“If you have endometriosis how does this affect to your ability to get pregnant? “How is the disease treated?” Read on to discover the answers to these and other commonly asked questions.
What Exactly is it?
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that looks and acts like the tissue that lines the uterus is found in other areas of the body. This wayward tissue can be found in the pelvic area, which includes the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the outside of the uterus, and other areas. More rarely, it has even been found in the vagina, near the small intestine, and in the bladder. No one is sure why, but it has been theorized that pieces of endometrial tissue travel through the circulatory system to other parts of the body.
As this tissue grows, it forms growths, referred to as “lesions” or “implants”. Because this tissue behaves the same way as the tissue inside the uterus, each month when your estrogen levels rise as part of your monthly cycle, the implants will build up and then bleed. Because there is no way for the blood to pass through the body, scar tissue may form. Painful periods, pain during sex, pelvic pain, and infertility are symptoms of the disease. There are many women who are asymptomatic other than not being able to become pregnant.
The severity of pain bears no connection to the severity of the disease. Sufferers with a mild case often experience more pain than those with advanced disease.
How does it affect fertility?
About 30% of all women who have endometriosis suffer from infertility, making it a major cause of infertility. The difficulties arise when the condition has caused the ovaries to be scarred so severely that ovulation is prevented, or when it has obstructed the fallopian tubes to the point that the tubes cannot pick up the egg. For many women with this disease, a successful pregnancy requires medical treatment.
What are the treatment options?
Unfortunately, there is no treatment option currently available that prevents recurrence of the disease. While the recommended course of action has differed over the years, doctors now believe that if the symptoms are not too extreme, no further treatment other than medication for pain may be needed.
Most drugs available to treat endometriosis work by inhibiting the menstrual cycle, which in turn inhibits the pain caused by the monthly buildup and breakdown of the endometrial tissue. These drugs include birth control, progestins, and danazol. Women who use these treatments do not have to have a menstrual period; they just stay on the pills continuously. If you do not wish to immediately conceive, you may benefit most from them.
If you are trying to conceive, doctors recommend that, depending on age, it is best to spend six months to a year trying to conceive. If pregnancy does not occur within that time or if you are experiencing severe pain that does not respond to medical treatments, then you may wish to consider surgery.
It is widely agreed that a laparoscopy may help women conceive more than any other type of treatment. Studies indicate that for most sufferers, surgery is more effective than in vitro fertilization.
It must be stressed that these benefits last for only six months to a year following surgery, especially if any endometrial tissue is still remaining in your body. It is important to have the surgery within a few months before you’d like to conceive.
Infertility is very common among women all over the world. To find information on how to get pregnant fast and naturally visit http://www.GettingPregnantCenter.com