Medicosnext
On June 25, 2019, the Endometriosis Foundation of America (EndoFound.org) announced that its year-long campaign to encourage New York State elected officials to pass endometriosis legislation has been approved unanimously in both the Assembly and the Senate. The bill will bring endometriosis education to New York’s school and medical practitioners.
Until a few years ago, the medical world didn’t take the women’s suffering too seriously. It was often dismissed as “just” bad period pain, career ‘women’s disease’, or even worse, the sufferers were told that it was all in their head. Women have suffered in silence for years, if not decades, not knowing where to go for help or advice when they didn’t know the name of the pain they were going through every month due to lack of awareness about the disease.
Things have started changing since women with endometriosis began sharing their personal histories of growing up with the pain on social media in the past few years. A large number of women, celebrities, and organizations are actively raising awareness about endometriosis that is estimated to affect 176 million women of reproductive age worldwide.
Women are using various social media platforms to inform other women who have similar symptoms like them to get early diagnosis and treatment. They are also demanding that research be done on the debilitating condition that interferes with every aspect of their social and professional lives.
Despite being a common condition, endometriosis has been often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, under-reported, and under-researched. It is not a fatal condition, but it is one of the three biggest causes of female infertility. According to American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), it can be found in 24 to 50 percent of women who experience infertility.
So, what is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, develops outside of the uterine cavity in abnormal locations, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and abdominal cavity, according to ASRM.
Every month, the endometrial tissue builds up and is shed if the woman does not become pregnant. Likewise, the displaced cells also act like endometrial tissue and responds to the hormonal changes by building up and bleeding just as the endometrium does during a period. But, unlike the cells in the womb that leave the body as a period, this blood has no way to escape the woman’s body. It becomes trapped, which leads to bleeding inside of the pelvis causing inflammation, swelling, and scarring of the normal tissue (www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/endometriosis).
How long does it take to be diagnosed?
It can take years before endometriosis is diagnosed and appropriate treatment initiated. The average time between the onset of pain and diagnosis is nearly 8 years in the United Kingdom, and 12 years in the United States of America. The lack of awareness and research on the condition has prolonged suffering and delayed diagnosis. The diagnosis is also delayed because some people don’t experience any symptoms, while some show symptoms that are similar to other health conditions.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of endometriosis are painful menstrual cramps, long and heavy periods, pain during intercourse, infertility, painful urination and painful bowel movements during periods, back and leg pain, and gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea.
How is it diagnosed?
The only way to diagnosis endometriosis is through surgery, while pathological biopsy can confirm the presence of disease. Endometriosis is a progressive condition and there is currently no cure for it. The medical and surgical treatments can help ease the symptoms, but it is most likely to return.
How to help the sufferers?
Awareness about the disease and support and understanding from family, co-workers, and friends can make a world of difference to the patients. Early diagnosis of the condition will help women to seek help sooner; especially women who are trying to conceive, where age matters.
What increases the risk?
– Giving birth for the first time after age 30
– Having abnormal uterus
– Having mother, sister, or daughter with the condition
– Having first period before 11 years of age
– Having shorter regular monthly cycles
14 conditions commonly mistaken for endometriosis
Bladder infection, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), sciatica, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), primary dysmenorrhea, adenomyosis, interstitial cystitis (IC), pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic adhesions, fibromyalgia, appendicitis, and ectopic pregnancy.
Endo awareness campaigns
EndoFound, endometriosis uk, EndoActive AUSTRALIA & NZ, SpeakENDO, #endostrong, #TooLong Campaign, #1in10 Campaign etc.
