Endometriosis Treatments
Since the actual cause of endometriosis is not known, treatments can vary from one woman to another. Sometimes treatments revolve around managing the symptoms, but women who want to become pregnant at some point in the future may sometimes elect to have surgery. There are times when women choose to have a full hysterectomy too, and there are hormone therapies and treatments which are sometimes used as well.
Some women have had success with natural treatments such as nutrition therapy and herbal remedies. There is some evidence that endometriosis might be caused by a problem with the woman's immune system, so boosting nutrition may help in many ways. Some theorize that the body's immune system is actually malfunctioning though, instead of simply functioning at less than normal levels.
For women who suffer primarily from mild pain problems though, treatments often involve taking over the counter pain medications as needed. If the pain is quite severe, your doctor may prescribe you stronger versions of these pain medications.
Hormone treatments are often recommended for women who aren't getting enough relief with just pain medications though, but this treatment option shouldn't be used by women who may want to get pregnant in the future.
Some types of hormone treatments include the use of birth control pills, which slows down the growth of endometriosis tissues. Birth control pills block the effects of the body's natural hormones, and can greatly reduce the symptoms caused by endometriosis. Women can get pregnant at a later date by stopping the use of the birth control pills, but when they stop taking these pills the endometriosis symptoms return as well.
Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRH agonists) reduces the amount of estrogen in a woman's body and stops her monthly period cycle because the tissue growth is greatly slowed.
Surgical procedures are also used to treat endometriosis. The most common surgical procedure is known as Laparoscopy, and it's used to both diagnose and treat the disease. With this procedure, the doctor makes a small abdominal incision, and attempts to remove or destroy the extra tissue growth without harming healthy tissues. With more severe cases of endometriosis however, a major abdominal surgery may be needed.
A Hysterectomy is used for women who have severe damage to their uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes from endometriosis. This treatment should only be used by women who have no wish to become pregnant in the future though, because the doctor often removes the female reproductive organs entirely. This is also not guaranteed to prevent endometriosis from returning.
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