Endometriosis Essay

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a very painful disease where tissue that usually grows inside the uterus grows outside the uterus. Because this tissue is endometrial tissue it still breaks down and bleeds during the menstrual cycle. Once the tissue breaks down there is no way for it to leave the body. This can cause severe pain. Endometriosis can also involve the ovaries and cyst can form called endometriomas. There are several symptoms from endometriosis, severe abdominal pain, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movement, extremely painful periods, and excessive bleeding. The exact cause of this disease is unknown, but there are a several explanations as to why this occurs. One explanation is retrograde menstruation. This is where menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flow back through the fallopian tubes and in the pelvic cavity instead of exiting the body. The endometrial cells stick to the organs and pelvic walls. They continue to thicken and bleed with each menstrual cycle. Another explanation for endometriosis is embryonic cell growth. If one or more of the abdominal lining becomes endometrial tissue, endometriosis can occur. A third explanation could be an immune system disorder. A problem with the immune system could make the body unable to destroy endometrial tissue that grows outside the uterus. There are several risk

For one there can be infertility issues. Because the fertilized egg must travel through the fallopian tube and attach to the uterine wall to start developing, the scar tissue from the endometriosis may obstruct the eggs path to the sperm. It is still very possible for woman to conceive with endometriosis, it is advised the longer a woman waits the more damage the endometriosis can cause. The second complication associated with endometriosis is Ovarian Cancer. Although it is rare, there is a higher risk factor for women who have endometriosis to develop ovarian