| What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is one of those | | | | and don't usually lead to developing any kind of cancer. |
| diseases that you've probably heard the name of | | | | These tumors can be painful, however. The pain can |
| before, but aren't really sure how it's caused or what | | | | range from moderate to quite severe. They can also |
| its symptoms are. You may wonder who is most at | | | | lead to infertility. |
| risk for contracting it and whether there is a cure. The | | | | The physiological changes that take place during a |
| first question is relatively easy to answer. The answer | | | | woman's menstrual cycle affects these growths. The |
| to the second question is, sadly, no. As of yet there is | | | | walls lining the uterus thicken each month as part of |
| no cure. | | | | the reproductive cycle. If no pregnancy develops, the |
| Who is at risk? The good news is that if you are a | | | | uterus sheds this lining and the woman experiences |
| man, you are out of danger. The bad news, | | | | the bleeding associated with her period. However, a |
| unfortunately, is that if you every female is at risk from | | | | woman who has endometriosis also experiences |
| the time of their first period. So, then what is | | | | bleeding on the growths outside the uterus. But since |
| endometriosis, physically speaking? What happens to a | | | | this tissue cannot be shed like the uterus lining, internal |
| woman who has it? The disease gets its name from | | | | bleeding results and scar tissue develops. Depending |
| the endometrium, which is the name for the tissue that | | | | on where the growth are located, this can lead to a |
| lines the uterus. When a woman suffers from the | | | | variety of complications. |
| disease, the endometrium grows outside the uterus. | | | | A surgical procedure called a laparoscopy is needed |
| Why does this happen? That's part of the problem. | | | | to fully diagnose endometriosis. Though done under |
| Nobody has yet learned why this occurs in some | | | | anesthesia, a laparoscopy is a relatively minor |
| women. | | | | procedure in which a lighted tube is inserted into the |
| The tissue typically grows outside the uterus in | | | | abdomen through a small incision. This device is called |
| somewhere in the pelvic cavity. The actual site of this | | | | a laparoscope and it allows the doctor examine the |
| tissue growth can take place in several places. It can | | | | organs and determine if any growths are present. |
| occur either on or beneath the ovaries; or on the | | | | Although there is no cure yet for endometriosis, |
| tissues behind the uterus; or on the bowels of the | | | | treatment does exist. Unfortunately, it ranges from |
| bladder. In extremely rare cases, it has even been | | | | medication to treat the pain to hysterectomies to |
| know to grow outside the pelvic cavity. | | | | remove the affected areas. The only problem with this |
| So what happens as a result of this tissue growth? | | | | is that there has been a high rate of recurrence even |
| Usually it develops into larger growths that can be | | | | among women who undergone this procedure. |
| referred to as tumors, lesions, or implants. Though they | | | | The answer to the question what is endometriosis is, |
| may be called tumors, they are typically not cancerous | | | | alas, not a happy one. |