Endometriosis is not as widely understood a problem in the medical field as are some diseases; that is surprising considering the number of American women who are affected is somewhere around 5 million. They do agree that a link does exist between endometriosis and infertility,  including cases from the slight to the severe. Some women have only moderate endometriosis and become pregnant with no problems and have no complications.

What exactly is endometriosis? This is when the endometrium, which is the uterine lining that becomes thicker when a woman is ovulating to ready itself for an egg, grows outside rather than inside the uterus. Attaching itself to other organs, this is not something we need to happen. There have probably been many cases that were not severe and were never identified. They were slight so there were no problems caused.

Some say that approximately 70% of women who have mild cases of endometriosis will get pregnant within three years on their own however, three years may seem like quite a period of time to try and conceive.

Rated by the medical community according to severity, the cases that are more serious can result in damage to the reproductive system, extreme pain and being infertile. Different studies have shown connections between endometriosis and infertility to be from 5% to 15%, while others show it as the reason for 25% to 35% of infertility.

When this tissue grows on the outside instead of within the uterus, it grows exactly as it would were it where it belongs, and releases itself during the monthly cycle. It is just that the organs it attaches to are not set up to handle this occurrence and this can cause problems. The possibility for infection exists. The places where it was attached will eventually heal, but they will also scar and often can cause organs to grow together. It can also cut down on the movement of the egg when it has to maneuver scarring that has occurred in the fallopian tubes.

This problem can be slow developing, ending up in the abdominal cavity. There have been instances of it attaching to the ovaries. This can prevent the ovaries from generating healthy eggs. If endometriosis is in the area of the uterus it can be responsible for very painful periods and severely painful muscle contractions.

One theory holds that estrogen is responsible for this abnormal area of growth, so the treatments often focus on the regulating estrogen. Having high levels of estrogen can be the reason for other problems that can cause infertility.

If there were clear-cut symptoms that indicated the problem could be linked to endometriosis and infertility, the diagnosis would be much simpler, but this is not to be. There are many other problems that have similar symptoms so sometimes the condition is not diagnosed correctly. There are certain symptoms however, such as extremely painful periods, pain during sex as well as bleeding that is not normal. Some symptoms you would not consider are actually telling you endometriosis is a possibility. This would include diarrhea, high blood pressure, nausea, leg pain and backache pain. Often it has been diagnosed as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cysts and appendicitis.

There are several ways of treating this problem from surgery, certain drugs and hormone therapy. Seeing a specialist will very often help by getting the correct diagnosis and avoiding years of frustration with treatment. There are different treatments according to whether you want a child in the future or not. Regardless of whether you plan on having children, the endometriosis and infertility should be treated.

This problem can return even if you have had treatment. It is essential to get the right diagnosis in the beginning. The treatment decided on by the specialist will be contingent on many things including the point the problem has progressed to and the patient’s history.