Women who have a first-degree relative (mother or sister) with endometriosis are more likely to have the condition. Research suggests that inheritance might play a role in the development of endometriosis. One theory suggests that the immune systems of some women allow endometriosis to develop by failing to control or stop the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Retrograde menstruation occurs in almost all women, but only 10 per cent of menstruating women develop endometriosis. It is suspected that, in women who experience endometriosis, the endometrial tissue contained in the menstrual fluid sticks to whatever structures it lands on (such as the ovaries) and the cells begin to grow.
This is when some of the menstrual fluid flows backwards into the fallopian tubes instead of leaving the body through the vagina.īecause the fallopian tubes are open-ended (they are not joined to the ovaries), menstrual fluid can drip into the pelvic cavity. Retrograde menstruation is also known as ‘backward menstruation’. Endometriosis and retrograde menstruation
The causes of endometriosis remain unknown, but research suggests a number of possible causes and risk factors. If you have bad period pain, see your doctor. Many women think that painful periods are normal. bladder symptoms – pain when passing urine.If you need treatment, you may need emotional as well as physical support. Usually, it causes pain around the time of your period, but for some women, the pain is almost constant. The pain of endometriosis can be so bad that it stops you from going to work or school. Endometriosis may cause very painful periods and may reduce fertility, but there are a number of treatment options. Over time, this process can create scar tissue.įibrous scar tissue can form on the lining inside the abdomen (the peritoneum), causing the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes and bowel to stick to each other. They bleed, cause inflammation and pain, and then heal. Unlike the endometrium, the misplaced endometrium-like cells cannot leave the body via menstruation. In women with endometriosis, these endometrium-like cells growing outside the uterus also respond to these hormones.ĭuring ovulation, the endometrium and the endometrium-like cells thicken. The endometrium normally responds to the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to those that line the uterus – the endometrium – grow in locations outside the uterus.