Endometriosis symptoms can vary from one person to another by a great deal and can range in severity from mild to severe. Even those with very advanced endometriosis can exhibit mild symptoms. The symptoms a person experiences have no link to the stage or severity of the endometriosis. Here is a closer look at what those four stages look like.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis tissue reacts to a woman’s hormones and grows and then sheds with your menstrual cycle. It is thought that there are times when the shedding does not happen as it is meant to and instead of leaving the body it travels and infests surrounding reproductive organs and tissues. It is a progressive disease so gets worse over time, you move from one stage to the next as it worsens. It can spread to the lungs, bowels, kidneys and lower back area and impact on how your organs work. That is why even if infertility is not a worry when discovered seeing a gynaecologist Melbourne you should then look at treatment options.
Endometriosis symptoms and diagnosis
As mentioned they can range in severity, some women might not even experience anything. Some common ones are periods becoming irregular, painful and heavy, kidney issues, pain in the lower back and struggling to conceive. It is the inability to conceive that often leads to the diagnosis as a specialist looks for what is causing infertility and discovers the Endometriosis. A definitive diagnosis has to come from a Laparoscopy and that is also how treatment happens.
Measured in stages
Stage One – Also called minimal endometriosis and might not yet impact fertility. This stage is treatable with medications unless you are trying to have a baby. In that case, even at stage one the lesions and implants need to be removed surgically. Since it is progressive it makes sense to treat as soon as discovered to avoid possible organ damage that is life-threatening in the later stages.
Stage Two – The condition is mild still but there are more implants and lesions visible and, probably, at least one of the ovaries is now under stress. This means the scar tissue can block your Fallopian tubes and implants may be compromising an ovary.
Stage Three – Now you are the moderate stage of the disease and it is on both ovaries as well as the uterus and tubes. Lesions and implants are likely deeper than stage 2 and the best chance for treatment success is surgery in terms of bringing back the option to have children.
Stage Four – This is the most severe and serious stage where it is prominent in the whole abdominal cavity and is affected organs and putting your life potentially at risk. Again the only chance to correct infertility is surgery.
Summary
If you are concerned about your fertility or that you might be experiencing endometriosis symptoms, it is important to find a top gynecologist, Melbourne so you can get it checked out. The sooner you do the more chance there is of less damage happening and treatment being successful.
