The current diagnostic process and treatment of endometriosis is also completely unsustainable. The disease, which is associated with intense pain, heavy bleeding, bloating and fertility problems, affects at least one in 10 women, meaning that at least 190-200 million women worldwide suffer from the symptoms. Of course, the figures may vary from region to region and from study to study, but that doesn't change the fact that we are talking about the quality of life of many women.
Yet, research into women's diseases is staggeringly underfunded, patients can still wait years for a correct diagnosis, seeing 6-8 doctors and hitting walls, until they themselves often believe the problem is in their own heads". Even if they somehow manage, with great difficulty, to discover the disease, they are still not relieved, as endometriosis is currently considered a chronic disease with no cure. It is a disease whose treatment is not an outpatient therapy but only aims to alleviate the symptoms, and very often fails.
There are books full of information about the more than unpleasant side effects of taking the contraceptive pill and its harmful effects on health, but no one is in a hurry to tell people about it, so many women take the hormones blindly and in good faith for years, even decades, not knowing the possible consequences, and often, unfortunately, they only realise when it is too late and they may have to face far-reaching consequences. In addition to taking hormones or injections with similar effects on hormone production, the other medical 'solution' for endometriosis is surgery, preferably by laparoscopy, otherwise laparotomy. The operation itself is not without risk, and the risks are explained, at least in small print and in a hurried manner, when the consent form is signed.
Endometriosis surgery can cause discomfort such as bleeding, infections, organ damage and later painful adhesions, and anaesthesia complications due to side effects of anaesthesia such as allergic reactions, respiratory problems, circulatory instability, postoperative vomiting, delayed awakening.If the intestinal tract is involved, the surgeon may also create a temporary or permanent stoma if deemed necessary, and each operation may contribute to premature ovarian depletion, which may also affect hormonal balance and fertility in the long term. Not to mention the fact that surgery is stressful, privately very expensive, can be painful, takes up to 6 weeks to heal, hospital stays are lonely and often traumatic, and you miss out on work for longer or shorter periods.
All this so that, according to the statistics, the disease recurs in less than two years in 27% and in 5 years in up to 50%. For a disease that affects hundreds of millions of women and has a serious impact on their physical and mental health, quality of life and fertility, this is simply unacceptable.
Yes, it's an unfortunate state of affairs, but fortunately we don't have to put up with science stopping here for lack of research resources. Even if they are few in number compared to other diseases, there are still dedicated researchers who care about the future of endometriosis treatment and want to work towards a better future. Promising research has recently been and is being carried out, which fortunately goes beyond the holy trinity of surgery-hormone-painkiller combinations that were once thought to be the rule of threes but are now slowly being superseded, and is looking for innovative solutions to both the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
What are the future paths for endometriosis treatment, what are the trends that are influencing research directions, and exactly what changes can be expected, when and how they will occur, I will be giving a very useful and informative talk in March on the occasion of World Endometriosis Day. As an endometriosis specialist clinical health psychologist, science communicator and world-leading PhD student in medical futurology at EndoBlog, you can expect the usual lively, engaging, professional yet understandable presentation that I am used to, followed by a workshop, where I will teach and practice one of my favourite methods of predicting the future, which will help you to be prepared and confident in your endometriosis perspective, and to stay one step ahead, knowing what to look out for, what not to fall for, so you can make responsible decisions about your own health.
If you only learn about endometriosis once this year, if you only learn about it for an hour and a half, then that's it, you won't regret it. My undisguised aim is to raise awareness so that taboos are forgotten and no questions remain unanswered.
If you don't want to miss the workshop and the presentation, come and subscribe to Endomail, because that's where I'll be sharing the information first! Endomail ITT
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