Uterine endometriosis is a pathological condition in which the tissues of the uterus (endometrium) grow to nearby organs. Basically, the disease is detected in 10% of women from 25 to 44 years old.
This process is divided into two types. The first and most common is genital, in which the ovaries and fallopian tubes are captured. And the second is extragenital endometriosis, which manifests itself with the involvement of some organs of the abdominal cavity, lung tissues, postoperative scars and the bladder.
Reasons
To date, there is no unequivocal opinion as to what causes the development of endometriosis. Many experts dwell on the implantation theory, which is based on the action of retrograde menstruation. The fact is that menstrual blood, in which there are particles of the endometrium, as a rule, flows into the abdominal cavity and tubes, where they take root. Moreover, just like the tissues of the uterus, the newly formed endometrium reacts to any hormonal changes in the body. But at the same time, all its excesses do not go outside, but form an inflammatory process with hemorrhage. It is worth noting that this type of menstruation occurs in women who have a certain structure of the genital organs.
There is also another theory of the origin of the disease. If you believe her, then uterine endometriosis manifests itself when the woman's immune system is weakened. As a result, when the endometrium attaches in the wrong place, macrophages (immune cells) are unable to destroy it. As a result, endometriosis appears, the photo of which you can see below.
But don't lose sight of the so-called genetic predisposition. After all, very often there are families where several generations of women suffer from this disease. In this case, uterine endometriosis indicates the presence of genetic disorders that have not yet been identified.
Signs
- Pain during menstruation that occurs in the abdominal cavity.
- Dizziness, nausea and weakness.
- Irregular menstruation cycle.
- Pain during bowel movements or sexual intercourse.
- Smearing selections throughout the cycle.
- Uterine bleeding.
- Infertility.
But it must be borne in mind that endometriosis of the uterus can occur without any symptoms. In addition, its diagnosis is complicated by the fact that most diseases of the pelvic organs have similar symptoms. Therefore, if any abnormalities appear that indicate the possible occurrence of endometriosis, you should contact a gynecologist and go through all the necessaryprocedures to help establish an accurate diagnosis.
Treatment
At the initial stage of treatment and provided that there is one focus of inflammation, hormone therapy is prescribed in the form of androgen derivatives or a combination of several oral contraceptives.
When unsuccessful attempts at conservative treatment or when several foci occur, doctors resort to surgical intervention. Most often, this is a laparoscopic operation, during which the foci of inflammation are cauterized with a laser.
