Endometrial Hyperplasia

Endometrial Hyperplasia General Information

Endometrial Hyperplasia Symptoms

This medical condition that affects the endometrium is quite common among women with signs and symptoms that usually occur only in the urogenital region (in the reproductive female system). The main and the most common symptom of Endometrial Hyperplasia is an unusual bleeding from the vagina that manifests in more than 90% of the cases. The vaginal bleeding can be: postmenopausal bleeding, metrorrhagia (vaginal bleedings of the premenopausal women that does not correspond with their menstrual periods), menorrhagia (prolonged or heavy menstrual periods that occur at regular time intervals) or menometorrhagia (excessive uterine bleeding that occurs at the usual time of menses and at irregulars intervals of time). In a few words, in a woman suffering from Endometrial Hyperplasia, the menses are really heavy, extended and irregular. All these unusual manifestations vary in time in comparison to those of the normal menstrual periods. The excessive bleeding can last for more than a week and the interval of time between the regular menses can be less than three weeks. Along these main signs and symptoms, a woman can also complain of: intense and extreme pain in the pelvic and abdominal area or an abnormal discharge of the vagina. Some women, although their number is lower, experience milder signs and symptoms. In elderly women who have suffered for several years from the estrogen hormone deficiency, the doctor can observe in the uterine cavity some retained blood as the result of hematometra caused by cervical stenosis. Some women have a more sensitive organism so they may complain of fever episodes.

Endometrial Hyperplasia Treatment

If you experience abnormal bleeding that lasts for too long and other of the symptoms and signs listed above (that are specific for Endometrial Hyperplasia), we strongly advise to consult with your health care provider. Although this medical condition that involves the endometrium is not a complicated one, if it is left untreated, it can lead to endometrial cancer. So an urgent visit to a doctor done as soon as the symptoms appear can be vital for you. When seeing the health care provider, you will be first asked about your symptoms and signs and about your medical history and sexual habits. It is very important for your health and future that the doctor eliminates other possible causes of the vaginal bleeding. The testing for Endometrial Hyperplasia is relatively simple and does not involve any complicated procedures. The typical exam is the curettage of your uterine cavity performed in order to obtain samples of endometrial tissues for laboratory analysis. The doctor may prefer for more certitude an ultrasound examination of your vagina. Hysteroscopy is another preferred procedure that consists in inserting a device similar to a small telescope in your uterus, called a slender to observe if there are any abnormalities of the endometrium.

After establishing the right diagnosis of Endometrial Hyperplasia, the health care provider can proceed with the appropriate treatment that is best for the respective woman; the treatments are called individualized. Some of the main procedures used to treat this medical condition include: hysterectomy or hormonal therapies, for example continuous or cyclic progestin therapy. The hysterectomy procedure is applied to remove both the tubes and the ovaries, causing the secretion of a fluid inside the uterus cavity that contains the cancer cells. There are cases in which the doctor diagnoses the patient with a severe stage of the disease and can remove the whole uterus. This kind of procedure is usually risky, because it can lead to the appearance of other severe complications such as infections, bleeding and injury in the bladder, rectum and ureter area. It can also cause the development of other conditions which can include pulmonary embolism, characterized by several blood clots on the legs that can travel to the lungs. Another way to remove the tubes and ovaries is the prescription of a treatment trial with progesterone hormones, administered orally. Progesterone hormones are types of hormones that have to be applied for more than three months to treat the uterine lining. After the treatment with the hormone is finished, the patient can make another biopsy to see if the treatment worked. If the progesterone treatment is prescribed in the early stage of the Endometrial Hyperplasia, the condition can be cured, and after this, the doctor can prescribe them for the rest of your life to prevent the disease to recur. The most common hormone medicines recommended for Endometrial Hyperplasia can include norethynodrel or Enovid, norethindrone or Ortho-Novum, norgestimate or Ortho Tricyclen, norgestrel, levonorgestrel or Alesse, and medroxyprogesterone and desogestrel, which have proven to be effective.