Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Endometriosis and Pregnancy - Background

Endometriosis is a condition where tissues normally lining a woman’s uterus grow or attach to organs located outside. During menstruation, the uterual lining is shed as per normal, but the portion growing outside the uterus remains. Throughout the ovulation to menstruation phase, the uterual tissue becomes constantly provoked. It can get torn, break down and bleed. This aggravation causes the formation of scar tissue and produces discomfort.

The Endometriosis Research Center says that there are more than 7 million recorded cases of endometriosis among women in the United States. It is a key cause of gynecologic surgeries, chronic pelvin discomfort, and infertility.

What Causes Endometriosis?

Currently, the reason for the occurrence of endometriosis is still not known, but experts propose several possible causes. Latest studies conducted on the condition suggest that it may be genetically-influenced.

Symptoms

Symptoms of endometriosis include lower back pain, chronic pain the pelvis, painful menstruation (dysmenorrheal), fatigue and irregular or labored breathing. Women can also expect to feel some pain while ovulating or having sexual intercourse, painful bowel movements, and GI tract conditions like diarrhea, constipation, or bloating. In severe cases, endometriosis can lead to infertility.

Diagnosis

The only sure method to diagnose endometriosis is through surgery. Other diagnostic exams like MRIs, ultrasound, or CAT scans are usually inconclusive. A doctor needs to study symptoms of the patient and her medical history. In order to diagnose the problem, the doctor may opt to conduct a laparotomy or a laparoscopy.

Endometriosis Cure?

Endometriosis has yet to find a cure, but doctors suggest certain methods of treatment to help with its management.

How It’s Treated

Methods to manage endometriosis include:

Pain Medication

Medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin, which are available over-the-counter, are used to decrease discomfort and pain. It this does not work, one may need to take prescription drugs.

Drug Therapy

Hormone drugs can be used to block a patient’s ovulation. The key here is to stop the further provocation of the lesions and to protect oneself against the onset of other related problems. These types of drugs include oral contraceptives, progesterone medications, and GnRH agonists. Hormone therapy is normally recommended for those who have been through surgery.

Surgery

Doctors use conservative surgery such as laparoscopy and laparatomy to diagnose the disease, as well as remove the abnormal growths. If this succeeds, it could help eliminate the pain and even raise the woman’s chances of conceiving.

If conservative surgery is not effective, doctors may recommend hysterectomy and/or other, more invasive, surgical methods.

Alternative/Natural Therapy

Many patients prefer natural or alternative therapies to medications and surgery. Common alternative treatments would include acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and nutritional programs such as natural herbs for fertility. There is a significant amount of anecdotal evidence in support of these natural therapies which aim to “do no harm” while stimulating the body’s inherent defense and recovery mechanisms to heal itself.

Tags: endometriosis and pregnancy, endometriosis cure, herbs for fertility

This entry was posted on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 10:27 pm and is filed under loose pregnancy weight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.