The reality of endometriosis

Anatomy primer

To understand what endometriosis is, we first need to talk about the endometrium. The endometrium is a tissue that forms on the walls of a woman's uterus. Interestingly, it is not static; it physically responds to various hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen. In other words, the endometrium becomes thinner or thicker depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle or pregnancy. 

The endometrium in motion

• In preparation for ovulation, the endometrium grows to create the ideal environment for fertilized eggs (also known as blastocysts) to develop.
• If the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium gradually narrows until it disappears! In fact, menstrual blood contains remnants of the endometrium that the body sheds to prepare for the next cycle. 
• These changes in the endometrium are a perfectly normal part of how the uterus functions.

So, what exactly is endometriosis?

Basically, in someone with endometriosis, the endometrial tissue does not respond to the hormones produced during the menstrual cycle or pregnancy. Because of this, cells from the endometrium migrate outside the uterus and implant themselves in different parts and organs of the body, such as the ovaries, intestines, bladder, perineum, or fallopian tubes. This causes inflammation, irritation, and fibrosis, significantly affecting a woman's menstrual and reproductive cycle. It may sound unbelievable, but 176 million people worldwide have endometriosis!

Debilitating cramps are not normal

One in ten women has endometriosis, but not all of them know it because the symptoms have been normalized. The reality is that endometriosis has been vastly understudied by science. One of the reasons for this limited research is that the symptoms of endometriosis—pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, and severe menstrual cramps—were long considered symptoms of a normal period. But they aren't! Excessive pain is not normal, and excessive bleeding is not normal. We shouldn't ignore these symptoms because, first of all, pain should never be ignored, and second, between 20% and 70% of women who face difficulty conceiving have endometriosis, which can impact fertility. 

Endometriosis and infertility

We mentioned that endometriosis occurs when the tissue does not respond to hormonal changes. This, in turn, interferes with the ovulation cycle, the movement of sperm through the tubes, the fertilization of eggs, and the growth of the embryo in the uterus. Endometriosis is a known cause of infertility. And while there is no cure, there are treatments for endometriosis that can help manage common symptoms and difficulties with conceiving.