Millions of women are suffering from a painfully immobilizing disease. To make matters worse, millions of women suffer in silence, unaware they even have the condition. Every one in ten women in the United States has endometriosis. This disease typically affects women of reproductive age, but endometriosis can affect women of all ages.
Endometriosis is believed to cost the United States 119 billion dollars a year. Why? Endometriosis is painful; many women affected find themselves unable to work when experiencing symptoms. Despite millions of women being affected and the economic impact, endometriosis research is grossly underfunded.
What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition where uterine tissue forms outside the uterus, tubes, ovaries, bowels, and pelvis lining. During menstruation (having your period), your hormone levels can affect this misplaced tissue and cause severe pain and irritation in the pelvic area.
Symptoms
The symptoms of endometriosis can be excruciatingly painful. The symptoms of endometriosis include but are not limited to:
- Unbearable pain
- Infertility
- Pain during sex
- Change in mood
- Pain during bowel movement
- Painful period
- Lower back pain during the menstrual cycle
- Heavy bleeding during or between menstrual cycles
One of the most alarming effects of endometriosis is not physical. Instead, many women sufferings from endometriosis suffer from loss of productivity.
Why is endometriosis not researched?
There are multiple reasons why endometriosis is not researched. One of the most prominent reasons is how difficult it is to diagnose endometriosis. Endometriosis can be hard to diagnose using noninvasive methods. Noninvasive methods include pelvic exams, ultrasounds, and MRIs.
However, these methods are helpful. The only sure way to diagnose endometriosis is through a procedure called laparoscopy. This is a procedure where doctors make a small incision and can examine the inside of your body.
Beyond the difficulty of diagnosing endometriosis, many doctors are not trained to look for this disease. This can be problematic. Many women who experience endometriosis symptoms are often misdiagnosed because doctors did not recognize their symptoms.
This is made worse when painful menstruation cycles are normalized in our society. Women experiencing serve pain during menstruation may often write off their pain as normal. There have been instances where doctors have done the same.
These factors contribute to the lack of endometriosis research because of the lack of endometriosis diagnosis. This leads to not many people knowing about the disease.
However, many people are working to change that. Celebrities such as Lena Dunham, Susan Sarandon, and Whoopi Goldberg have spoken about their experience with endometriosis.
Television personality Padma Lakshmi traveled to Capitol Hill to bring more awareness to endometriosis. “I just wanted to put it in their radar and make it personal and tell them how it affected me and millions of other young girls all over this country,” Lakshmi stated.
What are the treatments for endometriosis?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for endometriosis. However, there are medical and surgical options for treatment. Treatment depends on the individual and the severity of the disease. Current treatments include:
- Pain medication
- Hormonal Contraceptives
- Hormone therapy
- Hysterectomy with removal of the ovaries
- Conservative Surgery
Importance of Endometriosis Research
Endometriosis is a chronic condition. There is currently no cure. This condition affects 6 million women in the United States. Many women suffer intense pain during menstruation. Endometriosis has caused a lot of women to miss work, impacting their financial well-being and the economy.
Endometriosis clinical trials and research can lead to a viable cure.
Endometriosis Research Study Near Me
Are you suffering from endometriosis? Do you experience painful menstrual cycles or heavy bleeding during your period? If so, you may be qualified to participate in the research study for endometriosis. Please visit Endometriosis – AIH Research or call (713) 795-5964 to learn more.
Bottom Line:
Many women who experience the symptoms of endometriosis are often not taken seriously by friends, family, or even their doctors. This leads to women believing that their extreme menstrual pain is normal. Unfortunately, there is not much funding for research considering how many women have endometriosis in America alone.
However, endometriosis has received more awareness in the last few years. If you believe you may have endometriosis, consult your doctor.
