Pelvic pain, digestive symptoms, and difficulty getting pregnant are some of the symptoms that occur with endometriosis. These issues can interfere with work, relationships, and everyday activities.
While there’s no cure for endometriosis, treatment can help manage symptoms, reduce endometrial lesion growth, and improve quality of life. The right approach depends on type and severity of symptoms, your overall health, and your future pregnancy plans.
At Premier Obstetrics and Gynecology in Winter Park, Oviedo, and Lake Mary, Florida, our team provides individualized care to help patients get on the right treatment plan. Here are some of the treatment options for endometriosis that can help.
Pelvic pain is one of the most common symptoms of endometriosis, and it often becomes worse before or during your period. Some people also experience pain during sex or with bowel movements or urination.
For mild to moderate pain, over-the-counter medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help reduce inflammation and menstrual cramps. We can help determine which medications are appropriate and how to use them safely.
Healthy lifestyle habits — such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, and good nutrition — also help you manage symptoms. These approaches generally work best when they’re part of your overall treatment plan.
Endometriosis lesions are influenced by estrogen. Hormone treatments can suppress ovulation and reduce hormonal stimulation of the endometrial tissue, decreasing pain and heavy bleeding.
Treatment options include:
Hormone therapy doesn’t remove existing endometrial lesions, and symptoms may return after stopping the treatment. However, it’s an effective long-term solution for managing pain and other symptoms.
If your symptoms are severe, they don’t improve with medication, or endometriosis is affecting your fertility, we may talk with you about surgery.
Laparoscopic surgery helps us find and remove endometrial lesions and scar tissue. We may also address ovarian endometriomas, cysts believed to form because of the endometriosis and a significant source of symptoms that affect quality of life.
Surgery can provide significant relief for some people, but it’s not a cure for endometriosis. You may need medical intervention after surgery to manage the endometrial growths.
Endometriosis can make it harder to get pregnant. Inflammation, scar tissue, and changes that affect the ovaries or fallopian tubes can affect fertility.
If pregnancy is your goal, we may approach treatment for your endometriosis from a different angle. Hormonal medications can manage symptoms and may lessen endometrial growths, potentially improving your chances of pregnancy in the future, but they won’t help you conceive now.
Depending on your circumstances, you may benefit from surgery or a referral to a fertility specialist.
Living with chronic pelvic pain isn’t something you need to accept as normal. Because endometriosis affects everyone differently, finding an effective treatment may require trying different approaches or using a combination of treatments to get the best results.
Researchers are looking into treatment options that go beyond managing symptoms. They’re investigating photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy as potential treatments that lessen the rate of recurrence.
If painful periods, pain during sex, or other endometriosis symptoms are interfering with your daily life, we can help. Together, we can develop a treatment plan designed to manage your symptoms, protect your reproductive goals, and help you feel more like yourself.
Call Premier Obstetrics and Gynecology today or use online booking to schedule your consultation.
