Definition, Stages. Symptoms of Endometriosis

I. Definitiona layer of endometriosis lining in the inside of the uterus is expelled, known as menstruation blood but instead some of the endometriosis tissues grow somewhere in the body causing endometriosis. They also react to hormone signals of the monthly menstrual cycle, builds up tissue, break...
I. Definition
a layer of endometriosis lining in the inside of the uterus is expelled, known as menstruation blood but instead some of the endometriosis tissues grow somewhere in the body causing endometriosis. They also react to hormone signals of the monthly menstrual cycle, builds up tissue, breaks it and eliminates it through menstrual period.

II. Stages of Endometriosis
Endometriosis can vary in appearance. It may be clear or white, reddish, brown or blue black, and cysts. They can be classified according to stage of severity:
a) Minimal stage:
Top surface, few in number. Commonly they are found in the inside wall of uterus, ligaments and ovary.
b) Mild stage:
Deeper implants, greater numbers are presented. Commonly found in the same area as minimal stage.
c) Moderate stage:
Many implants, endometriotic cysts present, affecting ovary function, causing scar tissues and adheresion is also present.
d) Severe stage:
Intensive perionreal implants, large endometromas present and dense adheresion.
Each women experiences differently to endometriosis. Some women may have extensive endometrial tissues in their body but feel little or no pain at all, while other women may only be in the early stage of endometriosis but have excessive pain.

III. Symptoms
A. Abdominal and pelvic pain
1. Chronic pelvic pain
Normal chronic pelvic pain refers to any pain in your pelvic region (the area below your bellybutton and between your hips) lasting more than six months. In case of endometriosis at the final stage of the menstrual cycle period, endometrial tissue swells and bleeds, just like the lining of your uterus causing pain and scar tissue, and adhesion forming in your pelvic area resulting in the tissue and organ near the endometrosis being covered. Any movement of these constricted organs can cause severe pain.

2. Locally pelvic pain
Some women experience locally pelvic pain beginning or/and during menstrual cycle caused by pre-menstrual syndrome as a result of over-production of prostaglandins increasing the contraction within the uterus lining. In case of endometriosis, the pain continues throughout menstruation, caused by inflammation of rupturing of endometrial cysts that attach to some pelvic regions as a result of over-production of certain hormones elevating the pain in that area.

3. Lower pelvic pain
Normally lower pelvic pain is caused by infection of the bladder or inflammation of the collecting system of one or both kidneys, or dysmenorrhea. In case of endometrosis, the pain continues and becomes severe just before and during menstruation caused by scars and adhesion attached to the organs in the lower pelvic regions, such as the kidneys, bladder, and/or ovary.

4. Severe abdominal cramps
Severe abdominal cramps before or during the menstrual cycle is likely caused by dysmenorrhea or premenstrual syndrome, if the pain is prolonged or just before, or during menstruation, then it may be caused by endometrial cells and rupturing of endometrial cysts resulting in over-production of protaglandins and histamine irritating pain receptors.







5. Continual dull abdominal and lower back pain
Back pain is commonly described as deep, aching, dull, or burning pain in one area of the back, or traveling down the legs. If you experience back pain with continual dull abdominal pain just before and during menstruation it may caused by scar tissue or adhesion attached to the vertebra area.

Remember any severe pain JUST BEFORE AND DURING menstruation in any region may be a good indication of endometriosis.

B. Reproductive system
1. Infertility
Infertility is always difficult for women with endometriosis. In fact depending on the stage of endometroisis and where endometriosis implants in the body, some women may not even get pregnant at all if they are on the last stage of endometroisis and the cysts is located in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus because of the enlarged endometrosis cysts not only causing inflammation but also interfering with each stage of the menstrual cycle. In general, women with endometriosis find it harder to become pregnant than other women.

2. Miscarriage
Some physicians in the infertility field do feel there is an increase in the risk of miscarriage with endometriosis. Some feel there is no increase in the miscarriage rate. One of the studies looked at the miscarriage rates in patients prior to treatment of endometriosis and compared to the miscarriage rates in the same patients after treatment of endometriosis. In these studies patients had lower miscarriage rates after treatment. Women pregnant with endometriosis should be wise to seek help from specialists for treatment that not only nourishes the fetus but also controls the progression of endometriosis.

3. Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is a complication of pregnancy in which the fertilized ovum is implanted in any tissue other than the uterine wall, caused by blockage of endometroisis of the fallopian tubes leading to an ectopic pregnancy. In fact, the fetus produces enzymes that allow it to implant in varied types of tissues, and thus an embryo implanted elsewhere than the uterus can cause great tissue damage in its efforts to reach a sufficient supply of blood, sometime it is life threatening to the mother.

4. Dyspareunia
Dyspareunia is painful sexual intercourse. When pain occurs, the woman experiencing it may be distracted from feeling pleasure and excitement. Women with endometriosis suffer from dyspareunia if endometriosis is located in the major ligaments of the uterus. Endometriosis-related dyspareunia is usually positional and most intense upon deep penetration. It is most intense prior to menstruation.

C. Irregular menstruation

1. Variable amounts of bleeding either heavy or scanty
Variable amounts of bleeding either heavy or scanty is normal for menarche and perimenopause as the menstrual cycle is initiated and during a woman 's forties until menopause accordingly because of imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. In endometriosis, heavy and scanty bleeding are caused by over-production of certain hormones in the prostaglandin hormonal family that controls the aggregation or disaggregation of platelets.

2. Menstrual spotting
Menstrual spotting in the middle of the menstrual cycle may be caused by polyp growth in the uterus. Polyps within the uterus may prevent pregnancy or interfere with implantation of embryo as well as miscarriage. Polyps also cause heavy bleeding as a resulting of rupture of polyps in the uterus during menstruation. Luckily most polyps exit in uterus tend to be benign growth.

3. Prolong bleeding
Prolong bleeding may be caused by endometriosis cysts or fibroid located in the uterus wall as a result of imbalanced hormones of the prostaglandin family caused by excessive estrogen in the body if one type of prostaglandin hormone that helps to stop platelets from clumping together.

4. Long menstrual cycle
An irregular menstrual pattern of long menstrual cycles may be an indication of ovulation problems and can be a major factor in infertility caused by endometriosis ovulation problems resulting in ovulation delay or immature eggs in the follicular phase. Sometimes, the follicle develops but the egg is not expelled from the ovary, caused by low levels of progesterone.

5. Blood clots
Because of irregular menstruation causing imbalance hormone, blood clots usually happen during menstruation if one of the hormones of the prostaglandin family that helps to regulate blood clots is over-produced. In this case over-production of such hormones cause more platelets clumping together and fails to dilate blood vessels resulting in blood clots.

D. Digestive system
1. Constipation or difficult defecation
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Constipation is caused by endometriosis implants or adhesion thst are attached to organs of excretion resulting in painful urination, as well as defecation.

2. Bloating
Bloating may have several causes, the most common being accumulation of liquids and intestinal gas. In endometriosis, bloating is caused by ovarian cysts, endometrial implants, or adhesion in the intestines that promote collection of fluid within an ovary causing swelling in the abdominal region and swelling in the digestive system as resulting of lack of regular ovulation and excessive amounts of androgenic hormones.

3. Rectal bleeding
Constipation normally is the main cause of rectal bleeding. In endometriosis, endometrial implants or adhesion in large intestine resulting in rectal bleeding as waste passing through. It also causes rectal bleeding just before and during menstruation as endometrial bleeding.

4. Diarrhea
Sudden bouts of diarrhea may be caused by bacterial infection. In woman with endometriosis, deficiency of vitamin A and B are common, causing low level of enzymes that allow food to pass through the intestine undigested.

5. Fluid retention
Fluid retention may be caused by endometrial cysts located other than in the reproductive system. Endometrial lining bleeding during menstruation causes blood to have nowhere to escape causing fluid retention in some parts of the body.

6. Sugar craving
Sugar craving is the symptom of premenstrual syndrome. Women with endometriosis also have premenstrual syndrome. Unlike other woman, they also have a high level of abnormal tolerance curves because of low levels of progesterone resulting in an over-production of adrenaline causing sugar craving.

7. Loss of appetite
Woman with intestinal endometriosis may have loss of appetite present only at the time of the menstrual period or they may be present all month long and worsen at the time of the period.


E. Urinary diseases
1. Irregular urination
Normally irregular urination in adults is caused by pressure of a fetus on the bladder of a pregnant woman or losing muscle of the badder causing the feeling to use the bathroom. In woman with endometriosis, it is caused by endometrial implants or adhesion in the badder region, which increases the pressure to the urinary system resulting in irregular urination.

2. Lower abdominal pain on urination
Lower abdominal pain may be caused by endometrial implants, adhesion or cysts in the pelvic region or by over-production of prostaglandin which increases the tension of muscle spam in the bowel and the uterus. Lower abdominal pain on urination is caused by over-production of prostaglandin which stimulate the contraction of the ovaries and uterus muscles or endometrial implants and adhesion in the lower abdominal area causing pressure and pain on urination.

3. Blood in urine
Blood in urine is a common cause of women with endometrial implants or cysts attached to the bladder area as resulting of bleeding of the endometriosis. It worsens just before and during menstruation.

4. Kidney tenderness
Kidney tenderness may be caused by the weakened immune system of woman with endometrial adhesion attached to the kidney causing abnormal function of the kidney and kidney fluid retention. It may be caused by cysts in the pelvic region which increases pressure of the bladder and urinary tract resulting in mounting pressure to the kidney, causing kidney tenderness. It worsens at the beginning and during period.

F. Emotional state

1. Depression
Depression is a illness that not only affects woman with endometriosis but also their family, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. It is caused by lower levels of good estrogen and high levels of progesterone, and the symptom get worse before and during menstruation. Being misunderstood by co-workers, family, and friends may trigger the feeling of worthlessness and loss of interest in daily activity such as hobbies and sex.

2. Apathy and fatigue
Apathy and fatigue may be caused by thyroid problem or hormone imbalance. Apathy and fatigue in endometriosis is caused by the pressure of coping with any sort of pain that returns relentlessly every month, affecting her physical and emotional state.

3. Loss of concentration and memory
Many women with endometrosis also suffer from anemia caused by heavy blood flow leading to deficiency of iron, folate aid, and vitamin B12 which are necessary for reproduction of red blood cells and to increase transportation of oxygen to brain cells, causing loss of concentration and memory.

4. Irritability
Irritation besides being caused by hormonal imbalance in the women with endometriosis during the menstrual cycle. Stress and confusion for woman with endometriosis is understandable. It is best to cope with the stress and try understand the disease and how to treat it. Denial of any of this not only causes more emotional pressure but also irritates any suggestion and help.

5. Loss of self confidence
It is hard for woman to perform daily activities with menstrual cramps on her back. It not only affects her work but also causes absence due to sickness every month in the work place. Without understanding by her boss and family, women with endometriosis may lose self confidence in her job as well as at home.

6. Insomnia
Insomnia is common among women with endometriosis because it is caused by the pain keeping them awake during the night.

Think on the right side and put on a happy face, endometriosis is controllable and treatable with conventional medicine, nutritional supplements, and natural remedies together with a change of diet, you should recover soon.


G. Others
1. Irritable bowel syndrome
Women with endometriosis in the bowel region frequently have abdominal and bowel symptoms, specially during the menstrual cycle. Bowel symptoms may be attributed to irritable bowel symptoms or caused by intestinal involvement from endometriosis.
2. Premenstrual symptoms
Premenstrual symptom is defined to have menstrual cramps before and during menstrual cycle. If the pain is more severe than before than it may be caused by endometrial implants or adhesion to more sensitive areas.
and many other such as headache, chest pain, joints pain, thigh pain,etc.