Endometriosis is a painful, distressing disease that affects women in their reproductive years. Various medicines for endometriosis have been introduced over the last 25 years, but there is no cure. Research continues into this perplexing disease.
Disease: Endometriosis
Last update: May 2005
Intro
FAQ
-
What is it?
Endometriosis is a condition where the cells that line the uterus are also found in other areas of the body, usually within the pelvis. And, like the lining of the uterus, this tissue builds up and breaks down each month. This causes bleeding into the pelvis which has no way of leaving the body. This leads to inflammation and the formation of scar tissue.
Symptoms include lethargy and tiredness, painful and irregular periods, prolonged bleeding and pain during intercourse. Thirty to forty percent of women with the disease become infertile. -
Who gets it?
Endometriosis affects approximately ten percent of women of childbearing age. It can occur at any time between the onset of menstruation and the menopause. -
What can be done about it?
Currently there is no cure for endometriosis so the aim of treatment is to relieve pain, slow disease progression and preserve fertility.
Various hormonal treatments are used to stop ovulation by inducing a state of false pregnancy or menopause. This causes the endometrial deposits to regress and die. Analgesics are also used to treat the pain associated with endometriosis.
Surgery is sometimes necessary for patients not responding to treatment with medicines. -
What does the future hold?
Further, more selective, hormonal therapies are currently under development, along with a treatment that targets specific enzymes produced by the endometrial tissue.
Immune system abnormalities and a genetic defect have also recently been identified in women with endometriosis, which could lead to further treatment developments for this painful and distressing disease.