Endometriosis - major cause of infertility

(written By - Dr.Mayuri Assudani )

Cells are the bricks that make the entire body.
Just like bricks you can align them in many ways to form many different structures.
From heart, brain, to hair.. everything is made by specific arrangement of cells.

One such arrangement is called tissue.
Every part of the body has a specific tissue, which in normal conditions is not supposed to grow beyond its designated area.

Endometrial tissue is the name given to the aggregation of cells in the Uterus.

A condition when such tissue starts to grow outside the uterus is called as endometriosis.

The common areas that are affected by endometriosis in the pelvis are on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or uterus, uterosacral ligaments and pouch of Douglas (space between the uterus and the rectum), pelvic sidewalls, surface of rectum, bladder and in the vagina.

In rare situation endometriosis can be found in remote areas such as under the diaphragm, in the groin area, in the lungs, abdominal scars and others.

when this tissue grows outside its designated area, it becomes an unwanted growth.
It can create nodules or tumor like mass.
Nerve fibres can be trapped inside it, causing extreme pain.

It feeds on the blood supply of the other healthy tissues, destroying the host tissue.
It can give rise to cysts, which have blood trapped inside of it.

Becoming a major cause of infertility.

How common is endometriosis?
10-20% of women between the ages of 12 and 50 are affected with the same.

Having a family history of endometriosis amongst your first degree relatives will confer a 6 times increased risk on you for developing endometriosis.

Period pains felt in the lower abdominal area,
low back pain,
vagina pain,
pain with intercourse,
irritable bladder pain and sometimes passing blood in the urine, i

Endometriosis affects fertility in a number of ways.
The presence of endometriotic lesions can affect sperm function in the female reproductive tract, affect quality of eggs and development of embryo and distort anatomical relationship between ovaries and fallopian tubes due to scarring around the ovary or tubes.

Prevents the meeting of sperm and egg thereby affecting fertilization.

How one treats endometriosis depends on the age of the woman at the time of diagnosis, her desire to conceive, the severity of her complaints and the severity of the endometriosis discovered.

Always get yourself checked regularly by your gynaecologist.

Dr.Mayuri Assudani
(Gynaecologsit and Infertility Consultant)