Sophie Kasaei breaks down over ‘excruciating’ endometriosis
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Molly Mae has confirmed she will be undergoing surgery for endometriosis soon in an emotional video. The condition has caused the Love Island star to suffer from painful periods for years and she’s not alone – the condition impacts 1.5 million women in the UK on average. How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow elsewhere, such as in the ovaries or fallopian tubes.
The symptoms can vary from woman to woman but in general, it causes pelvic pain, severe period pain, pain during sex, pain when weeing or pooing, and difficulty getting pregnant.
The differing symptoms and severity mean the condition is hard to diagnose and it can take between six to 10 years to receive a diagnosis.
The cause of endometriosis isn’t known, but several theories suggest it could be genetic as it runs in families and impacts certain ethnic groups more than others.
Another cause could be retrograde menstruation, where some of the womb lining flows up through the fallopian tubes and embeds itself on the organs of the pelvis, rather than leaving the body as a period.
Some experts think endometriosis is due to a problem with the immune system.
According to the NHS, it is likely the condition is caused by a combination of different factors.
If you think you have endometriosis, you need to see your GP to start off the diagnosis process.
Jot down your symptoms and explain everything to your GP. They may examine your tummy and vagina.
Your GP’s first reaction may be to put you on contraception such as the pill to ease the symptoms.
Normally the doctors will try this first as a treatment if they think you might have endometriosis and if this doesn’t help, they may refer you to a gynaecologist for further tests.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
There’s only one definitive way to diagnose someone with endometriosis.
You can’t be diagnosed without having a laparoscopy, which is an operation to look for endometriosis tissue.
A camera, also known as a laparoscope, is inserted into the pelvis via a small cut near the navel.
The surgeon uses the camera to see the pelvic organs and look for signs of endometriosis.
If they spot endometriosis, the surgeon may decide to treat or remove the tissue.
While the news about Molly Mae says she has been diagnosed with endometriosis, no one can actually be diagnosed without having a laparoscopy.
However, scans, blood tests and internal examinations can give a pretty good idea of whether or not you have endometriosis.
You can get a laparoscopy on the NHS but the waiting list could be very long, so some people choose to go private.
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