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Endometriosis: Bodies
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Endometriosis may spread to the cervix and vagina or to sites of a surgical abdominal incision. In extremely rare cases, endometriosis areas can grow in the lungs or other parts of the body.
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Endometriosis ... appears to be related to estrogen levels. Estrogen is responsible for the thickening of the uterine lining during the menstrual cycle. Some lifestyle factors seem to reduce the risk for endometriosis by reducing estrogen levels. For example, exercising regularly and maintaining a lower percentage of body fat ratio seem to reduce risk because they lower the amount of estrogen circulating in the body at any given time.
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A Chinese review article describing the theory of treating endometriosis was published by workers at this hospital in 1982, and later translated by Dr. C.S. Cheung and his colleagues of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (5). The article presented two prescriptions from the famous physician Wang Qingren, who during the latter part of the 19th century expounded upon the theory of blood stasis. One of the formulas, Persica and Achyranthes Combination (Xuefu Zhuyu Tang), is today used for numerous painful disorders, including headache and chest pain (see Appendix 2). The formula contains bupleurum, tang-kuei, and chih-ko to regulate the qi (chih-ko is more often used for central or upper torso stagnation rather than the lower body stagnation treated cyperus), and herbs for promoting the blood circulation, including red peony, cnidium, raw rehmannia, persica, carthamus, and achyranthes (or cyathula), as well as two auxiliary herbs: platycodon and licorice. It is sometimes modified by adding other herbs, and typical additions are typha and trogopterus for intense abdominal pain, and sparganium and zedoaria for treating lumps.
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In endometriosis, the endometrium (from endo, "inside", and metra, "womb") is found to be growing outside the uterus, on or in other areas of the body. Normally, the endometrium is shed each month during the menstrual cycle; ... in endometriosis, the misplaced endometrium is usually unable to exit the body. The endometriotic tissues still detach and bleed, but the result is far different: internal bleeding, degenerated blood and tissue shedding, inflammation of the surrounding areas, pain, and formation of scar tissue may result. In addition, depending on the location of the growths, interference with the normal function of the bowel, bladder, small intestines and other organs within the pelvic cavity can occur. In very rare cases, endometriosis has also been found in the skin, the lungs, the eye, the diaphragm, and the brain.
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Drug therapy for endometriosis is often unsatisfactory. Most of the current drug therapy is aimed at altering the estrogen-based hormonal stimulus of the endometrial tissue. Examples are the testosterone derivatives Danazol or methyltestosterone, progesterone and related progestogens (e.g., medroxyprogesterone), or using Buserelin, Goserelin, Lupron, Nefarelin, or other Gn-RH (ganodotropin-releasing hormone) agonists. These usually cause significant side effects, particularly androgenic responses including weight gain and facial and body hair growth. However, there are some reported beneficial effects, such as alleviating sleep disturbances and anxiety-depression. One can ... use analgesics that block prostaglandins to relieve the severe dysmenorrhea.
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Impaired Immune System.Some research is focused on possible immune disorders in women with endometriosis. One theory proposes that women with endometriosis have fewer natural killer (NK) cells, which are factors in the immune system important for surveillance. In their absence, the immune system is weakened and may allow endometrial tissue to invade and take root. A recent study suggests that other types of immune system cells are ... underactive in women with endometriosis, allowing the woman's body to tolerate the implanted tissue.
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