During April, which is Endometriosis Awareness Month, Dr. J. Kyle Mathews welcomes the opportunity to educate women about endometriosis.

Endometriosis occurs when the endometrium, which is the tissue that forms the uterine lining, grows outside the uterus in the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the bladder and other areas of the body. These growths can cause irritation, pain and scar tissue.

About 6.5 million women in the U.S. and Canada as well as 69 million women worldwide are affected by endometriosis.

Here are three things Dr. Mathews wants women to know.

The symptoms

• Pain, especially pelvic pain
• Severe menstrual pain and cramps—before, during and after a period
• Heavy bleeding during menstruation
• Painful sexual intercourse
• Pain in the lower back before menstruation begins
• Infertility problems
• Finding blood in urine or stool

No one symptom indicates that a woman has endometriosis, so it is important to see an experienced gynecologist. Dr. Mathews has been treating women with endometriosis for over two decades, so he is an expert at recognizing and diagnosing this disease.

To make a diagnosis, Dr. Mathews takes a detailed medical history, followed by a pelvic examination. If he suspects endometriosis may be the cause of your symptoms, he may suggest a laparoscopic examination, which is a minor, outpatient procedure, performed using general anesthesia, to look inside your body for growths.

The risk factors

There are certain things that put a woman at higher risk for developing endometriosis.

• Age—most risk occurs between puberty and menopause
• Having a mother or sister with endometriosis
• Having never been pregnant
• An irregular menstrual cycle—having a menstrual flow that is more or less than 7 days or a cycle that is more or less than 28 days
• Starting menstruating at an early age (younger than age 12)

Once you are aware of both the symptoms and the risk factors for endometriosis, you will be more likely to seek a doctor’s advice more quickly.

Seek treatment as soon as possible

Dr. Mathews wants women to know that there is no need to suffer with endometriosis. When women come to him with symptoms, he will begin a thorough diagnostic evaluation, and, if he finds that you have endometriosis, he has the expertise and experience necessary to develop an effective treatment plan to help you feel better. To learn more about endometriosis, contact Dr. Mathews for an appointment.

| Category: endometriosis, Surgeon |