World Health Organisation defines endometriosis as a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Endometriosis in other instances can cause severe pain in the pelvis.
WHO says endometriosis can start at a person’s first menstrual period and last until menopause.
Endometriosis affects roughly 10 per cent (190 million) of reproductive-age women and girls globally.
It is a chronic disease associated with severe, life-impacting pain during periods, sexual intercourse, bowel movements and/or urination, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, and sometimes depression, anxiety, and infertility.
There is currently no known cure for endometriosis and treatment is usually aimed at controlling symptoms.
Access to early diagnosis and effective treatment of endometriosis is important but is limited in many settings, including in low- and middle-income countries.
According to WHO, these are signs and symptoms
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Heavy bleeding during periods or between periods
- Trouble getting pregnant
- Bloating or nausea
- Fatigue
- Depression or anxiety.
Causes that can lead to endometriosis are
- Retrograde menstruation - when menstrual blood flows back into the pelvic cavity at the time that blood is flowing out of the body through the cervix and vagina during periods.
- Cellular metaplasia is when cells change from one form to another. Cells outside the uterus change into endometrial-like cells and start to grow.
- Stem cells can give rise to the disease, which then spreads through the body via blood and lymphatic vessels.
WHO says endometriosis has significant social, public health and economic implications.
It can decrease quality of life due to severe pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and infertility.
Some individuals with endometriosis experience debilitating pain that prevents them from going to work or school.
Prevention
According to WHO, there is no known way to prevent endometriosis.
Enhanced awareness, followed by early diagnosis and management may slow or halt the natural progression of the disease and reduce the long-term burden of its symptoms.
