Chocolate Cysts And Endometriosis

Chocolate cysts are a particular type of ovarian cyst linked to endometriosis. The endometrium is the tissue which lines the inside of the uterus (or womb), and endometriosis is a condition where endometrial tissue implants itself outside the uterus.

During your regular menstrula cycle the cells in this tissue increase and grow throughout every month, and after that break down, ready to be shed at the time of your menstrual cycle. With endometriosis, the tissue outside the uterus acts in exactly the same way. When the lining of the uterus bleeds through the period, these implants also bleed but because they are trapped inside the pelvic area, they cannot escape and so form patches of tissue called endometriosis.

In cases where this endometrial tissue implants itself within an ovary, then ovarian cysts normally form. These are called endometriomas, but are usually known as chocolate cysts, since the old blood they contain looks like chocolate.

Signs of Chocolate Cysts

Usual indications of chocolate cysts and endometriosis include

- Painful periods - usually beginning a few days before, and then enduring for the whole of the menstrual cycle - Painful sex - typically the pain is felt deep inside and lasts for a couple of hours after sexual intercourse. - Pain in the lower stomach and pelvic area - Difficulty conceiving, for the reason that the passage of the egg from the ovary to the fallopian tube may be blocked

Treatment Choices for Chocolate Cysts

If you are diagnosed with chocolate cysts, the standard treatment alternatives, as with mostly all types of ovarian cysts, are

- Wait and see - no therapy in the hope that the cysts will go away themselves - Birth control pills - hormones can lessen the amount of oestrogen produced by the body, so could decrease the size of the endometriosis and the occurrence of chocolate cysts - Surgery - either keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) or in more severe cases open surgery

These choices are very limited in what they can achieve. Hormone treatment may have side effects, and a surgical procedure could be dangerous and leave unwanted scar tissues which can store up problems for the future.

More importantly, not any of these methods deal with the underlying causes of the cysts. They only treat the symptoms, not the cause, so even if the cysts do go away or are removed, there is every chance that they would simply come back again eventually.

For a permanent therapy for chocolate ovarian cysts, a lot of women are opting for the natural holistic method. This works on the assumption that all ovarian cysts are an indication of underlying problems within the body. The solution therefore is not to attack the cysts, but to address these underlying problems and restore the body's natural balance.