Skin, joints, and many other tissues in the body can be affected by Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). It is a connective tissue disorder caused by the body’s response to the protein collagen. There aren’t many studies available that look at the possibility of a link between endometriosis and Ehlers Danlos. But after reading our article, you understand the outcome of both these fatal diseases. Patient with endometritis and EDS (Ehlers Danlos syndrome) is characterized by heavy menstrual flow, irregular menstruation, and acute discomfort during menstruation.
Patients with Ehlers Danlos syndrome may experience many of the classic symptoms of endometriosis, including painful periods and painful penetration, among others. Endometriosis, on the other hand, is not very common in our society.
According to her research, Dr. Blagowidow stated in a presentation to the Ehlers Danlos Society in 2018 that 6-23 percent of patients with EDS also have endometriosis.
What is (EDS) Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome?
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a heritable connective tissue disorder in which collagen protein structure or processing deficiency occurs.
In a broad sense, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a set of connective tissue illnesses that can be passed down through families. They are diverse in terms of how they impact the body and the genetic reasons that underlie them. Several characteristics distinguish them from one another, including joint hypermobility (joints that can be stretched further than usual), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than usual), and tissue fragility.
What is Endometriosis?
When you have dysmenorrhea, you must contend with pain (dysmenorrhea), heavy bleeding (menorrhagia), painful intercourse (dyspareunia or vulvodynia), bloating, and nausea as well as constipation and diarrhea as well as exhaustion and infertility – and did we mention the discomfort? Yes, there is also suffering.
What is the procedure for diagnosing endometriosis?
There are numerous options for determining whether or not there are any evident indicators of endometriosis.
Aside from the symptoms, the gynecologist will do an MRI, a transvaginal ultrasound, and a pelvic exam to rule out any other problems.
Endometriosis can only be diagnosed through laparoscopy, a surgical technique in which tissue samples from the suspected afflicted areas are taken and analyzed to see whether they are caused by endometriosis or something else.
Is it possible to cure endometriosis?
The answer is straightforward: no, that is not possible. However, it is possible to attempt to manage the symptoms by medicine, diet, exercise, and other natural pain management methods.
When the pain becomes overwhelming for many people, there are two surgical alternatives available to them.
- Ablation Endometriosis Surgery (also known as endometriosis ablation surgery): This is a procedure in which the disease is burned – the likelihood of scar tissue forming and the disease returning is far higher than the likelihood of option number two.
- Endometriosis Laparoscopic Excision Surgery (LAPEX): This procedure is intended to provide long-term relief while also decreasing the likelihood of recurrence.
Are Endometriosis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Connected?
Someone who has both conditions would feel an increase in EDS symptoms on and around their menstrual cycles
Those who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome suffer from bleeding difficulties, which are most commonly associated with gynecological issues.
Therefore, excessive bleeding (menorrhagia) will increase by 33 percent to 75%, painful periods (dysmenorrhea) by 73 percent to 93%, and persistent pain of the vaginal area / painful intercourse (vulvodynia/dyspareunia) would increase by 32 percent to 77 percent.
As a result, if you have Ehlers-Danlos disease, you should anticipate having complicated menstrual cycles and sex life.
How Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Affect Endometriosis Excision Surgery
There has been an upsurge in the number of people with endometriosis and endometrial dysplasia (EDS) in recent years. Because they are internally different from their non-EDS patients and their recovery period is lengthier, they require special attention and treatment.
Post-surgery, the tissue and ligaments of affected patients were more stretched than usual – highly EDS-like – and the recovery time would be double that of a typical patient.
Even though there is no link between Ehlers-Danlos and endometriosis, we found the increase in one patient with both conditions becoming a more frequent prevalence in his office quite interesting, especially considering that EDS is rare and rarely diagnosed. It takes an average of seven years to diagnose an endometriosis patient in his office.
We feel that all of this time spent connecting the two circumstances may have resulted in skewed results.
Furthermore, to be identified with endometriosis, a significant amount of surgical deep-digging may be required, which can be difficult for EDS patients who heal at a slow rate.
Ehlers Danlos and endometriosis incidence
According to the recent study of the National Institutes of Health, one in every 2500 to one in every 5000 people has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Endometriosis affects one out of every ten to twelve women. Despite the possibility of overlap between the disorders, nothing definitive has been established that links it to endometriosis, except the presence of common symptoms.
Pelvic pain linked with Ehlers Danlos disease is challenging to treat because of a lack of available options. The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), vitamin B1, magnesium, acupuncture, oral contraceptive pills, progesterone (pills or intrauterine device), and physical therapy are all highly recommended.
Complication:
If you have endometriosis as well as EDS, you will have an additional problem. Endometriosis increases the likelihood of infertility, while Ehlers-Danlos increases the possibility of complicated pregnancies. Neither condition is curable.
