Weekday UK TV show Lorraine does a segment on endometriosis

My friend Greg in the UK wrote to tell me there was a segment on endometriosis this morning on a weekday television show called Lorraine. He writes, “It was a clip about 6 to 7 minutes long just going over the text in the article and a bit more, plus mentioning there was a live web chat straight after the show with Dr Hilary about it.”

I’ve heard that women in the UK have a lot of trouble finding support for endometriosis, so this is great news that a television show has once again put endo in the spotlight, and especially so during March – Endometriosis Awareness month.

Please note that if you are not in the UK, you will be unable to get to the video. I have not replicated the video on this end – you will need to click through the link below to get to the video.

Endometriosis – the facts
Published: 02/03/11

Dr. Hilary will be looking into the issues surrounding endometriosis, the biggest cause of infertility in women.

Recent figures reveal that it is taking over seven years on average for women to be diagnosed with endometriosis despite the fact it is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK, affecting 1 in 10 women. Many women put up with their symptoms for years, believing them to be ‘normal’.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where cells from the womb lining are found outside the womb. The deposits of endometriosis change in response to the cycle of hormones produced by the ovaries. During a period they bleed, just like the womb lining, but whereas the womb lining is shed and leaves the body during a period, the blood inside the pelvis has nowhere to go, irritating surrounding tissue.

The cause of endometriosis

The actual cause is unknown, but there are several theories, including genetic predisposition and immune dysfunction. A recent study by researchers at Oxford University identified two genetic variants that increase the risk of a woman developing endometriosis.

Symptoms

Some women experience symptoms which can vary in intensity while others do not. Common symptoms include:

* Painful, heavy, or irregular periods
* Pain during or after sex
* Infertility
* Problems on opening bowels
* Fatigue

The symptoms can also indicate many other conditions, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and because endometriosis manifests itself in a variety of ways, diagnosis can be difficult.

Treatment

There is currently no cure, but there are ways to alleviate the symptoms. These can be as simple as a hot water bottle/hot bath/painkillers for pelvic pain. Hormone treatment such as The Pill can be prescribed to cease or reduce the production of oestrogen in the body, as endometriosis responds and grows when exposed to oestrogen.

There are also surgical options. During laparoscopy, the surgeon can either cut out and remove the endometriosis or use heat, a laser or an electric current to remove the visible spots of disease. This surgery can help to improve fertility.

More radical surgery can be considered if a woman has not responded to drug treatments or conservative surgery and is not planning to start a family, such as total or part-hysterectomy. Hysterectomy is seen as a last resort. However, it is not a cure and patients can get a recurrence of symptoms afterwards.

Myths

Pregnancy is not a cure for endometriosis. The hormones released when pregnant temporarily suppress the menstrual cycle which can alleviate symptoms. Many women find that their symptoms return after giving birth and their menstrual cycle has returned.

If you are suffering from the symptoms of endometriosis, you can contact the charity Endometriosis UK via their website or call their helpline on 0808 808 2227

There are other useful endometriosis links on the Lorraine endometriosis article webpage. I would like to point out that use of The Pill to treat endometriosis is not encouraged, because The Pill contains synthetic estrogen. Endometriosis feeds and thrives off any form of estrogen. It’s one of those cases where we endometriosis patients are crying out, “When will doctors catch up to this fact!” For more information, please see my page titled Fact or Myth? Hormonal treatments treat/cure endometriosis.