One of the most disheartening experiences you can have when trying to start a family is being unable to get pregnant, and there are a number of factors that can affect your chances.
One condition that 190 million women of reproductive age struggle with globally is endometriosis, which can lead to pain, depression, anxiety, and many other problems that affect your ability to enjoy your everyday life, as well as your fertility.
Fortunately, this condition is treatable, and to find out more, let’s look at what endometriosis is, how it affects fertility, and what your options are for treatment.
If you live in the Lake Mary, Florida, area and you’re coping with endometriosis or other problems affecting your desire to start or grow your family, Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our dedicated medical staff can help.
The endometrium is the lining inside your uterus, or womb, and this lining thickens as your body prepares for pregnancy. The lining stays if an egg is fertilized, but sheds if no egg is fertilized.
Endometriosis occurs when this tissue grows outside of the womb, and can affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic tissue lining. You may also develop growths on the other reproductive organs and your pelvic region. The result is:
Because the endometrial tissue that grows outside your uterus also thickens during your menstrual cycle (during ovulation), it leads to bleeding and swelling in other parts of your pelvis, and the subsequent growth makes pregnancy more difficult.
These are the types of endometriosis:
It’s possible to have one or multiple types of this condition, and we classify endometriosis from mild to severe.
When evaluating the problem, we examine the severity to determine if you can get pregnant without medical intervention. Your fertility may also be affected by age, medical history, the stage of the condition, prior pregnancies, and how long you’ve been infertile.
Because endometriosis can affect your body in different ways in varying degrees of severity, there are multiple ways to manage the pain and restore fertility:
Over-the-counter medications or prescription-strength analgesics help to manage the pain associated with endometriosis.
Using hormones to regulate monthly changes that can lead to endometrial growths can lower your risk of developing the condition. Hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills, vaginal rings, and patches can reduce or eliminate pain in the mild form of this condition.
Medications like gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists block estrogen production, helping to reduce stimulating the ovaries and prevent menstruation for a time.
We may recommend danazol to stop menstruation and lower the production of hormones that can worsen symptoms of endometriosis.
When other options fail, we may recommend surgery to remove growths without damaging your reproductive system. We can do this laparoscopically (using a thin tube with surgical implements) or with laser surgery.
If you want to have children but find yourself coping with endometriosis, we can help. Make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey today in Lake Mary, Florida.
