Endometriosis
Sierra Payne
Endometriosis, a common health problem among women, occurs when the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. It gets its name from the word endometrium, the tissue that normally lines the uterus or womb. It affects about 5 million women in the United States, being especially common among women in their 30s and 40s. The pain affiliated with endometriosis can happen at other times, it mostly happens during a woman's period. Endometriosis may also affect a woman's ability to become pregnant, causing some women to become infertile even. (“Endometriosis". NICHD. (2013).)
Most often, endometriosis is found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, tissue that holds the uterus in place and the outer surface the uterus. Other sites for growth can include the vagina, cervix, vulva, bladder and rectum. Rarely, endometriosis appears in other parts of the body like the lungs, brain and skin. ( …show more content…
Pain medications may work well if your pain or other symptoms are mild. They range vastly between over the counter pain relievers to strong prescription pain relievers. The most common types are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and opioids that interact directly with the nervous system itself.
Hormones can be effective in treating the symptoms of endometriosis because hormones cause endometriosis patches to go through cycles similar to the menstrual cycle. Additionally, the perception of pain may be altered by different hormones. Health care providers may suggest oral contraceptives, pregesterone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, or Danazol, all of which stop the production or release of hormones involved in the menstrual cycle to either slow or stop menstruation completely. (What are treatments for endometriosis?https://www.nichd.nih.gov/. Last Reviewed: