Endometriosis affects around one in every ten women worldwide and can result in infertility, severe discomfort that interferes with education or job, and pain with urination, bowel movements, or sex.
Endometriosis, a condition in which tissue that lines the interior of the uterus develops elsewhere, can be treated in a variety of ways. However, because many of them are temporary, they may try multiple of them during the course of their lives.
Whatever endometriosis treatment you choose first, you may be better off establishing a team of people to help you deal with the condition.
Endometriosis is a complex condition, and none of us possess the skills required to provide complete care to people with endometriosis.
Some people with really mild cases may be able to manage their endometriosis pain naturally by following an anti-inflammatory diet and learning to avoid foods that aggravate their symptoms. They may also benefit from alternative or complementary treatments such as acupuncture, mindfulness, and psychological counseling.
On the other hand, women with moderate to severe pain have a different set of therapy alternatives to consider. They may want to investigate a variety of drugs and surgical options depending on the intensity of their pain and how it affects their everyday life.
1. Birth Control
Endometriosis might be so mild in certain circumstances that a simple birth control pill can provide relief. In fact, a pill prescription may be the first thing a doctor advises a patient.
Because estrogen levels stimulate endometriosis, the birth control pill suppresses the illness by keeping hormones steady.
There haven't been any high-quality studies to show how many women find relief from endometriosis symptoms with the pill. Still, the medication is inexpensive, reasonably safe, and has minimal side effects, so it may help a small percentage of women.
2. Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonists and Agonists
If birth control pills do not work, women can pursue more intensive or invasive endometriosis treatments to alleviate their discomfort.
Orilissa is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, which means it binds to hormone receptors and inhibits the body's production of estrogen and progesterone. As a result, the discomfort is reduced.
The most common adverse effects of the medication include hot flashes, headaches, and insomnia. However, for a small percentage of women, Orilissa can cause bone density loss and an increase in suicidal thoughts and actions, particularly in women with a history of depression.
3. Androgen Medication
Danazol (its generic name) was the first medicine licensed by the FDA for the treatment of endometriosis. When it was first launched in the 1970s, it was widely utilized, but it has since fallen out of favor in most of the Western part of the world.
4. Opioids for Chronic Pain
Opioids—strong, potentially addictive painkillers—are provided to some endometriosis patients to treat persistent pain or discomfort after surgery.
However, aside from a limited post-operative time, doctors are growing more cautious about providing opioids to patients on a long-term basis, regardless of the illness. Experts believe that the greatest approach to prevent opioid reliance is to never become addicted to them in the first place, which is why doctors are beginning to reduce opioid prescriptions.
5. Surgical Treatment
Even after taking various types of drugs, some women may not find relief from discomfort or cramps. In addition, pharmaceuticals cannot also restore the damage produced by untreated, long-term endometriosis, such as adhesions or scarring.
Finally, while medicines are less invasive than surgery, they are not recommended for women who are attempting to conceive.
Surgery is normally recommended for individuals who do not respond to at least two medications—don't give up if the first one does not work. Surgery is recommended as a "first line" treatment option for someone who wishes to become pregnant immediately or who is unable to use drugs.
To surgically treat endometriosis, surgeons will typically conduct a laparoscopy. First, a small incision in the abdomen is made to insert a laparoscope, which is a long, thin tool that illuminates the abdomen. They then insert additional tools to assist them in removing endometrial implants that may line the abdominal walls or be on the surface of other organs.