Predictive factors for endometriosis Many women suffer for a long time before a diagnosis of endometriosis is finally made. This is frustrating not only for the women because they get told that nothing is wrong with them while they know that is not true, but also for practitioners. From a practitioner’s perspective, the lack of non-invasive tests for endometriosis make it difficult to make an accurate diagnosis – endometriosis can only be diagnosed on visualization of the lesions, implants and nodules by laparoscopy. A group of researchers has been working on ways to make it easier to diagnose endometriosis via non-invasive methods, earlier on. They have come up with a list of predictive factors. These factors may not apply to every woman with endometriosis, and not every woman with these symptoms will have endometriosis, but is nonetheless a useful tool that may lead to an earlier diagnosis. Length of menstrual cycle The longer the menstrual cycle (number of days between the start of two periods) is, the lower the risk on endometriosis. However, the heavier the bleeding is, the higher the risk on endometriosis. Women with a short (under 28 days) cycle and heavy bleeding are at higher risk of having endometriosis than those with a normal or longer cycle with moderate to light bleeding. Body weight There appears to be an inverse correlation between body weight and endometriosis, with obese women being at lower risk and those with a lower BMI being at higher risk. This finding is consistent with results of other, earlier studies. One possible explanation for this might be that obese women are more likely to have fewer cycles than normal weight ones. Bear in mind that the longer the cycle, the lower the risk on endometriosis. However, bear in mind that obesity comes with its own health risks, so this by no means suggest that it is healthy to be obese. Pain during intercourse This study revealed that 48.4% of women with endometriosis experienced dyspareunia (pain during intercourse). They found dyspareunia was associated with severe endometriosis in particular. Pelvic pain Women with endometriosis experience significantly more pelvic pain and painful periods than women without. Pelvic pain should always been investigated, and the woman experiencing it should not take ‘nothing is wrong’ for an answer, because pain is a signal that something is wrong. Many previous studies have linked severe pelvic pain to endometriosis. Family history of endometriosis It is well known that having a family member with endometriosis increases the risk on having endometriosis. Several studies have estimated a 1.7 to 9.7 fold increased risk on developing endometriosis if a family member has endometriosis. Age In this study, endometriosis incidence peaked between 25 to 44 years of age and then dropped again. This observation may not be a true reflection, as younger women may not see a specialist for their problems, or remain undiagnosed for many years. A number of other studies have diagnosed endometriosis in pre-pubescent girls. This list of predictive symptoms associated with endometriosis may make it easier for the practitioner to make a diagnosis or recommend further (invasive) investigations. Natural therapists use these symptoms – with or without a diagnosis – to guide them to the most appropriate remedies to help correct the underlying imbalances. This is often oestrogen/progesterone imbalance, inflammation, dysregulated immune system and acidity; but will vary per patient. Natural therapists may use herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and dietary advice to help improve the symptoms. This research was brought to you by Narelle Stegehuis MHSc, BHSc (Naturopathy), a practicing medical herbalist and naturopath specializing in restorative endocrinology for women, with over 14 years clinical experience. She is an accomplished writer, editor and technical training advisor for the media. A recipient of the Australian Naturopathic Excellence Award, Narelle adopts an integrated approach of both medical science and traditional complementary health care principles and can be contacted at, bumpfertility.au" Reference: Moini A. Malekzadeh F, et all, “Risk factors associated with endometriosis among infertile Iranian women” – Arch Med Sci, published online 5th June 2013, doi 10.5114/aoms.2013.35420
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 02:25:44 +0000
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