Every tenth woman is affected by this disease, but among those who have problems conceiving, every second woman suffers from it
Every tenth woman of childbearing age suffers from endometriosis, and almost half of infertile women are treated with this disease, said Dr. Attila Bokor. He is the leading specialist of the Endometriosis Center of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department I of Semmelweis University.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a disease in which the lining normally found inside the uterus is also found outside the uterine cavity in the body. This usually affects the peritoneum and pelvic organs, most often the outer surface of the uterus, the ovary and fallopian tube, but in some cases the symptoms may also appear outside the pelvis.
During the normal menstrual cycle, the processes affecting the endometrial lining, which thickens and breaks off under the influence of sex hormones, also affect the lining that appears outside the uterus during the disease, which is why they develop with severe bleeding and pain, often leading to scarring, the formation of cysts, or even problems leading to infertility.
Attila Bokor mentioned the intensification of menstrual pain as a leading symptom, the degree of which is not proportional to the severity of the lesion. The university assistant professor added that complete absence of symptoms is not uncommon either. It makes it difficult to recognize that only a laparoscopy is suitable for diagnosing the disease. Since it is not known what causes it, and there is no causal therapy, medicine or surgery can be used as treatment.
Endometriosis is a disease of women of childbearing age, in the development of which cells of the endometrium, which do not appear in the uterus, but somewhere else outside the uterine cavity, play a key role. These can cause inflammation on the one hand, adhesions and adhesions on the other hand, and if the fallopian tube is also affected, infertility can also develop. Almost every second infertile woman is treated with endometriosis - said Dr. Attila Bokor, adding that 180-200 thousand women may be affected in Hungary.
Severe abdominal pain during menstruation is the main symptom of endometriosis, this is characteristic of eighty percent of patients, but chronic pelvic pain lasting more than half a year is also common - said the university assistant professor, who says that it is also not uncommon that the patient is completely symptom-free, and the disease is only diagnosed when they try to find out the cause of the failed pregnancy.
He added, it is a chronic disease and the patient's condition worsens with each menstruation, endometriosis can also spread to other organs, such as the bladder or colon. That is why it is important to detect and treat a minor peritoneum lesion at an early stage, when an intervention of a few minutes is sufficient and deterioration of the quality of life can be prevented.
Making a diagnosis is difficult, because no imaging procedure or blood test is suitable for detecting the lesion, the cause of the pain can only be found out with a surgical procedure, with an endoscope, but this, like any other procedure performed under anesthesia, has risks and possible complications.
The treatment method is always determined individually together with the patient, during the decision they take into account, among other things, how old the patient is, what his condition is, whether he plans to have children in the near future. In the case of adolescents, drug therapy is usually chosen, sometimes the patient is given painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs, or there are various hormone-containing preparations that suspend the functioning of the ovaries, meaning that the patient will not menstruate, and by eliminating high estrogen levels, the complaints can disappear and the condition can be stopped. deterioration. For those who want to give birth in the near future, surgery is recommended. However, it is important to know that it is a chronic disease and there is a 50 percent chance of recurrence in 5 years, so regular control is essential.
Prevention: lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle
Dr. According to Attila Bokor, the right lifestyle plays an important role both in prevention and in reducing the chance of recurrence. According to the assistant professor, we should incorporate exercise into our daily lives, and although it is not clearly proven, it is likely that excessive red meat and sugar consumption also contribute to the development of the disease, so it is recommended to avoid these as well. There is also a genetic background to endometriosis, if the mother had it, her daughter will have a sevenfold chance of being diagnosed with this disease, so in the case of a family history, it is worth paying close attention to this.
