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accessHealthNews.net
March 2024
Volume 10 | Issue No. 82
Abdominal pain during your period that
progressively worsens from month to
month is not just normal menstrual cramps.
Endometriosis is a common, chronic
gynecological disease that causes pain
and infertility, but a recent Yale study has
found evidence of a genetic variant that
puts those with the condition at higher risk
of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis causes tissue similar to the
lining of the uterus (the endometrium) to grow
outside of the uterus in the abdominopelvic
cavity. While these growths are not
cancerous, they are problematic. During
a normal menstrual cycle, the lining within
the uterus swells, breaks down, and is shed
from the vagina through bleeding. When
this material grows outside the uterus, the
tissue behaves similarly but has no means
of exiting the body, which irritates the
surrounding organs and eventually forms
scar tissue and bands of fibrous material
called adhesions.
These cobweb-like adhesions cause pelvic
tissues and organs to adhere ("stick") to
each other.
Endometriosis can cause a wide range of
symptoms, including bloating, constipation,
diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue. Endometriosis
is often painful, producing pain in the
abdomen, pelvis, and lower back, pain
with sex, pain with bowel movements or
urination, and painful periods with cramping
that may start before menstrual bleeding
and last for days. But it's not always painful.
Some people with endometriosis may have
no symptoms and only learn they have the
condition during surgery for another reason
or when they can't get pregnant.
READ MORE
Endometriosis can cause a wide range of
symptoms, including bloating, constipation,
diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue.
