Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when very small pieces of the tissue that lines your womb spreads and ends up growing outside of the womb. This is a condition that can at times lead to severe pain and can also make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. One should begin by explaining that the lining of your womb that is responsible for bearing children is known as the endometrium.
Every month the lining of this womb grows thicker and then eventually sheds, this is known as the period or menstrual cycle. This cycle responds to hormones in the body known as progesterone and estrogen. Endometriosis occurs when small parts of this endometrium finds its’ way into other parts of the body. We cannot know for certain why some women suffer from this condition and others do not. However what we do know is that endometriosis grows around the ovaries, the outside of the womb, around the fallopian tubes, or the pelvic lining. It is also possible for endometriosis to grow on your bladder or your rectum. Endometriosis is similar to the endometrium in the sense that these foreign patches of endometrial tissue respond to the hormones that occur with your menstrual cycle.
As a result these patches grow thicker every single month when the body releases estrogen. Once enough hormones have been released these patches break away from their position outside of the womb and begin to bleed. It is difficult for your body to get rid of the blood created by these tissue fragments; for this reason blood will pool in these sites and cause damage to the surrounding structures. The damage will present itself in the form of scars or small fluid sacs known as cysts. It should be noted that endometriosis can cause damage to the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
As a result these structures may become stuck together and become inefficient. This can very easily cause problems with pregnancy, as these are vital structures required to become pregnant. Your risk of getting endometriosis becomes greater following puberty and the age where you have the highest risk is when you are 40 years old. After the age of 40 years your risk of getting this condition begins to decrease.
