Endometriosis Awareness.

                                               

 The Month of March has been declared globally as Endometriosis Awareness month. The mission is to raise awareness of a disease which affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide.

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of a woman’s uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond pelvic organs.

With endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit the body, it becomes trapped.

We still do not know the exact cause of endometriosis. However, its confirmed that abnormal endometriosis lesions are “locally invasive”, it penetrates deep inside, irritating nerve endings, and making connections with small blood vessels below. Thus endometriosis toxins may be released into the blood stream, causing fatigue and other systematic symptoms.

As part of efforts to raise more awareness on Endometriosis, Nordica Fertility Centre, on the 10^th of March 2018, organized a five Kilometer walk tagged: #PressforProgress in the awareness and treatment of Endometriosis”.
The walk which started from City Mall, Lagos to Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island, had thousands of participants including lead sponsor Diamond Bank Plc.

According to experts, lack of awareness on the condition has affected the management, diagnosis and treatment of Endometriosis, hence the need for more Nigerians, including medical personnel to be abreast with the public health issue and how to manage it.

Some major facts about Endometriosis;

·        30% to 50% of women with endometriosis may experience infertility.

·        10 years is the average time it takes for a woman to be diagnosed with endometriosis.

·        1 in 10 women get affected by endometriosis during their reproductive years (ages 15 to 49).

·        176 million women in the world have endometriosis.

·        82% of women are at times unable to carryout day to day activities due to endometriosis.

·        27 is the average age when a woman is first diagnosed with endometriosis.

·        68% of women with endometriosis were initially diagnosed with another condition.

Some major symptoms of Endometriosis;

·         Painful periods: Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before your period and extend several days into your period. You may also have lower back and abdominal pain.

·         Pain with intercourse: Pain during or after sex is common with endometriosis.

·         Pain with bowel movements or urination: You're most likely to experience these symptoms during your period.

·         Excessive bleeding: You may experience occasional heavy periods or bleeding between periods.

·         Infertility: Endometriosis is first diagnosed in some women who are seeking treatment for infertility.

·         Other symptoms: You may also experience fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.

How do I know if I have Endometriosis?

Talk to your doctor if you think you might have endometriosis. They’ll ask you about your symptoms and do a pelvic exam to check for cysts or scars. They may also do an imaging test like an ultrasound or MRI.

The only way to know for sure if you have endometriosis is with a minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy: A doctor will make a small cut in your belly and insert a thin tube with a tiny light called a laparoscope to look for the tissue growing outside the uterus. They might also do a biopsy, to take a small sample of tissue to test.

Is there treatment for Endometriosis?



Endometriosis can’t be cured, but it can be treated with medicine or surgery. If the symptoms aren’t too bad, pain relievers may be enough to help.



Surgery for endometriosis may be an option for you if the symptoms are really bad or if you want to get pregnant but haven’t been able to. A surgeon will remove the growths that are outside of your uterus, cutting down on pain and making it easier for you to get pregnant. But often the growths come back after surgery, so you may need to take medication, too. As a last resort, some people have a hysterectomy — removing the uterus and sometimes the ovaries, though it’s impossible to become pregnant after that.

Reference:

http://endometriosis.org/news/support-awareness/endometriosis-awareness-2018/