Pelvic Endometriosis and Heavy Period Flow

Hi there lovely Ebony Woman! I hope you find these blog posts useful in making healthy choices for yourself. I am pleased to be discussing one of the medical conditions that could cause a woman to experience heavy period flow.

A woman’s monthly period occurs when the thickened lining of the womb sheds, the resulting flow, lasts on average, between 3-5 days within a cycle.

Most women have experienced changes to their period flow at different times in their lives. It can become lighter, heavier or stop altogether. In this particular post we are focusing on factors that lead to heavier period flow.

A period flow is considered heavy in the presence of excessive blood loss with clots, affecting a woman’s physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Let’s explore the top factor today, and in the subsequent posts we will discuss the other factors.

Pelvic endometriosis made the news headlines in October 2020 with the bone of contention being the length of time it takes to diagnose the condition, while women suffer in pain. There is evidence to show that diagnosis can be delayed for as long as 4 – 10 years.

It occurs when the tissue that normally lines the womb is located at other points outside the womb. These locations usually include the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowels even in some cases the lungs.

It is a major cause of pelvic pain, heavy period flow and infertility. In the United Kingdom (UK), 1 in 10 women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis, 10% of women worldwide and its prevalence as high as 50% in women with infertility.

It is observed to be 1.63 times more prevalent among the Asian women compared to a low 0.49 times prevalence among the Black women, according to a journal on obstetrics and gynaecology

This is also supported by another study carried out in South Africa which showed the prevalence of endometriosis was 2% in Black patients, 4% in South Africans of mixed race and 6% White patients. Interestingly, in Nigeria, in a study carried out between 1987 and 1997, showed the prevalence of endometriosis as discovered in infertile African women was in the range 1.8 and 1.4% respectively.

There are two points discussed here to the possibly explain the low prevalence of endometriosis among the Black women especially in the indigenous Africans.

• There is a theory that the actual prevalence might be higher with the availability of better diagnostic tools, in this instance laparoscopic equipment and well-trained clinicians to identify endometriosis during laparoscopy.

• Higher rates of early pregnancies: endometriosis is hormone dependent, in pregnancy and progesterone is protective against endometrial growth.

Endometriosis should be suspected in a woman presenting with persistent pelvic pain or dysmenorrhoea with heavy period flow, pain before or after periods, painful sex, painful passing of urine or with bowel movements or pain during smear test. Endometriosis can occur in girls from the age of 12-13 years old. Under no circumstances should dysmenorrhoea or heavy period flow in young girls or ladies be seen as normal!

Although CT scan can be used, the best way to diagnose endometriosis is through laparoscopy, a small camera inserted through a very small incision in the abdomen, to examine organs inside the abdomen and pelvic regions, it is minimally invasive.

The available treatments are varied and depend on the severity of the endometriosis and the organs affected. The proffered treatment mostly is through pain relief, contraceptives either oral or the Mirena, an intrauterine device. Hormonal treatment for endometriosis can reduce pain and has no permanent negative effect on subsequent fertility.

Women with endometriosis and infertility: surgical ablation is an option of treatment as it can improve chances of getting pregnant.

However, please note that individual cases are managed very differently, therefore speak to your healthcare professional for further support. This write-up is to help you go to your GP/ANP equipped with information and to better know when to seek further medical support.

I always highly appreciate you stopping by my blogsite, I always love to hear from you. If you have found any of this information useful, feel free to share with others. Your body remains amazing, my Ebony Woman!