- So far there is no cure for endometriosis but there are treatments to counteract its symptoms.
- The quality of life of the patients suffers a noticeable decrease derived from the inconvenience caused by the disease.
- According to the WHO, endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women and girls of reproductive age globally.
Despite its high incidence, endometriosis and all the consequences it generates in patients are not always discussed in depth. In this regard, Dr. Edgar Mercado, medical director of VivaWell, explains that it is a chronic disease that greatly affects the lives of women, causing intense pain during menstruation, sexual intercourse, urination or defecation.
Main symptoms it causes
For its part, something very important that must be made clear is that there is currently no cure for this condition. Therefore, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible to counteract its main symptoms, which are chronic pelvic pain, bloating, nausea, fatigue, and even depression, anxiety, or infertility.
The name of this condition derives from the word endometrium because that is the name given to the tissue that lines the uterus. So the condition appears when this tissue grows outside the womb and in other areas of your body where it does not belong, such as the ovaries or the Fallopian tube.
Due to the variety of symptoms that occur in each woman it is difficult to timely diagnose this condition. And although there is currently no cure for endometriosis, there is a treatment that helps control the symptoms and slow or stop their progression.
How does endometriosis affect work productivity?
One of the aspects that seeks to raise awareness on this day is the burden of pain that this condition can generate at such a level of severity that it interferes with daily activities, such as work. According to a study done by the University of Oxford, there is decreased work productivity in women with endometriosis compared to those who do not.
The results showed that there is a 38% decrease in work productivity for women with a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosiscompared to those without it, 10 hours per week versus 7 hours per week, respectively.
In this sense, Dr. Mercado points out that it is necessary to break the paradigm, and that companies begin to bet on being a generator of change for the benefit of their collaborators. This is based on the fact that workers are one of the most important assets in any organization. Therefore, they must be the center of corporate decisions to have their productive potential, which will promote achieving the desired results at the business level.
“At VivaWell we have found this disruption thanks to the use of technology through which we can offer a dignified and comprehensive health service that truly improves the quality of life of people through the companies with which they collaborate.”
And it is that whether it is endometriosis or some other condition, each case is different. For this reason, technological tools must be used that allow health professionals to collect and evaluate the patient’s medical history and her symptoms to provide a timely and effective diagnosis, and based on this, start the treatment that best suit.
Also read:
Endometriosis, a disease without a cure but that can be treated
All about thoracic endometriosis, symptoms, causes and treatment
Best treatments for the correct diagnosis of endometriosis