Endometriosis and Infertility

Infertility is the inability to conceive children. Nearly 15% of the world’s population is suffering from infertility. Endometriosis and infertility are directly linked together. Among all other reasons, endometriosis is one of the top three causes of infertility in women. About 30% to 50% of women who are suffering fertility issues have endometriosis. There must be questions in your mind about what is endometriosis, how can it be treated, and many more. This article will solve all your queries and guide you through all the possible solutions. 

What is endometriosis? 

Endometriosis is the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The endometrial tissues are similar to the endometrium tissues which form the lining of the uterus. The tissue trapped in the pelvis can cause irritation, severe pain during periods, and even fertility problems. The cases of endometriosis are classified as minimal, mild, moderate, or severe. It is based on the size of the lesions, and how deeply they reach into the other organs. It affects the fallopian tubes, embryo transport, and embryos. It happens due to various reasons. 

What are the causes of endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects women globally irrespective of ethnic origin or social status. It may start from the onset of their first period through menopause. There is no one specific factor for it, many factors contribute to its development. Some of the factors which are thought to cause endometriosis are: –

• Retrograde menstruation- Menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows back through the fallopian tube into the pelvic cavity. This results in the endometrial-like cell being deposited outside the uterus where they can implant and grow.
• Cellular metaplasia- Cells outside the uterus change into endometrial-like cells due to hormones or immune factors.
• Endometrial cell transport- Stem cells that give rise to the disease, spreads through the body via blood and lymphatic vessels. 
• Growth or persistence of ectopic endometrial tissue due to estrogen imbalance facilitates the inflammation, growth, and pain associated with the disease. 
• Immunity system disorder- If there is any problem with the immune system then it will be unable to recognize and destroy endometrial-like tissue that’s growing outside the uterus. 

These are some of the possible causes, but how can one know that they have endometriosis. 

Symptoms of Endometriosis 

The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, which is often associated with menstrual periods. Women with endometriosis will feel much pain worse than usual. Other common symptoms are: –

• Excessive bleeding during menstrual periods
• Lower back pain during the menstrual cycle
• Pain during and/or after sexual intercourse
• Painful bowel movement
• Painful urination
• Fatigue
• Depression or anxiety
• Abdominal bloating and nausea
• Infertility 

Infertility and endometriosis 

Endometriosis affects roughly 190 million reproductive-age women and girls globally. Endometriosis infertility rates range from 30 percent to 50 percent. Most women first diagnose endometriosis when they go for infertility treatment. 

The probable effects of endometriosis on the pelvic cavity, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or uterus cause infertility. Endometriosis obstructs the fallopian tube keeping the eggs and sperm from uniting and fertilizing. It also affects indirectly by damaging the sperm or the egg. 

Women with mild to moderate endometriosis can still conceive and carry the pregnancy. It is advised by the doctors that those suffering from the disease should not delay having children because the condition may worsen with time. 

Thus, sometimes endometriosis can cause fertility issues but we have all the solutions for the problem. 

Endometriosis and infertility treatment

The treatment of endometriosis is primarily aimed at curing and managing the symptoms. At present, it has no cure. The medical treatments for endometriosis mainly focus on either lowering estrogen or increasing progesterone. These treatments alter hormonal environments that promote endometriosis. 

Contraceptive steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and analgesics are common therapies. Surgery can also be an option. It removes endometriosis lesions, adhesions, and scar tissues. However, it depends on the extent of the disease that whether the surgery will reduce the pain symptoms and increase the pregnancy rate. 

How to get pregnant with endometriosis? 

Treatment options for infertility due to endometriosis may include: –

Laparoscopic surgical removal of endometriosis

Through laparoscopy, the endometriosis is either removed or treated. This procedure prevents future harm to the organs. The chances of the procedure to succeed is 50 percent. Thus, its alternative is IVF. 

Ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination (IUI)

Endometriosis may obstruct the egg to transfer from the ovary through the fallopian tube to the uterus. By the method of IUI sperm could be injected into the uterus. Further, hormonal drugs may be given for controlled hyperstimulation. The rate of women conceiving after going through this procedure is more than that of women who don’t take such help. 

In vitro fertilization (IVF)

As discussed, the disease prevents the egg to be transferred to the uterus and begin the process of fertilization. In that case, IVF is an advised option. In IVF, the egg and the sperm are fertilized in a lab and then the fertilized zygote is placed in the woman’s uterus to grow.  

Conclusion

To conclude it all, we discussed how endometriosis affects women. The symptoms should not be ignored. It gets detected very late when the women go for infertility treatment. Even though the disease cannot be treated the symptoms can be well managed. Infertility is one of the symptoms. Women with endometriosis can still get pregnant if treated early and in the right manner. 

Suggestion

The symptoms of the disease have to be treated very early on. Most women ignore its signs as the symptoms are very common. Consult a doctor if you have any of the signs and symptoms that may indicate endometriosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms may provide relief and prevent the disease from causing hindrance in a person’s day-to-day activities. 

Fertilityzilla provides all kinds of assistance and the right guidance. Every possible treatment option for endometriosis is available here with the first-class service. Fertilityzilla provides the best fertility treatment assistance. For any further information contact- contact@fertilityzilla.com. 

FAQ’s

When do women find out that they have endometriosis? 

Many women take the symptoms of the disease as normal. Till the time there are no outward symptoms they do not go for diagnosis. Patients learn about it when seeking infertility treatment. Endometriosis is either diagnosed based on clinical history or by laparoscopy in which helps both in discovering the issue and curing it.

What does it mean to be infertile with endometriosis?

Endometriosis can cause damage to the eggs and sperms. It may disrupt the tube causing difficulty for the egg to travel from the ovary to the uterus. In some cases, women with endometriosis could conceive but will not be able to carry the pregnancy resulting in miscarriage.

Can a woman with mild endometriosis conceive?

Infertility is not always a symptom of endometriosis. It can cause infertility in some cases. Women with mild endometriosis find it easier to conceive than women with severe endometriosis. Even those with severe endometriosis can conceive through fertility treatments. In some cases, women with endometriosis could conceive but will not be able to carry the pregnancy resulting in miscarriage.

How endometriosis can cause infertility?

Endometriosis does not directly cause infertility. However, the harm that it does over time may be the cause of infertility. The out-growth of the endometriosis forms cysts, cause adhesion to the reproductive organs and forms scar tissue. All these causes disruption in the fallopian tube. Infertility could be caused due to immunological disturbances or endocrine abnormalities. 

What causes infertility in women of reproductive age?

Infertility is the inability to conceive a child. Women of reproductive age commonly suffer from endometriosis. Symptoms of endometriosis can be infertility and the cure for it is proper treatment. 

References

1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail
2. https://www.healthline.com/health
3. https://www.webmd.com/women/endometriosis
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions
5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23182559/