Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrium (uterine lining) grows outside of your uterus. This tissue can attach to nearby organs, including your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and bladder.

When you have endometriosis, the endometrial tissue continues to act as designed, thickening and breaking down each month during your period. Since there’s nowhere for the tissue to go, it can cause pain and other issues that affect your reproductive and physical health.
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The exact cause of endometriosis isn’t clear. However, you may be at higher risk for the condition if you start your period at an early age, go through menopause at a later age, have a history of heavy periods, or have a family history of endometriosis.

You can have endometriosis and not have any symptoms; however, the condition can worsen over time and cause:

• Pelvic pain

• Bloating

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

• Painful menstrual cramps

• Bleeding or spotting between periods

In some cases, endometriosis can lead to infertility. The excess tissue growth can block your fallopian tubes or ovaries and interfere with ovulation; it can also adhere to your bladder, intestines, and other digestive organs.
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If you have any of the symptoms, the team at Katie Ostrom, MD, can perform a pelvic exam or an ultrasound to identify endometriosis. They customize a treatment plan to relieve your symptoms and address infertility and other endometriosis complications.

Hormonal birth control can help relieve pelvic pain resulting from endometriosis for some women. If birth control isn’t effective at treating endometriosis, you may need an endometrial ablation.

During an ablation, the team uses heat energy to destroy your uterine lining and the excess tissue growing outside your uterus. This treatment is only an option for women who no longer intend to have children. While getting pregnant is possible after ablation, there may be risks to you and your baby.

In severe cases of endometriosis, you may need a hysterectomy to remove your uterus and ovaries. Typically, this is a last-resort treatment option for endometriosis that’s not treatable with other therapies.
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To schedule a consultation for endometriosis symptoms, call the office of Katie Ostrom, MD, or book an appointment online today.