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The Painful Truth

Living with Endometriosis

By Gwen Morrison

Dr. Gililland says that it is possible that endometrial tissue is transported out of the uterine cavity via the bloodstream or lymphatics. "That would explain the occasional finding of endometrial implants in the lungs or brain – distant sites other than the pelvis itself."

There also is mounting evidence that links endometriosis to dioxin (a group of toxic chemicals containing known and probable carcinogens), PCBs and other endocrine disruptors (chemicals that act like hormones in our bodies and disrupt the immune system).

"Research is going on all over the world – it has come a long way," says Mary Lou Ballweg, president and executive director of the Endometriosis Association in Milwaukee, Wis. "There is a startling link between dioxin (TCCD) exposure and the development of endometriosis."

Dioxin is a toxic chemical byproduct of pesticide manufacturing, bleached pulp and paper products and medical and municipal waste incineration. A 1992 study, funded by the EA, analyzed Rhesus monkeys exposed for four years to TCDD (the most toxic form of dioxin). Two important conclusions of the study revealed "the incidence of endometriosis was directly correlated with dioxin exposure, and the severity of the disease was dependent upon the dose administered," Ballweg says. "Chronic exposure to the chemical toxin dioxin is directly correlated with an increased incidence in the development of endometriosis in Rhesus monkeys."

The symptoms for endometriosis are as numerous as the possible causes of the disease. "Not everyone has symptoms, and therein lies the problem with estimating how many women actually have the disease," Dr. Gililland says. "Severe symptoms can include infertility and pelvic pain."

The EA lists the following as some of the symptoms of endometriosis:

• Pain before and during periods
• Pain during intercourse
• Infertility
• Fatigue
• Painful urination during periods


Pages:  1  2  3  4  



Want to see more?

• When Life Is a Pain: The Facts on Endometriosis
• Physician or Friend: Can Your Doctor Be Both?
• At Your Cervix: A Lifetime of Cervical Health
• Check out our Article Library.
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