High incidence of gynecological diseases: Endometriosis

High incidence of gynecological diseases: Endometriosis. Speaking of gynecological diseases, you may hear cervical erosion, pelvic effusion, and other diseases that do not require treatment or even “non-existent”.

And there is a gynecological disease that really needs to be paid attention to. It is closely related to dysmenorrhea, infertility, miscarriage, abdominal pain, and cysts, but it has not been known by the majority of women.

A patient once described this “common disease you have never heard of” on a TED forum: this disease is “endometriosis.”

It is generally believed that about 10% of women of childbearing age in the world have different degrees of endometriosis. In addition, it is reported that the prevalence of endometriosis is as high as 50% in infertile women, and as high as 70% in adolescent or adult women with pelvic pain [1], and the incidence has shown a significant increase in recent years.

But what is surprising is that such a high-incidence disease is rarely paid attention to, or even heard of.

Endometriosis, “benign cancer” that spreads like a tumor

The endometrium is originally the normal tissue inside the uterus. It will undergo periodic changes under the influence of hormones. When it peels off and bleeding, it forms “menstruation.”
In contrast, endometriosis is simply the appearance of endometrial tissue outside the inner wall of the uterus. Legend: Endometrial tissue that appears outside the uterus

Although the endometrium is a normal tissue, when it goes outside the uterus, it can be planted, invaded, and metastasized like a malignant tumor. Therefore, endometriosis is also called a “benign cancer” in gynecology.

Intimal tissue can invade almost any part of the body.

It will not only appear in the nearby ovaries, fallopian tubes, intestines, but also in the kidneys, lungs, pleura, and even the brain and limbs… Legend: British artist Ellie Pearce was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was in college. She used textiles to show Organs that may be affected by endometriosis use works of art as a medium to raise public awareness of endometriosis.

Endometriosis, the painful torture that comes every month

If you just run around, the biggest problem with endometriosis is that no matter where the endometrial tissue is, it will be accompanied by hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, and peeling and bleeding will occur.

To put it simply, “menstruation” will come wherever it grows.

In the rectum or bladder, it can cause blood in the stool and urine during menstruation; if it grows in the lungs or in the nasal cavity, it becomes coughing up blood or nosebleeds after menstruation. Legend: Patients with nasal cavity ectopic disease share their experiences
As for the ovaries and other parts, the “menstrual blood” has no way to be discharged, so it can only accumulate in the body.

For example, “chocolate cyst” is an ectopic disease that occurs in the ovary. The more the bruises accumulate, the color looks like melted chocolate, and it is named like this.

What’s more painful is that most patients with endometriosis will have intense dysmenorrhea.

About 90% of women’s common dysmenorrhea are primary dysmenorrhea that does not affect their health, but another 10% are “secondary dysmenorrhea” caused by diseases. Endometriosis is the most common cause.

The pain of endometriosis is dull pain or colic in the pelvic cavity, which usually occurs 1 to 2 days before menstruation and lasts throughout the menstrual period, and even lasts a few days after the menstruation ends.

And according to the different parts of the endometrial tissue invaded, the range of pain will be wider than dysmenorrhea, urination pain, anal falling pain, intestinal cramps, dyspareunia, chest pain, abdominal pain, etc. may occur.

This kind of torture is difficult for people who have never experienced it.

In addition to bleeding and pain, endometriosis may also affect fertility.

Data shows that the infertility rate of patients with endometriosis can even be as high as 40%, which may be due to changes in the pelvic environment, abnormal endometrial metabolism, and adhesion of ovarian and fallopian tube tissues. A considerable number of patients have been diagnosed with endometriosis because they cannot become pregnant.
In addition, endometriosis may also be related to the occurrence of spontaneous abortion.

A 30-year follow-up study found that 5375 pregnant women with endometriosis had a significantly higher risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy than the 8,280 healthy pregnant women in the same period. Domestic studies have also found that pregnant women with endometriosis have a significantly increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy in early pregnancy. [2]
The once-a-month conical pain has an uncertain impact on fertility, and endometriosis is like a shadow covering the life of the patient.

But its harm is far more than just physical torture.

Endometriosis, which seriously reduces women’s quality of life

Because of ignorance, patients with endometriosis often face a very difficult and tortuous diagnosis process.
According to statistics, it takes an average of 7-12 years from the first symptoms of endometriosis to the final diagnosis and treatment [1].

Some women, because they don’t know that their “dysmenorrhea” is actually caused by disease, they have been silently enduring it as a normal phenomenon. Others have been treated as appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory diseases, enteritis and other diseases because endometriosis is similar to many gynecological diseases and gastrointestinal diseases, and they have received many ineffective treatments.

The delay in diagnosis will not only affect the control of the disease, but also have a serious impact on life, work, and even mental health.

A study spanning ten countries showed that the impact of endometriosis on women’s health-related quality of life based on the Short Health Survey (SF-36v2) score is huge: four weeks before surgery, their quality of life The score is even as low as that of women with cancer. [3]

In 2020, UK APPG released the latest report on endometriosis. Among the more than 10,000 women surveyed, 81% said that endometriosis had a very negative impact on their mental health, while 90% wanted psychological support but did not get help, and 89% were due to endometriosis. And feel isolated. [4]

On the one hand, the prevalence rate is as high as 10%, and on the other hand, there is a lack of awareness of seeking help and seeking medical treatment. In this way, countless women with endometriosis are struggling with pain and let the disease drag their lives.
And this can be changed.

Recognize, diagnose, and treat, so that women can stay away from endometriosis

Although so far, endometriosis cannot be prevented and cured for the time being, it can be controlled.
Timely detection and early treatment can effectively control the progress of endometriosis, reduce pain and other adverse effects, and prevent adhesion, rupture, enlargement, etc. in the later period, which may cause more serious organ damage, menstrual disorders, infertility, and miscarriage. as a result of.

There is no uniform treatment plan for endometriosis. It is usually necessary to take short-acting contraceptives, high-efficiency progesterone, or surgical treatment under the guidance of a doctor according to individual circumstances. After targeted treatment, most patients can achieve better results.

Knowing what endometriosis is, intervening as soon as possible and reducing the diagnosis time, may be able to save many women from the torture of the disease and have a better quality of life and higher life achievements than they are now. In recent years, there has been a high demand for improving the understanding of endometriosis in the world. Many countries have established special charity organizations dedicated to disease science popularization and patient support, and more and more patients are sharing their knowledge in public. Diagnosis and treatment experience.

(sourceinternet, reference only)

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