Endometriosis in Teens and Young Adults - Are they the same?
Endometriosis in Teens – Some Facts Endometriosis affects a large number of teenagers.
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Teenagers have been found to have both early and advanced forms of endometriosis, including deep endometriosis. In fact, As per recent research, deep endometriosis has its origins in adolescence itself. Having said everything, delayed diagnosis is still a significant issue.
Our gynaec surgeon, Dr Sandesh Kade, with more than 2 decades of experience, offers meticulous endometriosis treatment in Dubai. He suggests early intervention can lead to better treatment and management of the condition.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis in teens and young adults is a condition that occurs when the endometrium, which normally lines the uterus, begins to grow outside of that organ. This disorder causes tissue to grow around other nearby organs, such as the ovaries, intestines, and even the tissue that lines your pelvis.
Causes of Endometriosis in Teens
Endometriosis has no known cause, regardless of the age at which it is discovered. And almost all researchers agree that a lack of studies in younger age groups, as well as healthcare professionals delaying diagnosis by several years, can contribute to the disease’s progression, which often results in infertility and other negative outcomes.
Since the condition is a progressive disease, many people may have it as adolescents and be unaware of it. Thus, early endometriosis treatment in Dubai early can prevent it from worsening.
Symptoms of Endometriosis in Teens
The majority of women with endometriosis experience symptoms in their adolescence. Girls as young as 8 years old can experience early signs of endometriosis. The symptoms in adolescents differ from those in adults, and they include:
- Heavy bleeding during periods
- Spotting between consecutive period cycles
- Gastrointestinal disturbances throughout the cycle
- Symptoms of the urinary tract irregular periods
Endometriosis affects about one-third of adolescents who have chronic pelvic pain or pain that lasts three to 6 months. This pelvic pain can be cyclic, occurring only during menstruation or ovulation. It can also be acyclic, occurring throughout the month. Thus, severe pelvic pain in a teenage girl must not be ignored, and she must be taken for a check-up without much delay.
Also, adolescents with endometriosis have a higher rate of pain syndromes, mood disorders, and asthma.
Did you know? Endometriosis primarily affects women of reproductive age, but it can affect women as young as 10.5 years old and as old as 76 years. |
Link between Retrograde Menstruation and Endometriosis in Teens
Retrograde menstruation occurs when blood from the uterus does not flow out of the body through the vagina and flows back towards the fallopian tubes instead. This scenario may arise more frequently than you might think, with approximately 90% of women experiencing it at some point during their menstrual lives.
However, for some, this backflow can result in endometrial cells adhering to organs or cavity tissues, resulting in endometrial lesions. This is why it is deemed as a key factor in the development of endometriosis in teenagers.
Because of more retrograde menstruation, Obstructive Mullerian anomalies have been interlinked to an increased risk of endometriosis in teenagers. On the other hand, family history, like adult endometriosis, can also be expected to increase endometriosis in young girls.
How is Endometriosis different in teens than in children?
Unlike most adults with endometriosis, adolescents typically present with cyclic and noncyclic pelvic pain, as opposed to predominantly cyclic pain in older women. Endometriomas or infertility are uncommon in women of this age. The physical exam may reveal cul-de-sac tenderness or nodularity.
Physically examining an adolescent, especially one who is not sexually active, can be difficult. In an adolescent with abdominal or pelvic pain, perform a vaginal- or rectal-abdominal exam.
Adults with endometriosis experience dysmenorrhea, but adolescents may experience other symptoms. In the 1990s, a study at our institution found that the classic adult symptom of cyclic pain was present in only 9.4% of adolescents, whereas 28.1% of patients had acyclic pain alone, and 62.5% had both cyclic and acyclic pain.
As a result, the majority of adolescents with endometriosis (90.6%) experienced acyclic pain.6 Endometriosis is also linked to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like diarrhea or constipation, as well as urinary symptoms like urgency and dysuria.
Options for Endometriosis Treatment in Dubai
Treatment options may include hormonal therapy to control estrogen levels, which is a major factor in endometrial growth. For some patients, this may include using oral contraception or a progestin-only agent to delay or prevent menstruation, as well as NSAIDs.
Note that you may need to undergo several different types of hormonal therapies before you find the one that works best for you.
We advise patients to continue hormonal therapy until they are ready to become pregnant. Hormonal therapy includes estrogen/progestin combination therapy, progestin-only therapy, and exogenous androgens.
Medicines such as oral contraceptives, progesterone pills or shots, and progesterone-implanted IUDs can often relieve pain and put endometriosis in an “inactive” state. Teens may occasionally require more aggressive options to suppress all reproductive hormones. Injections, oral medications, or IUDs might be suggested.
Our doctor may recommend laparoscopy if a teenager has severe endometriosis symptoms and other treatment options are ineffective. A surgeon inserts a narrow device through a small incision in the individual’s belly to perform this minimally invasive surgery. During the procedure, once the surgeon locates the problem area, he removes endometriosis patches.
Following that, a person may continue with hormonal treatment. This can slow down the growth of new patches.
Specialized Approach for adolescence endometriosis treatment in Dubai
Dr. Sandesh Kade has been a beacon of hope for teenage girls suffering from endometriosis, providing them with the specialized care they need to manage their condition and eliminate their struggles to lead a pain-free day-to-day life. His 22 years of rich experience and methods have proven to be highly effective in relieving painful symptoms.
His approach combines traditional medical treatments with natural remedies, enabling him to work closely with his patients in order to provide individualized treatment plans that address each patient’s unique needs.
Schedule your appointment with our endometriosis specialist today!
