Endometriosis

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The inner lining of the womb is called the endometrium. Endometriosis is a condition in which patches of endometrium occur in parts of your body other than your womb. Often this is your pelvis or lower abdomen (tummy), but it can also occur:

In the Fallopian tubes
On the ovaries
Deep within the muscular wall of the womb itself
Scattered about the inside of the pelvis
Anywhere in the abdominal cavity
On the lining of the nose
In the lungs
In the intestines, including the back passage (rectum)
Rarely, under the skin, forming patches

The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain or discomfort. Most women with endometriosis are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 40.

During each menstrual cycle, your ovaries release an egg which travels down into your womb and implants itself in the endometrium. The endometrium prepares itself for the egg by thickening up and increasing its blood supply. These processes are controlled by the hormones that your body produces. The endometrium, is then shed once a month during menstruation (your â€˜periodâ€™) if the egg is not fertilised.

Hormones circulate in the blood and are carried to all parts of the body. This means that the endometrial tissue anywhere in your body will go through the same process of increasing blood supply, thickening and bleeding. If the endometrial tissue is â€˜trappedâ€™ in other parts of your body, then this can lead to pain, swelling and bleeding wherever the tissue is.

During pregnancy, or if the contraceptive pill is being taken, these hormones are not active and these endometrial changes do not occur. This means the symptoms of endometriosis tend to get better at these times.

It is estimated that between 10 and 15 per cent of women complaining of gynaecological symptoms have endometriosis. It is difficult to estimate the number of women with endometriosis because many women have few symptoms.