Endometriosis is a pathology that has to do with the endometrial tissue. This grows further and extends through the pelvic area. Depending on the extent, it can cause plaques or even cysts. But why does it occur and what is the treatment for endometriosis? 
Its main symptom is sharp pain when you are on your period, although it also has other characteristics. In addition, its detection is usually late, but precisely this point is the most important for effective treatment.
If you are or think you may be in that affected population group, we will tell you how it is usually diagnosed, what tests are performed, what is the general treatment that doctors normally follow and whether or not it has a cure.
How will I know if I have endometriosis?
- If you think that the symptoms coincide and you suspect that you may suffer from it, it is best that you go to your doctor to stay calm and get early detection. To diagnose it, this has several possibilities.
- First of all, they will be able to perform a pelvic laparoscopy, which consists of a small cut (much less invasive and faster than normal surgery), under general anesthesia. To do this, he will use the laparoscope, which will help him visualize your entire pelvic area to see if there really is endometriosis.
- You can also have an MRI or an ultrasound, although it is usually used to locate large areas of endometriosis. That is, in which there may be cysts or nodules.
What treatment for endometriosis is most effective?
- As we have told you above, the detection of endometriosis is usually quite late so, for a successful treatment, the sooner the pathology is diagnosed, the sooner it will be better.
- After this, it will be extremely important to take into account the age of the patient, the symptoms she has, the stage of endometriosis and the desire to be a mother in the future. This last point is one of the most important to consider the treatment to follow.
- We have to tell you that there is currently no total cure that will make endometriosis disappear, but rather treatments to reduce the symptoms.
- Although it is true that each case is unique and should be treated individually, the possible solutions for this pathology range from surgery to hormonal treatment.
- If you are in your 50s, perhaps your most effective treatment for endometriosis is to remove the uterus and ovaries to prevent possible degeneration in the near future. This operation is called a hysterectomy and will therefore cause the entry into menopause.
- If you are younger (and, above all, you want to be a mother), it is possible that, through laparoscopy, the doctor will try to remove the excess tissue and keep as much healthy as possible. You can also perform a laparotomy, which is more extensive surgery to remove all of the endometrium out of its place.
- It is possible that other treatments can be recommended to you, such as contraceptives to reduce the pain and abundance of periods, the administration of anti-inflammatories or progesterone (by pill, injection or through an IUD) which reduces menstruation, making it less painful and with less bleeding.
- Applying one or the other treatment will depend on various factors but, above all, on your desire to become pregnant in the future. In most of the detected cases, the symptoms are usually more or less mild, so infertility is not usually a problem.
