Diagnosing endometriosis is the first step toward symptom relief

Endometriosis is a common condition, affecting as many as 10% of women of reproductive age. In women struggling with infertility, endometriosis symptoms are found in roughly half of cases. Diagnosing endometriosis is an important first step in getting treatment that can improve women’s quality of life and help women get pregnant when they are ready to.

Understanding endo symptoms

Endometriosis, or “endo”, is a condition in which cells that should be inside the uterus are growing where they shouldn’t be. Each month, a woman’s uterus prepares for a possible pregnancy by growing a thick uterine lining where an embryo can implant. When pregnancy doesn’t happen, changing hormone levels cause the uterus to shed this lining, which is the monthly period or menstruation.

With endometriosis, cells similar to those in the uterine lining are growing outside of the uterus, elsewhere in the abdominal cavity. They don’t get a chance to shed like inside the uterus, and this can cause inflammation and scarring around reproductive organs. Sometimes this can cause pelvic pain, exceptionally painful periods, painful intercourse, or infertility. Sometimes, they grow around the reproductive organs and can cause scarring as well.

Women with endometriosis can have no, some, or many symptoms, ranging from mild to severe symptoms, including:

• Painful cramps during your period
• Pelvic pain at any time of the month
• Painful intercourse
• Abdominal bloating
• Gut issues, such as constipation or diarrhea
• Painful urination or bowel movements

Diagnosing endometriosis

Our San Antonio endometriosis specialists may suspect that you have endometriosis based on your symptoms and a pelvic exam, but the only way to know for sure is by taking a peek inside. Diagnosing endometriosis is done with a surgical procedure called laparoscopy.

For this minimally invasive procedure, you will be put to sleep with anesthesia, and a tiny incision will be made in your abdomen. Your physician will insert a flexible tube with a small camera through this incision to examine your pelvic cavity and reproductive organs, looking for telltale lesions and scarring. If endometriosis is found, it can also be removed during the same procedure with a laser or cautery tool, often providing symptom relief and an improvement in fertility.

Don’t wait to get help

In addition to laparoscopic removal of lesions while diagnosing endometriosis, our physicians have many tools to help relieve uncomfortable endo symptoms. For patients not planning pregnancy immediately, hormone suppression can improve or eliminate symptoms. If planning for pregnancy, your doctors will want you to conceive quickly, since most women who are pregnant have an improvement in symptoms.

We encourage you to contact us to make an appointment to discuss your symptoms. Diagnosing endometriosis is the first step in creating a treatment plan that can relieve your discomfort and protect your fertility, so don’t wait to get help from our San Antonio endometriosis specialists.