Causes of endometriosis
In the list of the most common gynecological pathologies, endometriosis ranks last in the top three (after inflammatory diseases and uterine fibroids).
Today, scientists have not fully figured out why this pathology develops. Some experts blame this on poor heredity and environmental pollution, while others are confident in hormonal imbalances and a decline in immunity.
In patients with endometriosis, menstruation poses a certain kind of danger - with menstrual discharge, pathological cells enter other organs, attach to the exposed tissues and begin to multiply. If a woman does not become pregnant during ovulation, the endometrium dies not only in the uterus, but also wherever it ends up. Compression is formed in the wrong places of fastening; the patient perceives this as pain and discomfort.
Risk factors that increase the possibility of endometriosis have been known in medicine for a long time:
- genetic predisposition;
- excess estrogen with decreased progesterone;
- late first pregnancy;
- complicated childbirth;
- abortion, especially in the later stages;
- cauterization of erosion;
- C-section;
- cervical biopsy;
- gynecological operations.
With any injury to the uterus (unintentional or caused during a planned operation), cells enter the fresh wound, which will soon begin to grow where they should not be in the first place.
Smoking, alcohol abuse, and an unbalanced diet negatively affect all processes in the body, increasing the risk of developing endometriosis.
Intermenstrual discharge: what are they?
Intermenstrual discharge occurs in any location of endometriosis. They are associated with hormonal imbalance due to pathology and premature endometrial detachment. With endometriosis of the cervix and vagina, discharge between menstruation occurs due to trauma to the lesions.
Characteristic symptoms:
- Scanty spotting perimenstrual discharge occurs with adenomyosis. Damage to the uterus is accompanied by the appearance of dark brown spotting 1-2 days before menstruation and immediately after it. Less commonly, such symptoms persist for 3-5 days before and after menstruation;
- Red and brown discharge in the middle of the cycle occurs with an ovarian cyst. The disease is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. Often such discharge occurs during ovulation;
- Scarlet and bloody discharge due to pathology of the cervix and vagina occurs on any day of the cycle. They occur when the lesion is damaged during sexual intercourse. Heterotopias can be injured during transvaginal ultrasound, gynecological examination, douching, insertion of suppositories and tampons;
- Bloody dark discharge from the anus occurs when the rectum is affected. Accompanied by pain during bowel movements, difficult bowel movements;
- Blood in the urine is characteristic of endometriosis of the bladder. Frequent urination is noted, and nagging pain appears above the pubis.
The appearance of blood in the urine may indicate the localization of endometriosis in the bladder.
Yellow, green, white and dirty gray discharge are not typical for endometriosis. Such symptoms indicate a concomitant inflammatory process in the genital tract. The diagnosis can be made after examination by a gynecologist (smear for flora, bacteriological culture of discharge, speculum examination, ultrasound).
Symptoms of the disease
With endometriosis of the uterus, the endometrium changes more intensively than in a healthy woman. This is influenced by environmental conditions and malfunctions of internal organs. Pathological cell proliferation occurs not only in the uterus, but also outside it. When the reproductive system is affected, cystic formations in the ovaries, the inability to get pregnant, and frequent delays in menstruation are noted.
The course of the disease is very individual and varies greatly among patients with the same diagnosis. This is explained by different localization of pathological tissue. At first, the disease occurs without any symptoms; they appear in the final stages.
The most common symptoms are the following:
- painful menstruation;
- frequent pain in the pelvic area;
- inability to get pregnant;
- heavy menstruation;
- discomfort or pain during sex;
- painful bowel movement.
Most of the symptoms may be absent for a long time; in this case, women come to us about the inability to conceive a child. 50% of patients complain of pain that intensifies during or before menstruation. The pain in this case is caused by damage to organs by endometriotic growths . Fluid accumulates in the affected cells, pressing on the peritoneum, causing discomfort. Endometriosis requires urgent treatment so as not to worsen the patient’s condition.
Pregnancy with endometriosis
Infertility is a consequence of many diseases, but most often this diagnosis is made due to endometriosis. Overgrowth of endometriotic tissue spreads to the fallopian tubes and ovaries and causes many problems for a woman’s health.
Sometimes the disease develops during pregnancy, in which case there is a high risk of miscarriage. Another dangerous complication for a pregnant woman is perforation of the uterus, its unexpected rupture . Without surgical intervention, the woman faces imminent death; in this case, the fetus cannot be saved. Therefore, obstetricians and gynecologists do not recommend that women with endometriosis plan pregnancy until complete recovery.
Gynecologist's recommendations
A diagnosis of endometriosis requires immediate treatment. In the initial stages and the absence of complications, hormonal therapy is prescribed, in complex cases - surgery. After surgery, medications are also prescribed.
To eliminate the consequences, you must regularly visit a gynecologist. It is important to contact the clinic if you have problems with your periods and menstrual cycle.
Changes in the nature of the discharge, its abundance, regularity, and frequency are a reason to undergo an examination.
If a disease is detected, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the treating doctor. This will help maintain reproductive health and avoid infertility later.
Processes in the uterus with endometriosis
When the inner part of the uterine layer is damaged, endometriosis develops. The mucous membrane of the uterus grows, disrupting the functioning of the ovaries. As a result, there is a delay in the menstrual cycle. A woman’s egg develops, but it takes longer than usual.
If cycle disturbances have occurred repeatedly, a woman does not need to look for recipes on how to induce menstruation. You definitely need to go to a gynecologist. Delay is the initial sign of endometriosis, but this also happens with less dangerous diseases, so there is no need to panic in advance. Visit a doctor, he will conduct a diagnosis, relieving you of severe doubts and worries.
The disease disrupts the hormonal order in the body, which will certainly affect the timeliness of growth and rejection of the endometrium. The menstrual cycle changes significantly, in some cases they disappear completely - this is secondary amenorrhea. If the level of progesterone in the blood decreases further, this will certainly lead to uncontrolled bleeding or retention.
Processes in the cervix
The second reason for a woman’s cycle to fail is the proliferation of abnormal cells in the cervix. Due to this proliferation, menstrual blood cannot leave the vagina. When menstruation arrives, it is heavier than usual and accompanied by pain. This type of pathology occurs less frequently, but it is much more dangerous due to the high risk of developing into cervical cancer.
Even if the process has not become malignant, it is still undesirable due to the formation of adhesions in the cervical canal. Adhesions prevent a woman from getting pregnant. Sperm entering the vagina are unable to reach the egg to fertilize it.
Hormonal imbalance in the body slows down the development of eggs in the ovaries, so menstruation occurs later than usual. Due to hormonal disorders, the endometrium cannot mature by a certain time, so there is no uterine bleeding. The female body is designed in such a way that the uterus is prepared during the cycle to receive a fertilized egg. If a girl has endometriosis, the natural process is disrupted, which affects the entire body.
About pathology
Every month, the inner layer of the uterine cavity, the endometrium, is renewed in a woman’s body. Throughout the cycle, it grows and enlarges, and if conception does not happen, it peels off and comes out.
Failure occurs more often due to hormonal imbalance. The endometrium emigrates to other organs and begins to grow there - these are the ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestinal walls, and bladder. Its cells, just like those in the uterine cavity, are rejected and bleed during menstruation.
Diagnosis and treatment
Endometriosis is more common in patients before menopause; it also occurs in adolescents. The delay occurs as a result of the development of the disease. Gynecologists distinguish endometriosis of genital and extragenital forms . The genital form is diagnosed when the uterus, tubes, ovaries or vagina are affected. The extragenital form is determined when endometrial cells are found in neighboring organs that do not belong to the reproductive system.
Diagnosis of endometriosis is difficult because in the initial stages there are often no symptoms. If symptoms are present, they are similar to signs of other gynecological pathologies. What to do to make an accurate diagnosis?
Preventative examinations with a gynecologist will help to detect the disease in a timely manner and avoid serious complications. With endometriosis, secondary infertility occurs in a quarter of patients.
The diagnosis is confirmed after a number of examinations, including examination, ultrasound, culture and biopsy. The main goals of modern treatment of this pathology are to reduce pain, relieve inflammation, and preserve the patient’s fertility. The course of treatment greatly depends on the age of the patient, as evidenced by reviews on the Internet. Two treatment tactics are used - medication or complex with surgical intervention.
Delayed periods with endometriosis are common, as is unexpected uterine bleeding. Among the drugs for endometriosis, hormonal drugs are used that stop menstruation for the period of treatment. Usually these are gestagens that reduce the synthesis of estrogen and stop ovulation. They are used in the early stages of the disease.
In addition to hormones, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunostimulants are used. Surgery is prescribed only for severe forms of the disease to remove foci of inflammation. With proper treatment, in most cases it is possible to completely restore the patient’s health.
Heavy periods with blood clots
Observed with enlarged endometrium, its rejection with damage to blood vessels. When blood clots, menstruation occurs profusely, with pieces of endometrium or clots. They appear with endometrial hyperplasia against the background of the release of large amounts of estrogens. Normally, only lochia after childbirth is considered. The discharge is profuse with clots and lasts from 3 to 6 weeks. Over time they become lighter. If you experience prolonged periods with an unpleasant odor, similar discharge after childbirth, or pain or fever, you should visit your doctor.
If uterine bleeding is heavy, how to stop it?
With endometriosis, many women experience heavy periods. The condition leads to anemia and the bleeding must be stopped urgently.
The doctor will prescribe dicynon, vikasol, tranexam, diferelin. To contract the uterus - contrical, oxytocin, ergometrine. Ascorutin and folic acid will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels. In the treatment of endometriosis, regardless of the stage, danazol, Zoladex, Novinet, and Duphaston are prescribed. With prolonged bleeding and low hemoglobin levels based on test results, surgical intervention is possible.
In case of severe bleeding, douching and taking warm baths are prohibited. It is also not recommended to take medications to stop bleeding without a doctor’s prescription to avoid complications.
Laparoscopy is an advanced technique in the treatment of endometriosis. It involves inserting tubes (three) through punctures into the peritoneal cavity. Tubes filled with gas act on pathological lesions, destroying them. As a result of resection, endometrial lesions are removed without damaging the organ. However, this method cannot take endometrial samples for biopsy; relapses are also possible; restoration of endometrial tissue after its destruction is not always successful.
Medicinal herbs together with medications help stop bleeding. Only with the permission of a doctor, plantain juice helps to relieve inflammation and stop bleeding. The shepherd's purse has the same effect. Brew and drink before meals 2-3 times a day.
Nettle leaves have an anti-inflammatory effect. At home they use decoctions and infusions. Regular use will eliminate blood loss and regulate the menstrual cycle. Nettle is brewed with boiling water, take 1-2 tbsp. l. before meals 2 times a day. Viburnum red (bark) helps stop uterine bleeding. The crushed bark is brewed with boiling water, once infused, drink 2-3 tsp. up to 4 times a day.
Infusions from medicinal plants should be taken regularly for 1 month. If side effects occur, you should consult your doctor.
Endometriosis leads to imbalance and hormonal imbalance. Without treatment, complications are inevitable.
