The HEALTH : August 2018 | Page 17

column AUGUST, 2018 | The HEALTH OB - GYN 17 ENDOMETRIOSIS NEWS Endometriosis in menstruating women E ndometriosis is commonly expe- rienced by women who are still in their menstruating age group from 12 to 50. One in every three women have it. Endometriosis is the appearance of endometrial tissue (the inner lining of the uterus) which is suppose only to be found in the inner part of the uterus. But in endometriosis – you find inner lining of the uterus anywhere else outside the uterus. You can find it anywhere whether on the uterus or embedded within the muscle of the uterus or it can go to the ovaries, tubes, bowel, urinary bladder, stomach or liver. It can go out into our skin, fats under the skin or go all the way to the brain – anywhere. Usually it will still appear somewhere around the uterus, but the cells can spread to our blood vessels and the lymphatics. Endometriosis is also known as benign cancer as it behaves like cancer because it spreads. But it is benign because it doesn’t kill you. Having said that – there is still a ch