Every year, around 22,000 cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed. According to the results of a Meta-Analysis, women with endometriosis are twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Maintaining genital hygiene can prevent this deadly disease to occur. Women have used talcum powders for decades to absorb moisture and odor in the private area.
However, in recent times, women have taken baby powder manufacturers to the court claiming that the powder use may lead to ovarian cancer. Thousands of people have already filed talcum powder lawsuits after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
As you are concerned about talcum powder ovarian cancer, there are many factors that contribute to the risk such as family history, obesity, infertility, and Endometriosis.
Herein, we will discuss Endometriosis:
Table of Contents
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is an extremely painful condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus, usually found in the pelvic area. The tissue trapped in the pelvis can result in irritation, scar formation, fertility issues, and adhesions.
Common Signs And Symptoms
- Painful Periods: Pain in pelvic and cramps may start before the menstrual periods and lasts many days after it ends. You may even have pain in the abdomen and lower back.
- Heavy Menstrual Periods: You may experience occasional excessive bleeding during the periods.
- Pain While Sex: Pain during intercourse and after is pretty common.
- Discomfort With Bowel Movements: You are highly likely to experience the pain with bowel during your periods.
- Infertility: Scarring and adhesions that come with endometriosis can block the uterus making it difficult for the sperm and egg to meet.
Endometriosis can be a challenging health condition to manage. So, it’s important that you see your gynecologist and get the examinations done. Tests are particularly important if you have two or more symptoms.
Medications And Treatment
Depending upon the severity of the condition, there exist surgical and medical options that help reduce the symptoms and manage the complications well. Everyone responds differently to these treatments, talk to your doctor to find the one that works best for you.
You can try over the counter medications. However, they may not be effective in all cases.
Hormonal Contraceptives
Birth control pills, patches, and vaginal rings can help alleviate endometriosis pain. Also, the hormone therapy helps your body monitor the monthly hormonal changes that promote tissue growth while you are going through Endometriosis.
Conservative Surgery
Those women for whom hormonal treatments are not working and want to get pregnant, conservative surgery is the ideal solution. It destroys the endometrial growth without posing any damage to reproductive organs.
A minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopy is used to diagnose endometriosis. It effectively removes the endometrial tissue. A surgeon makes tiny incisions within the abdomen to get rid of the growth.
Hysterectomy
This surgery acts as a last resort if your health condition does not improve with other treatments. During the procedure, a surgeon removes the cervix and uterus. They also remove the ovaries as these organs make estrogens which further leads to the growth of endometrial tissue.
After the treatment, you have minimal chances to get pregnant. Thus, before going for this surgical treatment, it is always best to get a second opinion.
Does Endometriosis Increase The Risk Of Ovarian Cancer?
As compared to the rest of the population, women suffering from endometriosis have a small chance of ovarian cancer risk. Many of those who are diagnosed at an early stage have better results.
As an endometriosis patient, you should be aware of, but not panic about the ovarian cancer risk as the likelihood of developing it is low. The important thing is to be symptom-aware.
Some of the common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
- Bloating and stomach pain
- Difficulty in eating
- Needing to pee more frequently
- Bowel movements
Other things to keep into consideration include extreme fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.
The Bottom Line
Henceforth, listen to your body and see the doctor if anything feels amiss. There are good treatment options available to get you out of this disorder.
On the other hand, there are some harmful drugs sold by manufacturers that may not treat the problem rather aggravate. Talk to your doctor today!