In women with endometriosis, the tissue typically spreads into the pelvic area but in some cases can travel as far as the chest cavity. The endometrium, no matter where it spreads in the body, is on the same cycle as a woman's period, which is regulated by the female hormone estrogen.
Another possible explanation for endometriosis in locations far from the uterus is that cells from the lining of the uterus travel through blood vessels or the lymphatic system, thereby reaching other distant organs or body areas. Endometriosis can also spread at the time of surgery.
Sometimes it is a dull, lingering pain, and other times it is a sharp, shooting pain through my lower abdomen. It causes me fatigue, extremely painful bloating, fever, irregular periods, pain with intercourse, and so much more.” If you suspect endometriosis, don't hesitate to talk to your ob-gyn or primary care doctor.
What happens if endometriosis is left untreated? Over time, the endometrial-like tissue that grows outside of your uterus can cause cysts, adhesions and scar tissue. This can cause you to experience long-term (chronic) pain — especially during menstrual periods.
You could be putting your health at risk if you don't get treatment. While they are unlikely to be fatal, they can have a negative impact on your quality of life. Untreated endometriosis can lead to a variety of complications, including: Pain that lasts for a long time.
Untreated endometriosis can cause significant pain, bloating, excess menstrual bleeding, and digestive distress. Over time, it can also affect a person's fertility. When endometriosis tissue grows outside the uterus, it can affect other organs — especially the ovaries and reproductive structures.
Rapidly doubling endometrioma. An endometrioma can double its size within 2 weeks under special conditions.
Stage 4 endometriosis is not considered to be a fatal disease. However, it can cause dangerous, life-threatening side effects, plus severely hamper your quality of life.
Endometriosis is typically a progressive condition, meaning it can get worse over time (29). Infertility is a common complication of endometriosis that may be avoidable with early treatment. Up to half of those with endometriosis have decreased fertility (30).
Endometriosis doesn't rank very high on the “emergency” list of medical and health problems. No one is calling 9-1-1 for it. This is because it is often an insidious process that becomes evident only after considerable damage has been done.
Endometriosis can affect women across all ethnic backgrounds and at any age, but it most commonly affects women during their reproductive years between the ages of 25 and 35.
In the case of endometriosis, stress can contribute to the growth and spread of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus, as well as exacerbate endometriosis symptoms such as pain and inflammation.
Endo belly is the colloquial term for abdominal distension caused by endometriosis. Unlike the short-term bloating that sometimes accompanies your period, endo belly is much more severe, triggering physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.
Endometriosis is a progressive disease without a cure. It can cause unyielding and debilitating pain, as well as severe inflammation. To live with endometriosis, it's important to focus on symptom management and pain relief.
Stage IV: This is also known as severe endometriosis. With stage IV, deep implants and dense adhesions are present. There may be superficial endometriosis and filmy adhesions, but the disease is more widespread than in Stage III. Any score greater than 40 indicates severe endometriosis.
And there's no genetic trait associated with endometriosis that could lead to cancer. Some rare types of ovarian cancer, like clear cell ovarian cancer and endometrioid ovarian cancer, are more common in women with endometriosis. But even with those cancer types, the risk is still lower than 1%.
The pain that some people with endometriosis experience is not cyclic. Instead, some people with endometriosis have constant pain, regardless of where they are in their menstrual cycle. People can have endometriosis pain that is persistent and interrupts their ability to partake in their daily activities.
Generally, if an ovarian cyst looks like an endometrioma on ultrasound, and persists and is greater than > 4 cm (by current standards) surgery is necessary to rule out a malignant tumor. Surgery is also indicated when severe chronic pelvic pain is present.
Because Endometriosis occurs largely in areas we cannot see, it is termed to be the “Silent Disease.” It often spreads to the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissues lining your pelvis, but in some cases, it can also spread beyond your pelvic organs to places such as your bladder, rectum, or as high up as your lungs ...
There's no cure for endometriosis and it can be difficult to treat. Treatment aims to ease symptoms so the condition does not interfere with your daily life. Treatment can be given to: relieve pain.