The Different Kinds of Tests For Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a problem that generally affects women. If ever, very few men get it, and these are extremely rare cases. It is possible to have this condition and not be aware of it. However, when you start to feel pain in your pelvic area, during sexual activity, or severe cramps and excessive bleeding during the menstrual period, you should go in and talk to your doctor about it.

If he suspects endometriosis, there are several tests he can do to help him diagnose your condition for endometriosis.

Initially, you will need to describe the pain and where it is coming from. You will also be asked about the kind of pain, intensity, frequency, and duration. It would help if you noted these down so recall is easier.

You should expect him to do a pelvic exam wherein your doctor will try to feel for cysts or scarring. He does this manually, although it is possible that he might miss a small growth due to endometrial tissue because of its size.

Whether he finds anything or not, he will also ask for an ultrasound to be done. This is exactly like an ultrasound for pregnant women. Two instruments are used which is a hand held scanner, one will hover on top of your abdomen and the other will be inserted into your vagina. This is to establish sound waves so that the doctor can get an image of the reproductive organs. This test will confirm the presence of cysts or abnormal growth, but it is not definitive for endometriosis.

There is another test which will tell the doctor with 100% certainty if you have endometriosis or not. This test is called Laparoscopy, and it is a minor procedure where the doctor gets a clear picture of what is inside your abdomen.

This procedure will be invasive and starts with a small incision under your belly button. A thin instrument known as the laparoscope is inserted. This instrument has a miniscule camera that will allow the doctor a better view of your reproductive organs. The objective here is to look for unusual growths outside your uterus known as endometrial implants.

This procedure is decisive in giving the doctor the exact location, size, and stage of endometriosis. There are 4 stages with stage 4 being the most severe.

The last test that must be done is a blood test. Sometimes, not often, endometrial cells become cancerous, and a blood test will determine the presence of these dangerous cells by detecting the presence (or non-presence) of a certain protein. This test is known as CA 125 or cancer antigen. If you have stage 1 or 2 of endometriosis, this test may not be a good test because it will not detect the presence of endometrial cells in the blood. This test will merely conclude the battery of tests a doctor will need to conduct to make sure what treatment to prescribe.