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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 and there are hormone therapies and treatments which are
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, treatments often
involve taking over the counter pain medications as needed. If the pain is
quite severe, your doctor may prescribe stronger versions of these pain
medications.
Hormone treatments are often recommended for women who aren't getting enough
relief with just pain medications, 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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