How Is Endometriosis Diagnosed And How Can It Be Treated?

One of the biggest examples of why private gynaecology with a holistic approach can be so important is found in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

Because it is sometimes dangerously dismissed as an outbreak of menstrual cramps or period pain, the condition sometimes takes a very long time to get diagnosed.

Part of the reason for these complications in diagnosing endometriosis is that there are many other conditions which share similar symptoms, which emphasises the importance of taking every possible option into account.

It is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome, ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease, particularly with doctors who are less familiar with endometriosis itself.

Symptoms such as heavy bleeding during periods, painful periods, pain during sex, fatigue and pain when going to the toilet are linked to a lot of other conditions, and defining and describing period pain can be difficult given that many people with uteruses will suffer from cramps.

In practice, the only true way to confirm whether someone has endometriosis is to have a laparoscopic examination, which is a surgical procedure that, in what can sometimes lead to a catch-22 situation, is often only done if endometriosis symptoms are spotted through other diagnostic procedures.

In terms of treatment, there is no cure per se, but there are various surgical and nonsurgical interventions that can potentially help.

Typically, contraceptive medications contain hormones that can help ease pain, as can over-the-counter painkillers to take some of the pain away. As well as this, progestogens and GnRH analogue hormones can sometimes help reduce the spread of endometrial cells and endometriosis.

Some types of coil such as the Mirena coil can also help as can surgery. Surgical interventions are divided between conservative and radical.

Conservative treatments such as laparoscopy tend to destroy the endometriosis cysts either by cutting them out or using a laser to destroy them.

Meanwhile, a potential option of last resort if this has not helped is radical surgical interventions such as a hysterectomy or oophorectomy.