All you need to know about adenomyosis

We recently spoke with esteemed London-based women’s health expert, Mr Mahantesh Karoshi, in order to find out what exactly adenomyosis is, what the main symptoms and causes are, and how this female-affecting condition can be most effectively treated.

What exactly is adenomyosis?

I frequently encounter scenarios whereby women are left incredibly confused after they have presented with severe bloating and constipation, and who have had a colonoscopy done, which has ruled out everything, including pregnancy and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The next step after the colonoscopy then for women presenting with unexplained symptoms of bloating would typically be an ultrasound scan, which is very reliable and effective when diagnosing and detecting a condition called adenomyosis, a condition where the lining of the womb grows in between the muscle fibres of the uterus.

What are the main symptoms of adenomyosis? What does it cause?

Adenomyosis causes a collection of blood pockets, which lead to intense crampy pains, accompanied by bloating, constipation, and heavy periods.

Some women with this problem can have alternating constipation and diarrhoea, especially so in women with endometriosis affecting the lower back of the womb (uterosacral ligaments) in combination with adenomyosis.

What are the main treatment options that can effectively alleviate adenomyosis symptoms?

If the pain symptoms are not long-standing, then a corrective intervention, be it a mirena, cerazette, uterine artery, embolisation, or a hysterectomy, can alleviate the symptoms altogether.

It is natural (especially in women who are thin-built) to feel bloated and have a tummy distended in the second half of the cycle. This occurs due to a post-ovulation production of progesterone (from corpus luteum).

What are the main causes of adenomyosis?

There are a handful of causes that lead to women presenting symptoms of adenomyosis. These include the following:  

1. Poor abdominal muscle tone following childbirth.
2. Morbid obesity.
3. Large fibroids.
4. Large cyst/s in the ovaries.

Mr Mahantesh Karoshi is a highly reputable consultant gynaecologist who is an expert when it comes to fertility issues in women. Consult with him today by visiting his Top Doctors profile here today.