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Endometriosis: Woman
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Endometriosis can affect any woman, from premenarche to postmenopause, regardless of her race, ethnicity or whether or not she has had children. Endometriosis often persists after menopause. Endometriosis in postmenopausal women is an extremely aggressive form of this disease characterized by complete progesterone resistance and extraordinarily high levels of aromatase expression.[3] A majority of 50 postmenopausal women diagnosed with endometriosis had no previous history of the disease. In less common cases, girls may have endometriosis before they even reach menarche.[4][5]
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Endometriosis can occur at any time after puberty. It is most commonly diagnosed in a woman's twenties or early thirties although it can develop at any stage during a woman's reproductive years. A woman can even experience endometriosis after menopause, although this is less common.
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Several theories exist as to how endometriosis begins. The leading theory retrograde menstruation, the backward flow of menstrual discharge through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis. According to this theory, the endometrial cells may implant on the ovaries or elsewhere in the pelvic cavity. There is support for this theory, because woman with reproductive tract abnormalities that prevent the normal outflow of menstrual blood have an increased chance of developing endometriosis. However, retrograde flow has been noted in many woman who never develop endometriosis, so there may be other mechanisms involved.
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Endometriosis has become an increasingly common health condition worldwide. One American doctor has labeled it "the career woman’s disease" because there seems to be a strong correlation between endometriosis and the increased stress levels experienced by so many working women today. Health professionals and their patients are raising many questions about endometriosis: "Why do so many women have endometriosis?" "What causes endometriosis?" "Are there any natural treatment options for my endometriosis?" Endometrial tissue occurs naturally in the endometrium – a layer of tissue lining the uterus. With endometriosis... this tissue "migrates" to other parts of the reproductive system, or outside of the reproductive organs altogether, and can be found in the uterine wall, ovaries, rectovaginal pouches, uterotsacral ligaments, and even in the abdominal cavity.
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Women with endometriosis often have a difficult time getting pregnant. A 2006 review suggested that GnRH agonists may help women with endometriosis become pregnant when the drug is given along with in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). (IVF and ICSI are standard infertility treatments.) The review found that 3 - 6 months of GnRH therapy in combination with infertility treatment quadrupled the pregnancy rate. However, the study did not supply data on how many women actually gave birth. In addition, there is not enough information on whether these drugs may adversely affect a woman or her fetus.
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To understand why endometriosis causes problems, it helps to have a basic understanding of how the monthly menstrual cycle works: During the course of each cycle, the lining of a woman's uterus builds up with blood vessels and tissue. This happens because the uterus is getting ready to receive the egg that will be released from one of the ovaries. If the egg isn't fertilized by sperm, the uterus sheds the tissue and blood; this is the menstrual period. This entire process is controlled by the female sex hormones and usually takes about 28 to 30 days.
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