The Big E

An estimated 10.8 million women suffer from endometriosis across the world. Read on to know everything about it...

- Dr Nee Bahl

UNDERSTANDING ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometrium is the inner epithelial layer in the ovary. Endometriosis is a disorder where the endometrium, primarily lining the inner walls of uterus, starts growing outside the uterus wall. Often, this deviant development takes place on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and tissues around the uterus and ovaries, and only in rare circumstances, does the growth take place in some other part of the body.

CAUSES OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

The cause of endometriosis is still not known, since the reasons are varied from person to person. However, the following certain factors may increase the risks of the disorder: Hereditary: Women who share a family history with a person having the condition are up to 7-10 times more likely to develop endometriosis. Also, identical twins are prone to share the disease.

Retrograde Menstruation: During menstruation, the blood flows out of the body through the genitals, but retrograde menstruation or backward bleeding takes back the blood containing endometrial cells through the fallopian tube to the pelvic cavity.