As Women we face many obstacles and challenges when it comes to our bodies. We never know what underlining
issues or conditions we might have to face down the road or what we are born with. Our bodies are a mystery that many doctors are still trying to solve to this date.

It is always important to take care of your body and know the warning signs when something is wrong. A condition that most women face today is Endometriosis. This article will dig deep and educate those who don’t know about this condition that most women endure in their life. It will give you some food for thought.

You may or may not have heard the medical term Endometriosis what does it mean? It affects about 5 million women in America everyday. Most people are well aware of this condition and may have a mother, aunt, sister, cousin, or even a friend that is going through this tough life changing condition. Endometriosis occurs when the lining of uterus grows outside of the uterus. Any girl or woman who is menstruating could get endometriosis at any age. But according to statistics it is more common in women in their 30s and 40s. Females live with this crippling condition and often require several surgeries to get rid of it.

Endometriosis which has been labeled and shorten as “Endo” gets its name from the word endometrium which is the tissue that lines the uterus and the womb. Endometriosis occurs when this tissue grows on the outside of the uterus or any other areas of the body where it’s not supposed to be. The most common areas where endometriosis is found is the outer surface of the uterus, the tissues that hold the uterus in place, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The most common symptom is unbearable abdominal pain.

There are other symptoms such as infertility, intestinal pain, digestive issues, spotting or bleeding between periods, painful cramps during your period, pain during or after sex, and chronic lower back pain. Endometriosis forming in areas of the body it doesn’t belong causes pain and more issues in a woman’s body. Nobody knows what causes endometriosis many researchers are still studying some potential causes.

These are just some of the theories that the researchers came up with.

Surgery such as a C-section, problems with menstrual flow like reverse menstrual flow can cause endo. Too much of the estrogen hormone in the body can be another potential cause. Lastly, genetics if endometriosis runs in your family it is possible that it can be inherited. Mind you these potential causes are still being studied, but it does give us some insight as to what can cause endo.

Endometriosis can be diagnosed during a pelvic exam if the doctor feels large cysts behind the uterus, imaging test such as an ultrasound or an MRI are used to detect the cysts, or performing an laparoscopy surgery to look inside your pelvic area. There is no cure for endo but if a woman is trying to get pregnant or having pain, hormonal birth control can help. If the pain is severe and nothing else is working then another form of treatment is having surgery to remove some of the endometriosis patches.

This is a serious condition that affects women all over the world and can stay with them for life. I hope this blog post will raise awareness about endometriosis. It is a condition that many women and their families have to live with everyday.