TYH-Endometriosis

PRINCE GEORGE – Many women suffer from this in silence or are not properly diagnosed, sometimes a proper diagnosis can take years. In this week’s to your health, we talk about endometriosis and the warning signs to look out for.

Endometriosis is a condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women. It occurs when tissue, similar to the tissue that grows on the inside of the uterus called the endometrium, grows on other parts of the body. Often, endometriosis grows on the lining of the abdomen, but it can also be present on the uterus, ovaries, bladder, or colon. Dr. Paul Young is a gynecologist at the Vancouver Women’s hospital, he says more women need to be made aware of this issue.

“This tissue is known to produce estrogen, produce inflammation and also have interactions with the nervous system and the result is pain, so painful periods, painful bowel movements, chronic pain, pain with sexual activity.Also, It’s associated with infertility as well. And, more and more it’s been shown to be associated with inflammation with the rest of the body as well, beyond the pelvic. And, so there is recognition that it has importance for other conditions as well, like slightly increased risk of Ovarian cancer, heart disease, the association of auto-immune disease as well.”