Alexandria M. Douglas
Medical Terminology
March 6, 2018
The Study of Endometriosis and The Connection of Laproscopy
The study of endometriosis is a very interesting topic to me because I was diagnosed with
this condition when I was 13 years old and have been dealing with all of its ups and downs for
the past 5 years. I have found it interesting that something so small can cause so many different
problems.
Endometriosis (stated by the Exploring Medical Language - edition 10 by Myrna LaFleur
Brooks and Danielle LaFleur Brooks) is an abnormal condition of the endometrium; in other
words, the endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus in various areas in the pelvic cavity,
including ovaries, uterine tubes, intestines and uterus.
As stated by Google, between 2 and 10 percent of women of reproductive age are
afflicted with this condition, and that endometriosis renders between 30 and 40 percent of them
infertile, making it the most common cause of infertility. What I have read in the New York
Times is that at least 5.5 million women and girls ages 10 to 76 have endometriosis, in which
tissue that normally resides inside the uterus escapes in menstruation into other parts of the
abdomen. There, it may grow and cause blockages and scar tissue, resulting in severe pelvic
pain, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, cramping and sometimes infertility. The only way
to be sure whether a woman has endometriosis is to perform a surgical procedure called
laparoscopy that allows us look inside the abdominal cavity with a narrow scope. Sometimes it’s
strongly suspected that the disease is present based on the woman's history of very painful
menstrual cycles, painful intercourse, etc., or based on the physical examination of the woman or
ultrasound findings. Although the cause of endometriosis is not precisely known, a number of
risk factors and possible causes have emerged from recent research. Risk appears to be increased
by extended exposure to menstruation and estrogen. Short menstrual cycles, prolonged
menstrual flow and high levels of body fat contribute to a greater than average risk. Women with
few or no pregnancies and those who rarely exercise fall into the same category.
This condition does not have a cure, yet there are medicines and treatments to help with
the pain and other symptoms. Treatments are to help with the pain and to prevent the
endometriosis from spreading to other organs. Treatment can consist of medication and/or
surgery. The type of treatment you may seek usually depends on the severity of your symptoms
and whether or not you may want to become pregnant. There are things such as birth control
(the pill, the depo shot or the IUD). This type of medicine is used to lessen menstrual bleeding;
profuse bleeding can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, which saps energy, including sexual energy.
The pill reduces the volume of menstrual flow, and can restore energy. “The Depo Shot contains
the progest...
