Endometriosis affects about 10% of all women in their reproductive years. At WHASN West Valley, the esteemed team of women’s health care experts led by Christina Nguyen, MD, and Marvin Najjar, MD, offers compassionate care for painful and debilitating endometriosis symptoms in their Las Vegas, Nevada, office. Click on the online scheduler or call the office to make your appointment now.
Endometriosis occurs when the endometrial lining, normally only found within the uterus, grows outside the uterus. The extra tissue often grows outside the uterus and other parts of your reproductive system, like the ovaries and fallopian tubes, but it can appear in the bowel, bladder, or anywhere else.
Adenomyosis is a similar-but-different condition in which endometrial tissue grows into the uterine muscle but doesn’t appear outside the uterus.
The main symptoms of endometriosis are:
Endometrial tissue can form thick bands of scar tissue (adhesions) that can cause pelvic pain, particularly during periods. Many women also experience pain before their period and during sex. Bowel movements and urination may also hurt.
Most women with endometriosis experience abnormal uterine bleeding, with heavy bleeding and periods that may last longer than a week.
Endometrial adhesions can block the fallopian tubes or create tough scar tissue that can prevent pregnancy.
Other symptoms like fatigue, bloating, nausea, and bowel habit changes may also occur.
Endometriosis can be debilitating in many women. However, others may have no symptoms at all. They may only learn about the condition when seeking treatment for another issue.
Diagnosis usually starts with a pelvic exam and a review of your symptoms. Definitive diagnosis requires laparoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure. Laparoscopy can also be a treatment procedure to remove endometrial growths.
Treatment starts with conservative measures like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and hormones (birth control pills or GnRH agonists). Hormones can help you produce less endometrial tissue, but they won’t eliminate the existing tissue.
If medication and hormones don’t relieve your endometriosis symptoms, you could need a laparoscopy to remove the endometrial tissue and adhesions. Most women experience pain relief after the procedure. However, the growths often come back within a couple of years.
You can combine surgery with hormones to deter endometrial tissue regrowth and remain pain-free as long as possible.
If you have severe endometriosis symptoms that don’t improve with medication or laparoscopy, you could be a good candidate for endometrial ablation (removal of the uterine lining) or a hysterectomy (uterus removal).
Call WHASN West Valley or click the online scheduler for endometriosis help now.