Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease. According to statistics, every 4 women aged 25 to 50 years suffer from this ailment. In today's article, we’ll talk about the causes of endometriosis, typical symptoms, diagnosis and ways to treat the disease.

What is uterine endometriosis, we tell in an accessible language

Uterine endometriosis is a serious disease that leads to infertility. We explain the essence of the disease in simple language.

The uterus is covered with mucosa in several layers. The inner layer consists of the endometrium. This fabric is quite elastic, equipped with a large number of blood vessels. The main task of this layer is to take a fertilized egg and create all the conditions for it to take root.

In women with an established menstrual cycle, the process of endometrial rejection occurs monthly if implantation and fertilization of the egg does not occur. During menstruation, ladies can observe on the pad small clots of blood of a dark brown or scarlet color. This is the endometrium, which went outside.

Ideally, the process should look that way. But in the woman’s body, failures often occur, as a result of which endometrial tissues can fall through the fallopian tubes to the ovaries, peritoneum, and disrupt the outer layer of the uterus. From this moment, the scattered endometrium begins to germinate in the organs. This phenomenon is called endometriosis.

In most cases, endometrial tissue leads to the formation of cysts, which in medicine are called "chocolate". With each menstrual cycle, they significantly increase in size.In most cases, surgical intervention is required to remove them.

Causes

The reasons why endometriosis occurs are still not known to doctors. Experts are of the opinion that it is necessary to consider each case individually, look for concomitant ailments or deviations in the body of a woman.
Gynecologists distinguish several factors that contribute to the development of the disease. They are as follows:

    1. Retrograde menstruation. What it is? During menstruation, part of the discharge enters the peritoneum, and not into the vagina. Over time, endometrial tissues accumulate there and endometriosis occurs. Very often, girls do not even realize about such features of menstrual flow. A similar problem can be seen by laparoscopy.
    2. Hormonal disbalance. In many girls, when an ailment is detected, a decreased level of progesterone in the blood is observed. In this case, the amount of estrogen goes off scale.
    3. Violation of the immune system. If the body works smoothly, then immune cells must respond to foreign tissues that enter a particular organ. If this does not happen, the immune system has failed.
  1. Hereditary factor. One of the most common and common.
  2. Any injuries of the uterine mucosa (including abortion).
  3. Early onset of sexual activity.
  4. Diseases of the genitourinary system.

The insidiousness of endometriosis is that the disease in most cases is asymptomatic. You can identify the disease using a special blood test and ultrasound. That's why it is important to visit a gynecologist once a yeareven if you nothing bothers.

Types and degrees of disease

Specialists distinguish several types of endometriosis. They differ in the location of pathological tissues. The most common types are as follows:

  1. Genital. It affects only the reproductive organs. It is quite difficult to treat. With this type of endometriosis, the possibility of pregnancy in a woman is practically excluded.
  2. Extragenital. Localization of the endometrium can be observed in any organ. Most often found in the bladder, navel, rectum, lungs.


The type of endometriosis can only be determined after surgery. As a rule, doctors prefer to resort not to abdominal surgery, but using the method of laparoscopy.

The degree of the disease is also important:

  • 1 - single foci of endometrial tissue are observed on the organs. A similar degree is treated medically;
  • 2 - endometrial tissue affects the muscle layer of the uterus;
  • 3 - endometrioid cysts appear, adhesions start;
  • 4 - the pathological process goes beyond the uterus, reaching the peritoneum. Very often, diseases at this stage lead to polycystic ovaries and infertility.

As you can see, the first stage of endometriosis can be tried to cure with a medication, without resorting to surgery. That is why it is so important to detect the ailment in a timely manner.

Symptoms and signs in women

Symptoms of endometriosis are not pronounced. Most women at the initial stage are completely absent. Nevertheless, there are signs that should alert the fair sex:

  1. Pain They are localized, as a rule, in the pelvic and lower back. Also, drawing pains can occur during menstruation, during urination, during sexual intercourse.
  2. Menorrhagia. During menstruation, a woman has abundant discharge with large blood clots. The cycle increases, often goes astray, becomes irregular.
  3. Anemia. After and during menstruation, a woman's general condition worsens. Weakness, drowsiness, increased sweating, fainting often occurs.
  4. Infertility. Can I get pregnant with endometriosis? With a disease of degrees 1 and 2, conception is possible. But in this case, the risks of spontaneous abortion increase. Grades 3 and 4 in many cases lead to ovarian dysfunction, and, as a rule, to infertility.

If a woman observes changes in the menstrual cycle, it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist.

How is the diagnosis

A routine examination by a gynecologist (on a chair) will not be able to give an accurate answer whether there are changes in the layers of the endometrium. To do this, you need the following studies:

  • transvaginal ultrasound. The period of 2-6 days after the end of menstruation;
  • venous blood test;
  • laparoscopy;
  • hysteroscopy.

To diagnose endometriosis, specialists, as a rule, apply several techniques simultaneously. The most effective of these is laparoscopy.

Treatment of uterine endometriosis

Treatment of uterine endometriosis is carried out only after a full examination of the woman. The doctor’s task is not only to eliminate the foci of inflammation, but also to understand the reasons for the growth of the endometrium.

Drug therapy


Drugs are prescribed if a woman does not have endometrioid cysts. The treatment is as follows:

  • COCs - oral contraceptives help restore and establish hormonal levels (using funds such as "Dufaston", "Regulon", "Jeanine";
  • anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs;
  • preparations for anemia (if the woman had profuse blood loss);
  • means to enhance immunity.

It is not recommended to take these drugs on their own, so as not to aggravate the situation.

Surgical intervention

If a woman is faced with the inability to become pregnant and 3-4 degrees of endometriosis have been detected, doctors suggest surgical intervention.

Not so long ago there was the only possible way - abdominal surgery. After it, a woman took about a month to recover.

Modern medicine does not stand still. Already, doctors can offer laparoscopy as an alternative. The operation is performed under general anesthesia, but the patient is made only three small incisions in the navel.

It takes women less than a week to recover. Within a couple of hours after the operation, they can get up, the seams do not bother.

Folk remedies

With 1 degree of endometriosis, alternative methods of treatment can be used. The boron uterus has proven itself well.

People's advice:uterus - healing properties for women

The methods for preparing tinctures are as follows:

  1. Pour dried grass (30 g) with strong vodka (0.5 l). Let it brew for 2-3 weeks in a dark place. Take tincture of 25 drops (2-3 times a day).
  2. Mix 30 g of the uterine uterus with a glass of olive or vegetable (refined) oil. Insist 14 days. Moisten a cotton swab with tincture, insert into the vagina. Leave the swab for 12 hours. It is better to carry out the procedure at night.

Folk remedies can be used only with the permission of a doctor. Self-medication leads to an increase in the endometrium and exacerbation of the problem.

Possible complications

Endometriosis can be asymptomatic, this is the insidiousness of the disease. If the disease is not detected in time and treatment is not started, the consequences can be quite serious. The most common complications:

  • infertility type 1 and 2;
  • problems with the bearing of the fetus, which can lead to miscarriage;
  • the development of blood anemia;
  • polycystic ovary;
  • neurological problems.

Endometriosis must be treated. According to statistics, this is currently one of the most common gynecological diseases in women.

Prevention

Speaking about preventive measures, the following should be highlighted:

  • visit to the gynecologist 1-2 times a year;
  • conducting a routine ultrasound scan 2-7 days after the end of menstruation;
  • treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system;
  • exclusion of uterine injuries.

If the problem is not detected in time, endometriosis can become a chronic disease, which is quite difficult to cope with. In today's article, we examined the signs of the disease, which should alert every woman. If you find yourself with these symptoms, do not self-medicate, seek the advice of a gynecologist.

We hope our tips will help avoid this ailment.

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