What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in females where the lining on the inside of the uterus also forms on the outside of the uterus. This can cause chronic pain, bleeding, and even infertility. Treatments include birth control, pain relievers, and surgery.
Fast Facts:
- Occurs when the endometrium grows outside the uterus or in other areas of body
- Endometrium is usually shed during the Menstrual Cycle each month
- Affects 89 million women of reproductive age
- Symptoms: Dyspareunia, Chronic Pain, Menorrhagia
Treatments
There is no cure for endometriosis, but there are ways to help control it. Birth control, anti-inflammatories, and pain medication are all medications used to treat the effects of endometriosis.
A laparoscopy may also be done to see how severe it is and the doctor may burn off the endometrial cells, but this is only a temporary solution.
Ultimately, the only permanent relief is a hysterectomy. Up to 15% of women still continue to have pain following a hysterectomy. http://women.webmd.com/endometriosis/endometriosis-treatment-overview<ref>
