Greetings!
Millions of American women suffer from painful abdominal cramping and many simply accept it as part of a woman's monthly cycle. But extremely painful periods are not normal and could be caused by a condition called endometriosis. Read on to learn more about the warning signs and treatments:
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Killer Cramps? It Could be Endometriosis.
The Facts About Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue, normally found only in the lining of the uterus, migrates to other areas of the reproductive system, and sometimes even further into the body. Even though the tissue is not inside the uterus, it still thickens, bleeds and sheds along with the rhythm of the woman's monthly cycle. But since there is nowhere for the tissue to go when it is shed, it can cause irritation to the surrounding area, cause scar tissue to develop, and even cause organs to adhere to each other.
Endometriosis can affect women of all backgrounds and ages, and the pain caused can keep its victims from leading a normal life. According to the Endometriosis Research Center, girls and women go undiagnosed for an average of nine years.
Diagnosis
The main symptom of endometriosis is severe pelvic pain, especially during your period. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, painful bowel movement or urination, or difficulty getting pregnant. The only true way to diagnose endometriosis is with a minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedure in which your doctor will use small cameras to look inside your pelvic area for endometrial growths.
Treatments
It is important to talk with your doctor to discuss all of your options as treatment could be determined by your age, history and lifestyle. The approach you and your doctor choose will depend on the severity of your symptoms. Endometriosis can often be managed with a combination of hormone and anti-inflammatory medication. In many instances, endometrial growths or scar tissue can be removed during the diagnostic laparoscopic procedure. However, in severe cases, another option that is considered is hysterectomy.
Hysterectomy
For more severe cases that seem to involve endometrial growths only on the reproductive organs, hysterectomy may be the answer. There are many new, minimally-invasive hysterectomy options available that make recovery faster and easier than ever before.
Recently, Bon Secours St. Francis became the only facility in the Upstate to offer Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery Hysterectomy, which requires only one incision made through the belly button. This procedure has potential to leave no visible scar, while requiring only an overnight hospital stay.
St. Francis also has the most experienced network of physicians in Greenville using the da Vinci robotic technology to perform hysterectomies.This technology allows the surgeon better visualization of anatomy and requires only a one night hospital stay, allowing normal activity to quickly resume.
If you have painful periods, don't suffer any longer. Talk with your gynecologist and find out if endometriosis could be to blame.
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Care When You Need it Most
With our busy schedules, it is hard to find the time to visit the doctor during regular office hours. With Bon Secours Medical Group's After Hours Urgent Care, you now have access to board-certified, high quality Family Practice and Internal Medicine physicians 7 days a week. No appointment necessary!
Hours
Monday - Friday from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Saturdays from 9:00 am 6:00 pm, and Sundays from 10:00 am 6:00 pm.
Location
Bon Secours Medical Group After Hours Urgent Care is located at
ST. FRANCIS millennium at 2 Innovation Drive, Suite 120 in Greenville. For map and directions, click here.
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Find a Physician
To learn more about endometriosis or our minimally-invasive surgery options for women, speak with one of our esteemed Greenville or Upstate, SC area physicians today. To discover the physician that is right for you, check out our online physician bios. To "meet" our physicians, click here.
213 Halton Road
Greenville, SC 29607 864-382-4000
135 Commonwealth Dr.,
Suite 230
Greenville, SC 29615
864-365-0250
135 Commonwealth Dr.,
Suite 300
Greenville, SC 29615
864-675-1190
124 Verdea Blvd., Suite 204
Greenville, SC 29607
1011 Tiger Blvd., Suite 100
Clemson, SC 29631
864-271-9780 (main number)
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