A woman went through an artificial menopause at the age of 19 to help treat her painful condition.

Student nurse Kia Morne, now 21, suffers with endometriosis.

It’s a gynaecological condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other areas of the body, most commonly, but not exclusively in the pelvic region.

This tissue responds to hormones in the same way as the lining of the womb but, with no outlet, it can cause inflammation, scarring and adhesions, leading to severe pain and many other symptoms.

Kia started having symptoms when she was 14, before her periods came at 15, when she suffered with abdominal pain, nausea and bowel problems.

She began fainting a year later, due to heavy bleeding during her period.

Over time doctors misdiagnosed Kia with food poisoning, allergies and irritable bowel syndrome.

The classic symptoms of endometriosis include severe pain during or between periods, very long, heavy and irregular periods, bowel and bladder problems, back and leg ache, and pain during or after sex.

Extreme fatigue is very common and fertility may also be affected. Misdiagnosis is common, resulting in delays to accurate diagnosis, unnecessary tests, and sometimes unnecessary surgery.

But Kia was finally diagnosed when she was 19 after switching to a female GP and undergoing keyhole surgery called a laparoscopy.

“There are many misdiagnoses, so I felt a sigh of relief that my illness finally had a name,” said Kia.

She added: “Suffering with endometriosis is a continual struggle.

“You feel embarrassed the condition is to do with your periods, then you have to be believed and then you have to be diagnosed.”

In a trial and error treatment routine Kia was first put on the contraceptive pill, but it did not help her symptoms.

She was then given a course of injections that brought on a medically-induced menopause.

The use of these drugs is usually limited to six months because of the side effect of thinning of the bone, Endometriosis UK say.

The injections are GnRH analogues, with brands including Prostap and Zolodex, which are synthetic hormones that bring on a temporary menopause.

The ovaries switch off and temporarily stop producing eggs and the hormone oestrogen.

Kia felt the treatment’s full force of side effects – hot sweats, dizziness, headaches, mood changes, hair loss, bone and joint pain, skin reactions, sleep issues, fatigue, nausea, memory issues, blurred vision, bloating and swelling.

She also has hormone replacement therapy to help alleviate some of the side effects.

The only way to determine if a person has endometriosis is through a laparoscopy and excision is widely seen as the gold standard for treating endometriosis, where the disease is cut out.

Kia has now decided to have the surgery and she also wants to freeze her eggs for the future.

“It is odd to be thinking of children when it is something that I’d think about so far in the future,” she said.

Endometriosis does not necessarily cause infertility but there is an association with fertility problems, although the cause is not fully established. Even with severe endometriosis, natural conception is still possible.

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For years, Shelby* would get a pain in her lower abdomen around once a month. It didn’t happen during her period – but it did kind of feel like period pain. The pain would last for around six to eight hours and was a “sharp, stabbing pain,” Shelby says.

One month, the pain would be on her left. The next month, she’d feel it on her right. It wasn’t until Shelby started using a period tracker app about ten years ago that she realised that the pain she was having coincided with ovulating.

In other words, she discovered she experiences mittelschmerz.

What is mittelschmerz?
If you haven’t heard of mittelschmerz, you’re not alone. Though it’s a mouthful, it’s actually a German word meaning ‘middle pain’. While it can feel like period pain, mittelschmerz is actually due to ovulation pain. In case you’re not up to date on all the technicalities of ovulation, ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg. That egg then can be fertilised, if you get pregnant.

According to Better Health Channel, approximately one in five women experience pain during ovulation. In the majority of cases, as with Shelby, it doesn’t mean there’s anything’s wrong.

What does mittelschmerz, or ovulation pain feel like?
Mittelschmerz is often felt around the area of the ovary, meaning either to the left or right of the midline of the abdomen, down low. The pain can be felt as pressure, sharp pain, a twinge or cramps. It can pass in a matter of minutes, go for a few hour or may even last for a couple of days.

Why does ovulation pain happen?
According to Better Health Channel, there are two main theories as to why ovulation can be painful for some women. One theory relates to the pressure of the follicle (which contains the egg) stretching the ovary.

The other theory relates to the bursting of the follicle. You see, when the egg is mature, it bursts out of the follicle and can cause a bit of bleeding. That bleeding can then irritate parts of the stomach lining, which can be painful.

What can I do to ease ovulation pain?
In most cases, the pain of mittelschmerz isn’t too bad, so you might not need to do anything to help treat it. If you do need some extra help, you can try using a hot pack, doing some gentle stretches, or reaching for some simple painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen (if you don’t have any reasons that you can’t use them).

In other words – you can try the same kinds of stuff you’d reach for if you had period pain.

Help! My mittelschmerz is awful! What should I do?
If you suffer from severe pain in between your periods, it’s definitely worth seeing your GP. That’s because you could have something else that’s causing your pain.

For example, you might have an infection of the fallopian tubes (called salpingitis), endometriosis, or another pelvic or abdominal issue. If that’s the case, you need to make sure you receive a proper diagnosis, investigations and treatment if needed.

Lastly, if the pain of mittelschmerz is ever super-intense, continues for longer than a couple of days, or is associated with unusual symptoms such as heavy bleeding from down below, you should also see your doctor.

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SABIN, Minn. — She’s the familiar voice on WAVE 104.1, but there’s something about Natalie Burbeck that many listeners can’t hear.

Burbeck knew from a young age her body was experiencing something different from other girls.

“I mean, you would talk with girlfriends about things and you find out, okay, they have these symptoms and you feel like yours are so much worse,” she says.

Menstrual cycle cramps were intolerable.

“They were to the point where I was miserable.”

Major headaches, constant fatigue and extreme pain told her something was off.

It wasn’t until three years ago, when her symptoms started to worsen, that she decided it’s time to do something about it.

But multiple visits to different doctors gave her zero answers.

“I doubted that anyone believed me. That — I was like, ‘Am I going crazy?’ I know something is wrong here.”

It wasn’t until she did her own research and found the right physician at Sanford Health that things started to look up.

“When I found Dr. Coauette, I explained to her, I had done all this research on Endometriosis and I said, ‘I really do believe that it is this,’ and she was the first doctor that really believed in me and was like, ‘We’re going to get to the bottom of this. We’re going to figure this out.’”

Endometriosis, often referred to as the “Silent Disease,” affects 1 in 10 women, but it’s rarely talked about.

“Mostly because those symptoms are so common in women with your period. It’s your period. And a lot of women don’t talk about it, so you just, your mom says, ‘Yeah, I had bad cycles. I took Motrin and moved on,’” says Sanford OBGYN Dr. Jordan Coauette.

It’s a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it.

Although there’s no permanent cure for Endometriosis, a laparoscopy removes as much of that tissue as possible.

“I was super scared about the surgery, but it was very easy and I feel great afterwards. The recovery was so easy. I had surgery over a year ago and I feel really good,” says Burbeck.

The lesson she’s passing on to other women is to simply listen to their bodies.

If you think something is wrong…

“I recommend seeing your primary care, seeing one of us OBGYN’s and just telling us what’s going on. Tell us your story,” says Dr. Coauette.

They say talking about it is the first step to getting a solution.

The post Local Radio Host Shares Her Story With “Silent Disease appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Endometriosis, a gynecological condition affecting the lower abdomen or pelvic area, has a reputation for being super painful. You might assume that if you had it, you’d know it.

Or would you? Maybe not. This common condition doesn’t always make itself known with red flags and flashing lights.

We talked to reproductive endocrinologist Marjan Attaran, MD, to find out what women should know about the signs and symptoms of endometriosis.

1. Period pain is the biggest clue

Endometriosis occurs when fragments of the tissue that lines the uterus go rogue, growing in places they don’t belong. Those cells can glom onto the ovaries, fallopian tubes or intestine. During your period, those tissues bleed, which may trigger pain and swelling.

“The classic symptom of endometriosis is terrible period pain that doesn’t go away with birth control pills or anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen,” Dr. Attaran says. But not all women with endometriosis have horrible cramps. And not all women with horrible cramps have endometriosis. Intense period pain is a tip-off, not a smoking gun. 

2. Endometriosis pain can be fickle

Most often, endometriosis pain crops up low in the pelvis, Dr. Attaran says. But women can have very different experiences. Some describe the pain as sharp. Others experience a dull ache. Cramps might squeeze just one side of the pelvis, or both, or they might move from side to side. (See what we mean about fickle?)

3. Sex might hurt

Many women with endometriosis experience a “deep” pain during or after sex.

4. Stomach problems are common

If cramping wasn’t enough,women with endometriosis sometimes have digestive problems, too. These can include nausea, diarrhea, constipation or bloating, especially during that (least favorite) time of the month.

4. Some women have no symptoms

Just because you don’t have excruciating cramps during your period doesn’t mean you can rule out endo. Some women with the condition have mild symptoms, or even no symptoms at all, Dr. Attaran says.

The symptoms you experience often get worse over time. You might not see any signs until your late 20s, 30s or even 40s. “People don’t wake up one day with all of these symptoms,” she says. “They usually develop slowly as time goes by.”

5. Trouble getting pregnant

If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant, mild endometriosis might be involved.

Diagnosing endometriosis would be a lot easier if there were red flags. But for many women, it’s more of a gray area. “It’s a frustrating disease,” Dr. Attaran says. “But if you have symptoms, it’s worth following through to get the diagnosis so you can be active about managing the disease.” 

The post Endometriosis Symptoms: Red Flags or Gray Areas? appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis. Worrying right?

If endometriosis affects your life, you know you would try everything to manage the symptoms. What’s the worst part about this condition? It has no cure?.

This debilitating condition was highly researched in 2018, but scientists found few about its causes. Some of them claim that mutations in macrophages could be a cause for endometriosis. To come up with this conclusion, researchers from the Warwick and Edinburgh Universities tested on mice and found that a new treatment can target altered cells and improve the disorder.

Endometriosis is the condition in which tissue from inside the uterus grows and develops lesions outside it. The inflammation associated with the condition leads to pain with urination and bowel movements, painful intercourse and chronic pelvic pain. Sometimes, women suffering from this condition are infertile.

It’s stated that 1 in 10 women have this condition, but the researcher Merli Saare thinks no one can actually know how many women have it because it’s difficult to diagnose it. A simple blood sample doesn’t help doctors identify the condition. At present specialists diagnose it surgically. By using a laparoscopic procedure, the doctor removes lesions from the abdominal cavity and test them to confirm the disease. Often, removing the lesions relieves the symptoms, but doesn’t cure the condition, which often recurs.

Research is highly needed in the domain to help women deal with this painful condition. Until now this is what we know.

Immune cell discovery can help improve endometriosis symptoms

We noted earlier in this article that white cells could play a role in causing endometriosis. The scientists from the Greaves lab, now part of Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick, along with collaborators at the University of Edinburgh found out that cells in the human immune system can influence the growth and activity of nerve cells in this disorder. They can generate increased sensitivity and pain in the pelvic area. The Medical Research Council funded this research because around 180 million women worldwide need a treatment for this condition, the excruciating pains affecting their daily lives.

Macrophages adapt their function according to the signals they receive from a certain area, so this disorder can modify them. The condition draws them into lesions and this is why doctors found them in high numbers inside the lesions they remove. The scientists have used cell culture from modified macrophages to observe how they evolve. It looks like they register an increased production of the insulin-like growth factor also known as IGF-1. The IGF-1 factor not only that influences nerves growth but also activates them and generates pain.

To confirm their conclusions, scientists also examined peritoneal fluid from patients with endometriosis and identified high concentrations of IGF-1. Women without the condition have lower levels of the same factor. This is the first time a study connects macrophages to endometriosis, but it can help researchers find a non-hormonal treatment because nowadays women rely heavily on hormonal solutions to fight the symptoms.  

What are other endometriosis findings

Until a cure is identified, scientists try to find pain management alternatives. At present, women have access to over-the-counter pain medications, hormone therapies and surgery. Women with moderate to severe pains can use oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist to deal with their pain. Daily pills also work because they stop the production of oestrogen that contributes to the growth of endometrial scarring and painful symptoms. However, the GnRH antagonists have side effects not many women are willing to experience. They put their body into a state similar to artificial menopause, so it prevents them from getting pregnant. Other side effects include hot flashes, loss of bone intensity and vaginal dryness.

Surgery is one of the most effective treatments for this condition because it removes endometrial lesions and it stops symptoms. The Women’s Health journal states that surgery is successful at reducing pains, but sometimes the condition recurs even after surgery. With the patient’s consent, the doctor can treat endometriosis during the diagnosing procedure. A 2018 study involving 4000 people concluded that laparoscopic excision surgery can treat pelvic pain and bowel-related symptoms to endometriosis.

Scientists from the Netherlands run a clinical trial to find ways to improve surgery’ success. Now, surgeries don’t remove lesions completely, so symptoms often come back. Patients need a second surgery. The clinical trial is exploring an alternative, the use of fluorescence imaging to prevent repeated surgeries.

Non hormonal treatment for endometriosis is a step closer

As stated above, endometriosis lesions contain a high number of macrophages and the disease environment creates signals that influence the function of the immune cells. By reprogramming these cells women can treat this condition without having to use hormonal treatment.

Scientists had to dive into complex study to find out how to transform or replace uterine cells. A study from Northwestern Medicine reveals that we can replace cells causing pain or inflammation with healthy cells that are created from the patient’s own supply of pluripotent stem cells. The benefit is that the body doesn’t reject the cells and the transplant will have 100% success. More research is required on the subject but it can be a solution for the women who don’t want to experience the side effects hormonal treatment has.

Because the main cause of endometriosis is still unknown, researchers have started to ask if genes have nothing to do with the condition. Some studies have pointed out that the suppression of specific genes can play a major part. Scientists at Yale University revealed that microRNA Let-7b, a genetic precursor that controls gene expressions is suppressed in patients suffering from the disorder. If doctors would administer Let-7b to their patients they can relieve some symptoms. This treatment is at the moment effective only on mice, but the study shows records big reductions in lesions after mice were injected with Let-7b. Before testing the treatment on human patients, extensive research is required.

Endometriosis is treatable. The right treatment varies from a patient to another, but the latest scientific advancements prove that medicine is close to discovering a cure.

The post The Latest Endometriosis Discovery Takes Us A Step Closer To Discovering The Cure appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Endometriosis—it’s not something you hear about every day, but it affects more than 11% of women between the ages of 15 and 44, according to the Office of Women’s Health. It’s more common in women in their 30s and 40s.

What is endometriosis?

Continental Clinical defines endometriosis as “abnormal tissue (similar to the tissue found in the uterus) growing outside the uterine lining.” Endometriosis is most commonly found on the:

• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Tissues that hold the uterus in place
• The outer surface of the uterus

What are the symptoms?

Women with endometriosis may experience pain in the following locations:

• Lower abdomen
• Lower back
• Pelvis
• Rectum
• Vagina

Other symptoms of endometriosis can include heavy menstrual cycles, fatigue, infertility, constipation, or nausea. It’s important to note, endometriosis growths are not cancerous.

How is endometriosis diagnosed?

Most doctors use laparoscopic surgery to diagnose endometriosis. Laparoscopic surgery allows your doctor to see the tissue inside your pelvis. Laparoscopy is the most accurate way to check for endometriosis. In some cases, your doctor may need tissue samples. Other methods contributing to a diagnosis may include:

• Pelvic exam—allows your doctor to feel for large cysts or scars behind the uterus
• Imaging test—an ultrasound that lets the doctor see any cysts on the ovaries, however, this test will not show smaller growths
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

How is endometriosis treated?

There are limited treatment options for endometriosis, be sure to speak with your doctor about what treatment is best for you. The most common treatments include:

Medication—For women who are not planning to get pregnant, some doctors may prescribe hormonal medication, like birth control, to help alleviate pelvic pain and spotting or bleeding. There are a variety of options, such as the pill, shot, and the intrauterine device (IUD).

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of a new medication, elagolix to “ease the pain of moderate to severe endometriosis,” according to Medical News Today.

Surgery—For women who have severe pain due to endometriosis, surgery is an option. This procedure includes the removal of overgrown tissues.

Trial study

Continental Clinical is conducting research studies for women who have been surgically diagnosed with endometriosis and suffer from moderate to severe pelvic pain. They are dedicated to providing more information and resources to improve women’s health. To see if you may qualify for their research study.

Over the past six years, the staff at Continental Clinic have seen a growth in research done on endometriosis. Continental Clinic has proudly participated in many endometriosis studies since 2013 and will continue to focus on this important women’s health condition.

The post Could it be endometriosis? What you need to know appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Everyone knows that fatigue is — or, perhaps was — my biggest demon. It has affected my life so acutely that I’ve had to transform the way I live and work to accommodate and beat it.

I want to be a morning person. I love slow mornings. I love taking the time I need to exercise, go outside, write down my goals and affirmations, and meditate — all of the things that help me feel good. I have a routine, but the anxiety of falling behind constantly lurks in the back of my mind because I can’t wake up early enough. It’s never quite the experience I envisioned.

I have battled with waking up for years. I first noticed when I was in my late teens and early 20s. By the time I was running my first business, it felt like I’d been hit by something heavy during the night. My body felt like lead, and the effort it took to move my legs seemed impossible to overcome.

I didn’t have much choice in the battle. I’d snooze my alarm while half asleep without realizing it. Waking up was so painful that most mornings I would cry.

This went on for years, and the impact never seemed to lessen. I left my business because I couldn’t keep up, and moved to a “real” job where they could fire me if I was late.

My boyfriend would wake me in the mornings by opening all the curtains and making green tea. He would leave it by my bedside so the scent would alert me that it was morning. Then he would gently (and repeatedly) wake me, wrap me in a blanket, and coax me into the living room. There, I could drink my tea in the morning light, signaling to my body that it was time to wake up. Often, I would be on the verge of tears.

But I refused to give up. I just kept trying. Every day I would set my alarm to the time I wanted to wake, and every day I would hit snooze over and over again. I’d wake up feeling as sleep-deprived as the previous day.

I desperately wanted to change. I was certain that if I could wake up earlier, the other things I was struggling with would fall into place. It felt like the missing piece of the puzzle. I would hear entrepreneurs talk about their miracle mornings and think it felt wrong and abnormal for my body. I was jealous. I wanted to be that person.

What I didn’t realize was that I was slowly — very slowly — becoming an earlier riser. It was taking years, but I was developing a routine that was training me to wake up.

Don’t get me wrong. I do not believe in sleep deprivation. As someone who suffers from insomnia and knows the effects of acute fatigue, I don’t think you should be an early riser if it’s to your detriment. (Check out Dr. Matthew Walker and his discoveries on genetics and sleep.) If your body needs to sleep until midday for you to be able to cope with this disease, do what feels right for you.

I wasn’t training myself to wake up earlier and survive on less sleep. I’ve been working on balancing my hormones so that I sleep better. I’ve been working on time management so that I can go to bed earlier and sleep longer. I’ve found that I feel my best with about 10 hours of sleep. I’ve been trying to get at least eight.

I still have a long way to go toward improving my energy in the mornings, and my progress was put to the test recently by the Last 90 Days challenge. But I’m now waking up at 6:30, sometimes even earlier. Most days, it happens naturally. My body is waking up before my alarm, and you know what’s even crazier? I feel OK. Sometimes even good.

I was skeptical that I could reach this place. But I kept going because I instinctively knew that I could be that person. Perhaps it is possible for me to be a morning person after all, even with endometriosis.

The post Can I Be a Morning Person with Endometriosis? appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Raise your hand if period pain often leaves you lethargic, irritable, and all-around uncomfortable. It’s common to experience some physical discomfort during PMS, but chronic debilitating cramping, lower back pain, and pelvic pain could all be symptoms of a serious condition called endometriosis.

While endometriosis is one of the most common gynecologic conditions, affecting an estimated 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years, it can be a difficult disease to diagnose – so much so that many women living with endometriosis are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed for several years of their adult life.

If you’re suffering every month, understanding the root of your pain may be the first step to getting help, so we reached out to two Ob-Gyns to learn more about painful menstrual cramps associated with endometriosis.

What Is Endometriosis?

Unlike PMS, endometriosis occurs in a woman’s pelvis and surrounding organs, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and intestines. “Endometriosis is a condition where the same cells that usually line the inner part of the uterus (endometrium), which women shed every month when they have a period, grow outside of the uterus,” Dr. Ann Peters, a gynecologist and surgeon in The Gynecology Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. explained. “In its most severe forms, endometriosis can even invade into these important organs and nerves (similarly to cancer without being cancerous) and cause severe pain.”

How Do Severe Period Cramps Compare to Endometriosis Symptoms?

“Cramps related to a period are common and just noted as pelvic or lower back pain, and it’s not always the case to know if it’s caused by endometriosis of just good ol’ fashion period cramps,” explained Dr. Sherry A. Ross, women’s health expert and author of She-ology and the upcoming She-ology The She-quel. “Pain is not the most common symptom related to PMS, so endometriosis period pain is not part of the differential diagnosis.”

Dr. Peters revealed that endometriosis symptoms “can be broad and often confusing” stating that “on average it takes many years for women to be diagnosed.”

Painful periods, pain with sex, pain with bowel movements, and trouble getting pregnant are the most common symptoms of the disease. “Depending on where endometriosis is located, women can also experience vague symptoms of sciatica, bloating, nausea, vomiting, swelling, joint and muscle pains.”

Endometriosis pain is “more commonly seen before and during the period,” explained Dr. Ross. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to distinguish whether someone’s mild, moderate, or severe pain is caused by PMS or endometriosis – no matter their level of discomfort.

Although pain doesn’t directly indicate endometriosis, it could be the root of your discomfort – “some of the same nerves that supply sensation to the uterus also will be affected by endometriosis that grows near it,” noted Dr. Peters. When women have other symptoms of endometriosis like pain with bowel movements, pain with sex, and difficulty getting pregnant, then it’s slightly easier to identify the disease.

However, the only way to 100 percent diagnose someone with endometriosis is to perform surgery.

Can Endometriosis Be Cured?

While no cure has been found yet, there are several pain-relieving options available, including over-the-counter treatments and natural remedies – Dr. Ross confirmed that “the goal in treating endometriosis is to treat the symptoms.”

One of the most effective methods of pain relief is surgical treatment focused on excising endometriosis. Dr. Peters urges that women should seek specialized gynecologic surgeons that specialize in endometriosis surgery and warns against ablating endometriosis due its scarring side effects.

Birth control methods are the most common medicines prescribed for endometriosis management because they often cause one’s period to stop, but sometimes that isn’t enough relief. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can help alleviate endometriosis period pain, too.

Dr. Peters admitted that many of her patients swear by acupuncture as a natural remedy for endometriosis period pain. CBD is another way to naturally manage your pain – it can “relax muscles in the pelvis and distracts your brain from feeling the pain,” according to Dr. Ross.

The post Are Your Painful Period Cramps a Sign of Endometriosis? appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

According to the Endometriosis Foundation of America, at least 200 million women worldwide have endometriosis. That’s one in every ten people with uteruses (including me).

The disorder is classified as an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease that affects women starting at reproductive age. Because it’s a female pain disorder, the cause is entirely unknown.

Tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus, causing painful lesions and numerous highly disruptive symptoms. From pelvic pain, nausea, brain fog and fatigue to lower back pain and chronic abdominal pain; it literally won’t leave you alone.

Even worse, it takes the average person nine years to get diagnosed with endometriosis. Even with diagnosis, there’s no cure for the condition so you’re fairly stuck for options.

Many women choose birth control pills or an IUD to try and reduce the symptoms, but even with excision and ablation surgery, the disorder will keep on regenerating. 

Surgical removal of the lesions and hormonal contraception can help, but you’re never free from it’s grip. Some women have horrific symptoms but very few lesions, making it even harder to understand.

Noemie Elhadad, a professor of Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University, decided to study data sets on the disease, discovering a shocking dearth of information.

Speaking to HuffPost, she said; 

“It’s frustrating because there’s really not a whole lot of solutions out there. Treatments are available, but we don’t know who yet who will respond in which way to what treatments. There’s still a whole lot of experimentation required and it’s really a burden on the patient.”

Elhadad’s own frustration with endometriosis coupled as well as her research on the intersection of technology and medicine spurred her to look further into the matter.

“There’s not tonne of documentation in medical claims about how many surgeries women experience for endometriosis and what type of surgery is done for them, for example. It felt like we were missing actual relevant data to study better the disease.”

That need for data led Elhadad to create Phendo, an app which allows sufferers to track their endometriosis symptoms, treatments and pain-management strategies.

“I want to change the mental model of the way the disease is diagnosed,” states Elhadad. Herself and other researchers asked patients directly to share their experiences to build a catalogue of symptoms.

Phendo has over 6,000 participants globally who engage and track their symptoms on the app, creating helpful data for scientists and medical researchers. 

It’s also a means to educate women so they can adequately advocate for themselves at the doctor’s office, which can be an intimidating place.

“There’s a lot of evidence by now of gender biases in healthcare where women in general are not being heard when they talk about their symptoms,” said Elhadad.

The app “can show in a very nearly mathematical way, a graph of this is how your pain has been in the past few months, it feels like an accurate description and something that feels so objective about who they are and hopefully a way to get heard.”

The post ‘Phendo’: A genius new app screens for symptoms of endometriosis appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

You’ve probably heard of endometriosis, a gynecological condition that can cause women to have debilitating pelvic pain, excessive bleeding, bloating and infertility. But did you know that it has a lesser-known sister condition called adenomyosis?

Adenomyosis likely affects millions of women, but it’s not well understood. The knowledge base is growing, though, and medical experts are coming to better understand how to effectively diagnose it and help women manage it.

“It used to be thought that adenomyosis only occurred in older women, but it’s now being diagnosed earlier,” says Rosanne Kho, MD, Head of the Section of Benign Gynecology and a subspecialist in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. That’s probably because gynecologists have better tools than ever to diagnose it, she suggests.

There’s still much to learn about this condition. But it’s understood that it can deeply affect a woman’s quality of life — and potentially her fertility.

“Adenomyosis is getting much more attention now,” Dr. Kho says. “Hopefully in the next few years we will be able to understand this condition better.”

Endometriosis and adenomyosis

Endometriosis and adenomyosis can cause some of the same symptoms, but what’s happening inside the body isn’t quite the same. And a woman could actually have both.

In endometriosis, some of the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus travels outside of the uterus, attaches itself to other pelvic organs and continues to bleed monthly. In adenomyosis, that tissue instead embeds itself inside the wall or muscle of the uterus, causing the uterus to swell.

Some women don’t have any symptoms, but many who are eventually diagnosed with adenomyosis are tipped off that something is wrong because of heavy periods and agonizing pain, Dr. Kho says.

Doctors used to only be able to make an adenomyosis diagnosis after a woman had her uterus removed to get rid of her symptoms, and a pathologist could see that there was indeed endometrial tissue inside the walls of her uterus.

But thanks to greater awareness of the condition and improvements in diagnostic tools like transvaginal ultrasound and MRI imaging, gynecologists can now see signs of the disease in women who haven’t had a hysterectomy.

It’s hard to know how many women have this condition, and experts aren’t sure exactly what causes it. But some think that women who have been pregnant or had surgery on their uterus are at higher risk, Dr. Kho says.

Secondary effects

Adenomyosis is not fatal, and symptoms often go away after menopause. However, research has shown that the presence of adenomyosis does elevate a woman’s risk of endometrial and thyroid cancers.

Because it causes changes in the uterus itself, experts also suspect that adenomyosis can make it harder for a woman to get pregnant. But research on this has been limited — and complicated by the fact that adenomyosis often occurs hand-in-hand with other factors that affect a women’s fertility, such as fibroids and endometriosis.

Treatment approaches

Today there are several ways doctors can treat adenomyosis, including options that preserve the uterus for women who still wish to have children.

Which approach is best depends on a woman’s symptoms, whether she wants to have children and the extent of the adenomyosis.

Over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medicines are the first step in helping with the pain. Beyond that, progestin-only hormonal therapies like an IUD may also ease pain and bleeding — or eliminate periods all together, Dr. Kho says. Other forms of hormonal therapies such as birth control pills, patches or rings, may also be recommended.

If medication isn’t able to decrease symptoms, women may consider other options:

• Endometrial ablation: This minimally invasive procedure that destroys the lining of the uterus may produce good results when the misplaced endometrial tissue occurs in a cluster. When the tissue is spread out or extensive, it may be able to be treated this way if it is not embedded deeply in the walls of the uterus.
• High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation: HIFU is a relatively new treatment that seems to be a promising noninvasive option for patients, Dr. Kho says, but there haven’t been enough comparative studies showing its efficacy, safety and outcomes on pregnancy just yet.
• Surgical removal: A surgeon can remove the affected areas of the uterus, but it’s not going to be perfect. “We would often end up excising healthy tissue and/or leaving some diseased tissue behind,” Dr. Kho explains. “Removing good tissue could put the patient at risk for worse pregnancy outcomes such as uterine rupture.”
• Hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus eliminates adenomyosis but also eliminates the chance for pregnancy.

Steps to take

If you have periods that are heavy or painful, or experience pelvic pain when you’re not on your period, talk with your Ob/Gyn. Any number of things could be going on, so it’s best to get to the bottom of it ASAP.

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