What is Adenomyosis?
Adenomyosis is a painful condition where the cells that line the inside of your uterus also grow in the muscle layer in the uterus wall.
This is different from endometriosis, which occurs when cells like those lining the uterus grow on other parts of the body, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries or tissue lining the pelvis. However, many people with adenomyosis also have endometriosis, and the two conditions share many symptoms.
While symptoms may be mild for some people, for others, they can be severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Problematic symptoms of adenomyosis can include:
heavy periods.
painful periods.
pain during sex.
chronic (ongoing) pain in the pelvis.
bleeding between periods.
infertility.
The cause of adenomyosis is still unknown. It's thought that it may occur:
-due to surgery involving the uterus, such as c-section or removal of fibroids
-early in foetal development
-after childbirth.
It can be difficult to diagnose because there isn't a specific test for it. Your doctor may want to examine you to feel if your uterus is enlarged. An ultrasound or MRI can sometimes pick it up, but often it's not diagnosed until after a hysterectomy. If diagnosed by a scan, there are many treatment options, depending on symptoms and stage of life.
Treatment can include managing your pain and other symptoms through psychological pain management, exercise, acupuncture, and pain medication. For more serious symptoms, an IUD or oral contraceptive pill can help. A hysterectomy is the only way to completely cure adenomyosis, but this is only recommended for those with severe symptoms and who don’t plan to give birth in the future. Getting help to manage the symptoms can be achieved by talking to a great women’s health GP, a psychologist who understand chronic abdominal pain, or a naturopath/nutritionist
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and want to talk about whether you might be experiencing adenomyosis, please see your women’s health GP or gynaecologist. 🩺
In search for a great women’s health GP, naturopath, or psychologist? Please get in touch with us at Lotus Health and Psychology.
Sources:
Healthline (2021). Understanding Adenomyosis, a Uterine Condition
Healthdirect (2022). Adenomyosis
Jean Hailes for Women's Health (2023). Adenomyosis