Endometriosis – What does it mean ?

Endometriosis – What does it mean ?

-Dr. Pradip Kr Mitra, MD, MNAMS, FICOG, FICS, FACS (USA)
Dy. Secretary General & Founder, Endometriosis Society India
Past President- Bengal Obst. & Gynae Society, Medical College Ex –St Association

 Endometriosis is a chronic life time disease for women which has become globally epidemic at the moment. World Endometriosis Research Foundation & World Endometriosis Society observe “Awareness Program” throughout the globe from 2nd to 8th March every year apart from conducting various programs and activities to fight against this dreadful disease thought the year. 

     Endometriosis Society India also conduct similar programs throughout India, more intensely from 2015, through zonal coordinators in five zones of India with regular monitoring from headquarter at Kolkata. This includes mainly conduction of awareness program in different schools &

colleges, educating the teachers and guardians as to how to suspect the disease & prevent the same with ‘Life style modification, referral to our representatives in that respective area for confirmation of the disease, arrangement for treatment and so on. 

  

  In eastern zone more than 50 such awareness programs have been conducted every year since 2017 from urban to remote rural areas. In fact at present more than 30 million women in India are suffering from this disease.

A brief outline in this context is as follows:-

*The disease starts anytime from mother’s womb to adolescent stage but remains undetected until the girl complains of ‘Progressive Pain during Menses’. Gradually this pain becomes intractable causing incapacitation of the regular normal activities of the girl.

* The disease may remain symptom free and only often detected while doing investigations for ‘Failure to Conceive’ . This could be the sole factor for this grave social problem.

* Although this demon is 300 years old ancient disease ( some says 4000 years old) the exact cause is not yet known and therefore ‘No Curative Treatment’ is there for the disease. So the disease recurs lifelong in spite of offering best possible medical, surgical or other forms of treatments.

* This disease is not Cancer, but far more distressing than cancer and would cause progressive deterioration of the quality of life (QOL) without causing death of the victim.

* Every one out of three girls who is having ‘Painful Menses’ would develop this disease.

*Although the disease mostly affects Reproductive Organs , but may spread to all adjacent organs of the tummy. 

  Further this specific disease may affect almost any organ of the body causing different symptoms and sometimes may turn into or be associated with various types of cancer. That’s why now a days it is called ‘Locally Malignant Disease’. 

* So our intention is to create widespread public awareness on the disease, detection of the disease at the earliest, provide appropriate treatment to suppress and keep the disease under control throughout the life by ‘Lifelong follow up’, distress free life during adolescence, uneventful conception/pregnancy after marriage, improved quality of life till the end. 

  We need everyone to ‘Fight against Endometriosis’

* For any query, pls contact -- 6A & 6F, Neelamber, 28B, Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata – 17.  Phone: (91) (033) 22874463, 28650364, Fax: (91) (033) 22811639.    e-mail: endosocindia @ gmail.com Website: www.endosocindia.org