If you know any one with endometriosis you may know that it may cause painful cramping during their menstrual cycle. In reality, some women are completely incapacitated by this discomfort. But what’s endometriosis and why do we care?

Endometriosis is when the endometrial lining from the uterus is located growing somewhere else in the body. Regularly it’s found growing on the ovaries or elsewhere in the stomach and the agony that girls feel is often because these cells are doing their job every month by losing together with the endometrial lining in the uterus. Wonderful how those funny cells know their job even when they are in the wrong place!

The other reason we care about endometriosis is that it is a common finding with girls that are sterile. It’s thought that 5-10% of ladies may have endometriosis, but it’s’s thought that twenty percent of women who are unable to conceive have endometriosis.

So how do you know if you have endometriosis – or endo? Some girls might suspect they have endo due to intense cramping during their menstrual cycle. But there are more symptoms, too. Some ladies don’t have any cramping during their cycle in any way. Some women have lumbar region pain. Some women could have discomfort during intercourse. Some women could have discomfort during stools or urinating. Are you seeing a trend? Naturally, the flip side of the coin is that you won’t have any symptoms.

I speak from experience here. I had none of the classic indications of endo except that I was not ready to fall pregnant. How is endo diagnosed? A laparoscopy is the only possible way to really diagnose endo as it doesn’t show up on any test. A lap is done under general anesthesia with a scope put in thru a small incision under your navel. Another incision is formed at your bikini line which permits the doctor to employ a tool to move things around if need be. Once the scope is on the doctor can take a look around and if the endo or other scaring is present they can remove it.

Endo is ’scored’ in stages from 1-4 based on the location and a complex point system. Just so you know, when you wake up in recovery and your health practitioner gives you this number it will not translate into how much discomfort you have been in. It’ll just give you an idea of how broad the endometriosis was in your system. That is’s all.

What you will actually need to chat to with your doctor is the way the removal of the endo will impact on your fertility. Many ladies find that the next three to 4 cycles after they’ve recovered are their most comfy and their doctor may wish to milk the removal of the endo and push ahead. Continuing with interuterine insemination ( IUI ) is an excellent idea or perhaps moving on to in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) – just depending on what you are most comfortable with – because even though the endo has been removed there’s no way to really know how endo is affecting fertility. Doctors all have good estimates but there’s no answer yet. One answer is there though – now that the endo is removed you will feel better and now you know one of the likely reasons you were not able to become pregnant on your own.

So, let your doctor give you good counsel . Find out what you can about endometriosis as it is feasible to Conquer barrenness.

Alana Reyer is an infertility expert. For more great information on symptoms of infertility, visit http://www.infertilityhelp-alana.com/infertility-information/.