Beware Of Endometrosis, When Networks Grow Outside Their Places

Illustration (Pinterest/@luciasjqvist)

YOGYAKARTA - Endometrosis is one of the reproductive diseases of women. This condition occurs when a tissue that should coat the interior of the uterus (endometrium) grows outside the uterus. Endometrosis can appear in egg protection, tuba falopi, pelvic walls, to the intestine.

This condition causes great pain, especially during menstruation. Not only pain, endometrosis also has the potential to cause other serious problems such as infertility to harmful complications. Therefore, it is important for women to understand this disease in order to detect its symptoms from the start.

Endometrium tissues will usually thicken before menstruation to prepare for pregnancy. If the egg is not seeded, this tissue will overflow and come out as menstrual blood. However, in endometrosis sufferers, tissues that grow outside the uterus also thicken, but cannot overflow and come out of the body.

As a result, blood from the tissue is trapped and settles outside the uterus. This condition causes irritation, inflammation, and even the formation of a cyst called a brown cyst. If not treated, endometrosis can cause chronic pelvic pain to increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

The exact cause of endometrosis is not yet known clearly, but there are several theories that explain it. One of them is backscattering menstruation, namely menstrual blood flow that moves in the opposite direction through the tuba channel towards the pelvic cavity. Endometrium cells then stick to tissue in the pelvis and continue to thicken.

In addition, changes in the body's cells can also trigger endometrosis. Unpretented embryonic cells can turn into endometrium tissues due to changes in the hormone estrogen.

Another factor that is suspected to play a role is the change in peritoneum cells, which is the layer that coats the interior of the stomach. These cells can turn into endometriums due to immune system disorders or hormonal influences.

In addition, surgical actions such as hysterektomi or caesarean operations can also increase the risk because endometrium cells can stick to the incision area.

Endometrosis can be experienced by every woman, but there are certain factors that can increase the risk. Women aged 25-40 years are more susceptible to this condition.

Family history, especially mothers or siblings who have had endometrosis, can also increase risk. In addition, the risk increases in women who have never given birth or have just given birth at the age of over 30 years.

Other factors include premature first period, short menstrual cycle, and menopause that occurs slower than usual. Low weight and iron deficiency anemia can also increase susceptibility to this disease.

The main symptom of endometrosis is severe pain during menstruation or known as dysmenore. Pain feels the most severe shortly before menstruation cycle and during menstruation. The volume of blood that comes out tends to be more than normal menstruation.

Other symptoms that are often felt include lower back pain, bleeding outside the menstrual cycle, to pain during sexual intercourse. Some women also experience pain when urinating or defecating. Facilities such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, and excessive fatigue often accompany this condition.

In the long term, endometrosis can cause pregnancy difficulties. Therefore, it is important to immediately go to a doctor if you experience the above symptoms. Diagnosis and early treatment can help prevent serious complications.