Saturday, September 17, 2011
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Endometriosis can Reach Your Bowel and Bladder
Endometriosis can Reach Your Bowel and Bladder
By Deborah Ross August 31, 2011 - 2:25pm
Having endometriosis is tricky business. For many women, it’s something you have to “look forward to” every month. Sometimes friends and family don’t understand the pain you are enduring with your cycle. And sometimes endometriosis is causing abnormalities in your reproductive area, pelvis and gut that you can’t even feel.
As defined by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, endometriosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus and gets shed during menstrual cycles for some reason is found growing outside the uterus, usually on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or other pelvic structures. In many cases that endometrium -- the lining -- can cause problems such as chronic abdominal pain, pressure or fullness in the pelvis, debilitating menstrual cramps, pain with intercourse and, sadly, infertility, according to ACOG.
Endometriosis can be an issue not only in a woman’s reproductive area, but also in the bowel and bladder. That’s because the displaced tissue responds to changes in hormones and can break down and bleed each month just as if it were in the uterus. Scar tissue, or adhesions, can form, sometimes binding organs together with painful results.
So, for many women having endometriosis, it’s not just the discomfort of a menstrual cycle but also pain that extends outward toward the digestive system. During a menstrual period, there can be diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, aches in the lower back, and pain during bowel movements and urination.
More than 5 million American women have endometriosis, with it most often hitting women in their 30s and 40s, according to a fact sheet from womenshealth.gov .
The fact sheet also noted that sometimes women can have endometrial growths in a number of areas outside the uterus yet feel no pain. On the other hand, some women with endometriosis have only a few abnormal growths and still feel severe pain.
Researchers are looking at associations between endometriosis and a number of conditions, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, certain cancers and yeast infections.
Read the rest by clicking here: http://www.empowher.com/endometriosis/content/endometriosis-can-reach-your-bowel-and-bladder
By Deborah Ross August 31, 2011 - 2:25pm
Having endometriosis is tricky business. For many women, it’s something you have to “look forward to” every month. Sometimes friends and family don’t understand the pain you are enduring with your cycle. And sometimes endometriosis is causing abnormalities in your reproductive area, pelvis and gut that you can’t even feel.
As defined by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, endometriosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus and gets shed during menstrual cycles for some reason is found growing outside the uterus, usually on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or other pelvic structures. In many cases that endometrium -- the lining -- can cause problems such as chronic abdominal pain, pressure or fullness in the pelvis, debilitating menstrual cramps, pain with intercourse and, sadly, infertility, according to ACOG.
Endometriosis can be an issue not only in a woman’s reproductive area, but also in the bowel and bladder. That’s because the displaced tissue responds to changes in hormones and can break down and bleed each month just as if it were in the uterus. Scar tissue, or adhesions, can form, sometimes binding organs together with painful results.
So, for many women having endometriosis, it’s not just the discomfort of a menstrual cycle but also pain that extends outward toward the digestive system. During a menstrual period, there can be diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, aches in the lower back, and pain during bowel movements and urination.
More than 5 million American women have endometriosis, with it most often hitting women in their 30s and 40s, according to a fact sheet from womenshealth.gov .
The fact sheet also noted that sometimes women can have endometrial growths in a number of areas outside the uterus yet feel no pain. On the other hand, some women with endometriosis have only a few abnormal growths and still feel severe pain.
Researchers are looking at associations between endometriosis and a number of conditions, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, certain cancers and yeast infections.
Read the rest by clicking here: http://www.empowher.com/endometriosis/content/endometriosis-can-reach-your-bowel-and-bladder
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Combating endometriosis
A new surgical procedure offers hope and promise
Vasudha Rai
Ashwini K. Trehan, consultant gynaecological surgeon at Spire Elland Hospital and Dewsbury and District Hospital, UK, is giving many with endometriosis a reason to smile.
While pelvic peritoneal excision surgery (basic laparoscopy where parts affected with endometriosis are removed) is effective, it has a 50% recurrence rate and may result in the removal of ovaries. Dr Trehan’s technique is called total pelvic peritoneal excision, where the entire pelvic lining is removed to prevent recurrence.
In a study conducted by Dr Trehan and F. Sanaullah, post-CCT clinical fellow in minimal access surgery, and C. Rooke, clinical audit facilitator, at Dewsbury and District Hospital in 2008, it was found that the new surgery improved the symptoms of endometriosis in 89.6% of women.
The circumstances in which removing the entire pelvic lining may not work is when the disease has spread into the uterus or in spots where endometriosis has reached very deep into the organs.
Dr Trehan says ovarian removal is the main reason for early death in women because it increases the risk of cancer, heart disease and acute menopause.
For more information, visit www.endometriosis-consultant.co.uk
Write to us at businessoflife@livemint.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)