Endometriosis is a common health problem in women. It gets its name from the word endometrium, the tissue that lines the uterus (womb). In women with this problem, tissue that looks and acts like the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus in other areas. These areas can be called growths, tumors, implants, lesions, or nodules.

Causes of Endometriosis

The immune system normally destroys any endometrial cells outside of the uterus. But women with endometriosis may have a problem with the immune system that may impair this process.

Endometrial tissue cells travel out of the uterus through blood or lymph vessels, and then start growing in the new locations where they're deposited. Yet another theory suggests that some girls are born with "misplaced" cells that can turn into endometrial implants later in life. Scientists continue to research the condition to help doctors fully understand and treat it.

Environment: Based on animal studies, some researchers have linked endometriosis to the pollutant dioxin. Dioxin comes from many places including the wood and plastics industries, animal fat, cigarette smoke, and exhaust from gasoline and diesel engines.

Cells in the abdomen and pelvis, which are closely related to the cells of the reproductive system, may change into endometrial cells.

Genetic susceptibility: Studies indicate that some women are genetically predisposed to developing endometriosis. According to researchers from the University of Queensland, endometriosis runs in families, which means the genetic susceptibility is inherited.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

Pelvic pain in women with endometriosis depends partly on where the implants of endometriosis are located. Deeper implants and implants in areas with many pain-sensing nerves may be more likely to produce pain.

Common symptom experienced among Endometriosis sufferers is acute pain. Sometimes this pain is so severe that some women end up in the emergency department of their local hospital. And the longer a woman has the disease, the more painful it becomes.

Bowel problems - endometriosis can lead to painful bowel movements, diarrhea, constipation, or other intestinal upsets.

The pain of her menstrual cycle gradually and steadily becomes worse and worse as the months go by. This is only the beginning of what will become a gradual decline in a woman's general health, as well as the health of her reproductive system.

Tiredness - around 80 percent of women with endometriosis feel tired, exhausted or sluggish much of the time.

Treatment of Endometriosis

Medical treatment should be reserved for use in patients with pain or dyspareunia, because no pharmacologic method appears to restore fertility.

Simple puncture - This procedure is completed by draining the fluid from the cyst. Endometriomas have been shown to recur in about 50 percent of the patients treated with simple puncture. However, a more aggressive surgical approach, such as cutting away the mass, can cause extensive adhesions (scar tissue) that may prevent the ovary from releasing an egg.

Laparoscopic surgery: Surgical removal of endometriosis and scar tissue can improve pain and your chance for pregnancy. This is especially true for women with mild to moderate endometriosis.

Cutting away of the cyst wall - This is the procedure of choice to decrease recurrence of disease. This procedure can also damage the outer layer of the ovary that contains the eggs.