Imagine having a monthly period cycle that was so heavy and painful you couldn’t leave the house, venture far from the bathroom – let alone function properly for work.
Then imagine having it most of the month. For most of your adult life. Traditional remedies don’t work – and your Doctor tells you that you just have to put up with it until menopause – or have a hysterectomy.
Sounds extreme doesn’t it?
For up to one in four Australian women, heavy menstrual bleeding and pain is a very real problem. The crippling side-effects impact not just quality of life, they can also make us anxious, anaemic, and cause heartache in our personal relationships.
Many women resort to hysterectomy, when in fact they’re years off menopause, and don’t want to take such a drastic step.
What many women don’t realise is that they could be suffering from Adenomyosis – which is a (rather nasty and painful) cousin to Endometriosis. In Australia it’s under-diagnosed and under-treated; but the good news is that a new treatment option has recently been recognised and identified by a team of doctors in Sydney.
The treatment option is a procedure called UAE (Uterine Artery Embolisation), and is usually undertaken to treat fibroids.
“Adenomyosis is a benign disease of the uterus,” says Dr Eisen Liang, of Sydney Adventist Hospital. “It occurs when tissue infiltrates the wall of the uterus, and the result is heavy bleeding and period pain. It’s under-diagnosed in Australia, and common and easy option is hysterectomy – but for women who don’t want this, the good news is that UAE is a potential alternative.”
UAE was identified as an effective treatment of Adenomyosis following a recent study at Sydney Adventist Hospital. Compared to a hysterectomy, UAE is a much more user-friendly option for women suffering Adenomyosis. Not only does your uterus remain intact – but it is less invasive, carried out under local anaesthetic, and has a much shorter down time.
“This study is major news for women who suffer extremely painful and heavy periods,” said Dr Liang. “UAE fills a huge gap in treatment between conservative options, such as medications or IUD, and hysterectomy. It’s safe and effective, and offers women living with adenomyosis a non-surgical option.”
If you’re suffering from very heavy and painful periods, make sure you talk to your GP about different options available to you. If you’re wanting more information about Adenomyosis and UAE, click here.
