Adenomyosis and endometriosis are two diseases often posing a serious threat to a woman's reproductive health and impairing quality of life. As much as the two share features of one another, they differ totally from each other; they have different origins and symptoms and treatment and more. It is therefore very important for people diagnosed with any of them, or often wish to assist a dear family member or loved one deal with this issue.

 

What is Adenomyosis?

It refers to the growth of tissue in the lining of the uterus into its muscular wall. This therefore leads to the enlargement of the uterus with painful feelings. Symptoms of Adenomyosis are very significant and manifest among women aged between 30-40 years and is often associated with labor experiences.

 

Inside vs. Outside

It is the same cells that line the uterus, or womb, which grow outside in endometriosis. This growth can breach other organs next to it, including your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and bladder. It could also make it impossible for you to get pregnant. Adenomyosis takes place when the same type of cells that line the uterus grow deep into the muscular wall of the uterus and thicken it. It does not go beyond the actual uterus.


How Different Are the Symptoms of Adenomyosis from Endometriosis?

 

Symptoms of Adenomyosis

In Adenomyosis, cells inside the uterine wall begin to grow. The thickening of walls will cause and trigger painful movements and excessive bleeding.

 

Common symptoms of Adenomyosis are:

  • Painful periods
  • Ache during sex
  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Irregular bleeding
  • Heavy menstrual periods
  • Infertility
  • Enlargement of the uterus

 

Symptoms of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition whereby cells around and outside the uterus grow and most commonly within the ovaries, pelvic cavities and ligaments that support the uterus. There exist four stages of endometriosis, each basically representing one different degree of tissue and scarring.

 

Symptoms of endometriosis include;

  • Chronic pain in the pelvis.
  • Painful intercourse.
  • Pain during bowel movements
  • Pain during urination
  • Pelvic pain
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea

 

How Are These Conditions Diagnosed?

If you have Adenomyosis, your uterus can be painful and bigger at any time when there is some force on your stomach. It is easy for your physician to assess the size of the uterus by physically examining you as a patient. Sometimes an MRI or ultrasound is all that a patient needs to diagnose Adenomyosis. In most cases, minor surgery may be required, where your physician will draw samples of your uterine tissue for laboratory tests.


Diagnosis may employ ultrasound and MRI, but an MRI scan may miss more minute implants outside the uterus. Minimally invasive surgery is the primary methodology of diagnosis. This means your physician can locate any endometrial tissues that are present outside your uterus.

 

Treatment options for Adenomyosis and endometriosis?

Where both of these usually fade with menopause, you don't have to wait. For those who want to treat these conditions prior to menopause, there are treatments.

 

Adenomyosis Treatments

  • NSAIDs – OTC medications, like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), can help alleviate pain and cramping.
  • Hormonal drugs – Estrogen causes the uterine lining to thicken, which will probably exacerbate bleeding and cramping. Some hormonal birth control can even halt menstruation and symptoms.
  • Robotic-Assisted Surgery – We faced a great challenge in trying to apply the traditional form of laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of Adenomyosis because it was an internal site in the uterus. Today, we can safely give you the opportunity for the robotic excision of Adenomyosis with preserving your chances to have a child.
  • Hysterectomy – Here the part or the total uterus is removed. What happens after a hysterectomy you cannot get pregnant or have a menstrual period after being treated.

 

Endometriosis Treatments

The following drugs are sometimes used to treat endometriosis:             

  • NSaids for pain Hormonal birth control or Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists that regulate the menstrual cycle
  • Aromatase inhibitors, that make a dormant stage of estrogen production, 
  • Muscle relaxers and anti-convulsing to counter pain symptoms as a result of spasms in pelvic muscles. 
  • Robotic excision of endometriosis-this restores your ability to conceive but removes the problematic tissue 
  • Robotic hysterectomy-if everything else is tried out and if you are not planning for conception at all.


View More: What You Must Understand About Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome


Important Distinctions between Endometriosis and Adenomyosis


Although the symptoms of Adenomyosis and endometriosis can be similar, they differ greatly in their underlying origins and locations:

  • Location: In Adenomyosis, tissue identical to the endometrium invades the uterine wall; whereas in endometriosis, it occurs outside of the uterus.
  • Symptoms: Although both could result in pelvic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding, the character and even timing of the pain could differ. Pain from endometriosis is much worse and sometimes reaches other organs while Adenomyosis creates more localized symptoms of pain in the uterus.
  • Diagnosis: Ultrasounds and MRIs have determined Adenomyosis quite frequently, whereas endometriosis might sometimes only be diagnosed when surgery and laparoscopy are performed.
  • Treatment: The treatments of the two conditions may depend on hormone therapy and pain management; however, the surgical interventions may vary depending on where the growth is located and what the tissue seems to be.


Tips How to Deal Conditions Adenomyosis and Endometriosis Conditions

Adenomyosis and endometriosis influence a woman's life on different fronts, starting from health issues to relationships. Here is a list of tips on how to manage these conditions:

 

Emotional Support

Chronic pain and reproductive health problems are emotionally depleting. One needs to find friends, family members, or support groups that provide the ambience to share experiences and cope with the situation.

 

Lifestyle Changes

Useful measures for health also try controlling the symptoms. The good life measures consist of exercise regularly, a healthy diet, and other stress-reducing activities like practicing yoga or meditation. A symptom diary may be a good way for a person to try and determine patterns that might provoke attacks.

 

Open Communication with Providers

You very strongly should open up and discuss symptoms with a healthcare provider. If treatments at hand are not working, don't hesitate to seek a second opinion or start discussing options for alternate treatments.

 

Conclusion

Adenomyosis and endometriosis are conditions that have significant implications for many women, often under-discussed and misunderstood. A woman seeking proper care and support will find that the things distinguishing one from the other, symptoms, and treatment can make all the difference in a woman's life or for her loved one who may be suffering from this condition. Hope opens communication, education, and access to a helpful network, which can mean better management and quality of life for this condition.


Please book an appointment with the Best Gynecologist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.