Treatment for endometriosis should be done according to the gynecologist's guidance and aims to relieve symptoms, especially pain, bleeding and infertility. For this, the doctor may recommend the use of painkillers, contraceptives or, depending on the severity of the symptoms, may indicate surgery.
The treatment indicated by the doctor must take into account the woman's age, desire to become pregnant, location of the disease and severity of symptoms.
1. Treatment with medicines
The treatment with drugs, also called clinical treatment, has as main objective the relief of symptoms and, for that, the doctor can indicate the use of contraceptive pill in order to prevent ovulation and prevent inflammation of the growing endometrial tissue outside the womb. This treatment is recommended for women who are not thinking about getting pregnant, as the menstrual cycle can be interrupted.
To treat endometriosis with medication, the gynecologist may recommend the use of:
- Oral contraceptives or Mirena IUDs, which help to regulate and reduce menstrual flow, preventing the growth of endometrial tissue inside and outside the uterus; Anti-hormonal remedies: such as Zoladex or Danazol, which reduce the production of estrogen by the ovaries, preventing the menstrual cycle and preventing the development of endometriosis.
On the other hand, women who intend to become pregnant are usually recommended to use analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, to decrease inflammation and reduce pain and bleeding, especially during menstrual periods.
See what treatments are recommended for getting pregnant with endometriosis.
2. Surgical treatment
Surgical treatment is indicated when treatment with drugs is not effective or when the symptoms are quite severe and directly interfere with the woman's quality of life. Thus, surgery is indicated when there is an overgrowth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, very severe pain or fertility problems.
Surgery to treat endometriosis serves to remove endometrial tissue that has been implanted outside the uterus, reducing symptoms and making pregnancy possible. This surgery can be performed by laparoscopy, in mild cases of the disease, in which there is little endometrial tissue outside the uterus and it is not necessary to remove organs, reducing the recovery time.
When endometriosis is very severe and the woman does not wish to become pregnant, it is recommended to perform definitive surgery, in which both the uterus and the ovaries are removed. Understand how surgery is done to remove the uterus and ovaries.
Consequences of endometriosis
The consequences of endometriosis vary according to its location and whether it is mild, moderate or severe. The main consequences of endometriosis not properly treated are:
- Formation of adhesions in the abdominal organs; Difficulty in getting pregnant; Infertility; Compromise of organs such as ovaries, uterus, bladder and intestines.
Endometriosis is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue inside the abdomen, which is the tissue that grows inside the uterus and prepares it to receive the embryo and the consequent development of pregnancy, but when this does not happen, the endometrium flakes, with menstruation.
In endometriosis, this tissue can be adhered to the outside of the ovaries, uterus, bladder, intestine or anywhere else near this region. It is responsive to hormones and also bleeds during menstruation, and because of this the disease generates symptoms like many cramps during menstruation and in the most severe cases, inflammation and adhesions because this "menstruation" has nowhere to go.
