Home page Endometriosis Endometriosis is a condition where the cells from the lining of the uterus called the endometrium grow other places within the abdominal region. Because menstruation is typically heavy, iron deficiency anemia is common. Women with cycles shorter than 27 days and those with periods lasting over a week are at increased risk of anemia.
Endometriosis is a condition that often passes from mother to daughter.
The presence of endometrial implants outside the pelvic area of the body is not very common. During a normal menstrual cycle, a continually changing hormonal environment stimulates the endometrium to grow in preparation for a possible pregnancy. This same cycle causes a follicle within one of the ovaries to ripen, and an egg is released. Fingerlike tissues on the fallopian tube grasp the egg, and the tiny, hairlike cilia inside the tube transport it toward the uterus, the lining of which is now spongy and well supplied with blood. If the egg is not fertilized within around 24 hours of being released, the uterine lining proceeds to die, to be sloughed off, and to pass through the vagina during the menstruation.