Endometrium Guide-All You Need to Know About Endometrium

Endometrium is a word related to endometrium and they in turn, come from the roots 'endo' meaning inside and 'metra' meaning womb, making up endometrium, implying the cells of endometrium abnormally appear and flourish outside the uterus cavity. 

So what exactly is endometrium? It is a gynecological medical condition suffered by women affecting the uterus. It is a condition wherein the tissue normally lining the uterus grows in other areas of the body like ovaries, rectum, and bladder, behind the uterus or on the bowels, causing pain in the abdomen, lower back or pelvic areas, possible infertility and irregular bleeding.

The endometrium is the lining of the uterus and is the tissue that is shed during menstruation. After each period this lining builds up again. If you become pregnant, the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, and the lining is not shed.

The sites of these extrauterine islands of endometrium include the ovaries, the ligaments or fibrous bands attached to the uterus, and parts of the peritoneum (a thin lining that covers the uterus, bladder, and lower portions of the large bowel).

Generally, many women show no symptoms and hence, only tests can determine its presence. The common textbook endometrium symptoms may be chronic pelvic pain, painful periods and heavy bleeding, pain during or before menstruation, pain during intercourse, pain during bowel movements and abnormal cramps. Sometimes, mild symptoms may never need a treatment even if the condition exists and it may cease with menopause. These symptoms may also be experienced by women with increasing age as a result of hormonal changes, weight gain or stress factors.

Gynecologists use history, physical exams, and ultrasound and/or laparoscopy to make the diagnosis. Laparoscopy, done under general anesthetic, involves looking into the area of the uterus by inserting a tiny periscope through a small incision just below the navel.

Endometrium does not have definite cure but the treatment can be drug therapy or surgery. It is mostly decided on the severity of the symptoms, size and location of endometrial growth, age and decision about pregnancy. The treatments only improve the symptoms but do not give a permanent relief.. Even after hormone therapy or surgery, endometrium may recur.

Endometrium is treated to relieve pain or to help infertile patients become pregnant. A number of different treatments have been suggested, including a very new one using a laser to eliminate the misplaced endometrium. More standard treatments include prescribing hormone-containing pills (either the birth control pill or an anti-estrogen pill) to decrease its spread. For women who are infertile due to mild endometrium, however, just waiting an extra year may result in pregnancy as often as does hormone therapy or surgery.

The symptoms can be eased by taking warms baths, fiber rich diet to avoid constipation, heating pad, relaxation exercises, and OTC pain medications. If one is planning pregnancy, a laparoscopy and dye test should be taken from the fertility specialist to assess damage to fallopian tubes and ovaries. If the surgery is to be avoided, tubal flushing is also an alternative for blocked fallopian tubes. Laparoscopic surgeries can almost double the chance of pregnancy. For those who are not planning for pregnancy, a non-surgical option for endometrium symptom is to control hormone stimulation with contraceptive pills, progesterone pills or other drugs. These treatments block ovulation so that both the uterine lining and the endometrium stop bleeding and also prevent the build-up of new cysts, scar tissue and swelling outside the uterus.

Because endometrium may exist without any symptoms, there are women with this condition who never seek or require treatment. If you have symptoms that concern you, it is best to make an appointment to see your doctor.