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💛What Is: Endometriosis💛

                   What is: Endometriosis
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      Endometriosis is a chronic illness/disorder where the tissue lining of the uterus-endometrium- grows outside of the uterus. The most commonly known affected locations of Endometriosis are the ovaries, the lining of the pelvis, and Fallopian tubes, however, in some cases it can grow outside of the pelvic region to the intestines and lungs.
    The tissue within the endometrium tries acting as a healthy uterus would, thickening, breaking down, and leaves your body through your mensural cycle, but with Endometriosis that isn't the case. The tissues doesn't have a way to leave the body, therefore becoming stuck.
    Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women around the world. About 200 million women are affected world wide. However, a diagnosis is very hard to come by. On average, it can take women 6 to 10 years until getting diagnosed, the typical age being 25-35 years old despite the fact that girls as young as 11 have been known to have Endometriosis. This is because of the lack of teaching of Endometriosis and understanding in women's health. It is often ruled as "just a bad period," especially for younger girls.
    Endometriosis can also involve regions such as the rectum, appendix, and bowel.

                Endometriosis Symptoms
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  Endometriosis symptoms include:

•Painful sex
•Severe abdominal pain
•Severe back pain
•Excessively long periods
•Heavy bleeding on period
•Spotting
•Tissue discharge on period
•Nausea
•Vomiting
•Bowel disorders
•Urinary disorders
•Chronic Fatigue
•Loss of appetite
•Irrational mood swings
•Pain surrounding your period (Not just while you're on it)
•Weight loss
•Infertility
•Bloating

               Causes of Endometriosis
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       Although it's still not said what "causes" Endometriosis, link's have been made between Endometriosis and other women's health issues such as retrograde menstruation and embryonic cell transformation. Here are some other links that have been found to cause Endometriosis:
•Embryonic cell transformation: When hormones, such as estrogen, turn cells that are in the beginning stages of development into endometrial like cells during puberty.
•Retrograde menstruation: When blood containing endometrial cells flow backwards in the Fallopian tubes and pelvic cavity, where it grows and thickens causing inflammation during each menstrual cycle.
•Surgical Scar Implantations: Endometrial cells attaching themselves to scar tissue after surgeries such as a c-section, laparoscopy, and hysterectomy.
•Peritoneal cell transformation: An "Induction theory" where the hormones and immune factors turn the cells that are on the inner part of your abdomen turn into endometrial-like cells.
•Immune disorders: Immune disorders can cause the body to get confused and make your body unable to recognize and get rid of endometrial-like cells growing outside of the endometrium.
•Travel of endometrial-like cells: Tissue fluid production blood can bring endometrial-like cells to other parts of the body.
•Genetics: Although it isn't completely found that there's a "true" link, in genetic studies have found that there is an increase in the disease with close relatives.
Some factors that also have been found to be linked to Endometriosis are: starting your period early, never giving birth, having a low body index, high levels of estrogen, tract abnormalities in the reproductive system, going through menopause at an older age, and having any other reproductive disorder that prevents normal passage for blood during the menstrual cycle.

Should I see a doctor?
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It is suggested that you see a doctor for your Endometriosis symptoms to get a proper, accurate diagnosis and help managing your symptoms. Endometriosis is sadly a very overlooked, downplayed illness where there isn't a lot of teaching on the topic, therefore it can be very hard and challenging to get a diagnosis.

Journey to Diagnosis
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At your doctors appointment your doctor will want to go through a series of steps to bring you to a diagnosis:

•The appointment: Talk to your doctor about your symptoms. BE HONEST AND DON'T DOWNPLAY THEM! Be as descriptive as possible, telling them what it feels like, how often your experience it, and where the pain is located.
•Ultrasound: No diagnosis can be found from a ultrasound, but Ovarian Cysts can be seen from endometriosis.
•Pelvic Exam: No diagnosis can be found through a pelvic exam but after hearing about your symptoms your doctor may want to perform a pelvic exam to feel for any cysts or scars.
•Blood Test: While no diagnosis can be found through a blood test, your doctor will want to do blood tests to rule out any other possible conditions.
•Various Treatments: Your Doctor will want to try various treatments such as hormonal birth controls, GnRH antagonist medication, and GnRH agonist medication.
•Laparoscopy: After you've gone through the previous steps and found no relief, your doctor may want to go in for a laparoscopy to look inside of your pelvis to look for any lesions. During this surgery, your doctor will remove small portions of tissue to examine in a biopsy and remove the endometriosis when/if found.

                   Stages of Endometriosis:
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          Endometriosis is categorized into 4 different stages. The stages are based around the growths, commonly how many lesions are found and their severity.
      •Stage 1: Peritoneal Endometriosis is when there's only a little bit of Endometriosis where the membrane lining the endometrium is affected.
     •Stage 2: Endometriomas is when there are more implants than in the first stage and they are deeper around the pelvic tissue.
    •Stage 3: Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis is when there are many deep implants around the pelvic cavity and there may also be cysts one one or both ovaries, as well as the possibility of there being adhesions.
     •Stage 4: There are A LOT of deep lesions and thick scar tissue in the abdominal and pelvic region. Cysts are a possibility as well.
      Although it isn't known why women have different stages, it is theorized that it has something to do with hormone production. In some cases, Endometriosis doesn't change stages, but can remain at the same stage or worsen. The stage of your Endometriosis has nothing to do with the amount of pain you're experiencing. Someone with stage one could be curled up on the floor, passing out, throwing up from pain, while someone with stage four may experience little to no symptoms.
  
   What Other Troubles Can Come With Endo?
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        There are no serious with deadly complications that can come from Endometriosis itself, there are other complications that can occurs such as:
     •Ovarian Cancer: Sadly, Ovarian cancer is common among those with Endometriosis. It's not known if this is just a coincidence or if there's an actual link between the two, but studies suggest that women with Endo do have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer later in life.
     •Infertility: Infertility is very common among women with Endometriosis. One third of women with Endo have a hard time becoming pregnant. This is because with Endometriosis, the egg and the stern can be kept from meeting due to being suck.

    Ways of managing Endometriosis will be in a separate chapter. If there are any other illnesses or topics you're curious about feel free to comment, PM me on here, or DM me on my Instagram: vaehwrites 💛🎗✨