregular menstruation
  Painful periods
  Inadequate bleeding during menstruation

Treatment for poor endometrium

  Since the most common cause of poor endometrium is insufficient estrogen, doctors prescribe estrogen pills that can raise estrogen levels.
  If poor endometrium is the result of poor blood flow, an Ultrasonography Test will reveal that. Then doctors prescribe Vitamin E pills and L-arginine amino acid pills to thicken the endometrium layer.
  Regular exercising increases blood flow to the uterus
  Acupuncture is a very effective stress buster. Chronic stress could lead to a shrunk uterine wall. Acupuncture can allay the stress and promote the health of the uterus.
  Intrauterine adhesions can be extracted through surgery.
  Natural remedy (through natural therapy) includes asparagus, royal jelly, cover and they help in thickening the endometrium layer.
  Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor if injected into the body raises endometrial thickness and combats infertility.

Only an endometrium of normal thickness can support a pregnancy. If the lining is not thick enough medical intervention may be necessary.

Poor Endometrium - Can It Be Treated?

A woman s body goes through a number of changes during her lifetime and therefore, it is always better to undergo regular health check-ups at proper intervals to ensure that all organs of her body function well.

Endometriosis is something, which every woman is likely to have heard about. However, not many women are aware of what it exactly is. Even fewer know about what they should look out for when it comes to having endometriosis or understanding what it means to be suffering from it. Is it not a lot better to be informed about all of this?


The condition of endometriosis is when the tissue that is supposed to be inside the uterus also known as the womb and lining starts existing outside it. What effectively happens is that the lining of the uterus, known as the endometrium, finds itself to be trapped in the pelvic area.


Some amount of discomfort is usually experienced by women who are menstruating. However, when a woman has endometriosis, the amount of pain is pretty persistent, sometimes extending to a month-long duration. Some women also suffer from excess bleeding.


Unfortunately the symptoms are not only limited to this. Women who are adversely affected by endometriosis usually find having sex painful as well, ironic as it is supposed to provide pleasure.

Also fertility is the primary function affected by it. There are so many complications in this regard. It is said that about 50 percent of women who have endometriosis have trouble getting pregnant and carrying a baby. Effectively, as sad as it is, endometriosis has the potential to take away the entire prospect of motherhood from a woman.


In addition to this, a fair number of cases, show that the symptoms, which are experienced worsen over the course of time. So, what this means is that the lifestyle of the woman may be severely affected as the symptoms get progressively worse; which is just one of the reasons why treatment is something, which should be resorted to sooner than later.


One of the lifestyle changes which may be beneficial in reducing the severity of endometriosis includes a change in your diet. Increased intake of green vegetables and fresh fruits along with a reduced consumption of red meat is definitely worth a try. Regular exercising is also helpful in treating the condition.


Endometriosis - What are the Symptoms and Consequences of it?

The woman s reproductive system is an extremely complex one. The uterus which is the main organ with its appendages helps in conception, pregnancy, and childbirth by undergoing marvellous changes. The uterus measures just about 7.5 x 4.5 in a normal woman and expands to accommodate a full-term baby within her during gestation.

The uterus is lined with smooth muscles, and due to unknown reasons, this lining material could be found in other parts of the pelvic organs. This condition is known as endometriosis and is one of the main causes of pelvic pain. Most women suffer through it, and it mostly gets diagnosed when some other issue is being investigated. 

For women with endometriosis, there are mainly two issues to deal with i.e. pain and depression.

Pain: While the pain per se is one issue, the way it affects daily normal life is another thing to be considered. For the pain to minimally affect routine life, the following are effective ways.

Exercise: Anything that you prefer like swimming, jogging, dancing, aerobics, cycling. This will help in stress management and pain relief.
Rest: Get adequate rest of 8 to 9 hours per night. On severely painful days, go ahead and sleep for a couple of hours extra.
Stress management: Whether through yoga or meditation or music, learn to manage stress better. Nobody is without stress but managing it is the key.
Eat healthy and fresh: Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, increased fibres are definitely useful. Reduce whites including sugar, salt, and dairy products if possible.
Social life: Stay connected with people whose company you enjoy   be it family or friends, or even counsellor if required.
Speak up: Let your close circle of friends at work know your problem, so they can help when you need it the most.
Depression and mood swings can be managed in the following ways.

Do what makes you happy: There are some activities which will definitely make you feel better. A quiet walk to get some fresh air. Watching a dance video. Listening to your favourite soundtrack. Changing body language to one without stopped shoulders and frowning foreheads can make a big difference.
Focus on the good: Writing down or thinking about what went well for the day can cheer you up and overcome the blues that is so common in women with endometriosis.
Positive thinking: Instead of saying, I can not try saying I will try. It makes a BIG difference, and you will be amazed at the results.
Keep happy company near you: Surround yourself with happy, positive people and see your happiness quotient go up!!!
Endometriosis is definitely an enigma that is not well known, understood, or identified. However, the above are definitely useful way to cope with it.

Pain & Depression Due To Endometriosis - How To Deal With It? 

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