CAUSES OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

• Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system whereby tissues similar to the lining of the uterus [endometrium] are found growing in areas outside the uterus.
• This distortion in the normal biological process leads to inflammations, severe debilitating pain, growth of endometriomas (chocolate cysts), adhesions and scar tissues.
• Generally, endometriosis is found in the pelvic cavity. It can attach to any of the female reproductive organs (uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries), the uterosacral ligaments, the peritoneum, or any of the spaces between the bladder, uterus/vagina, and rectum. 
• Endometriosis affects girls and women of reproductive age [13-60 years]. At this age, women are in their most productive years. Therefore endometriosis can impact all aspects of their lives – school, careers, finances, relationships, fertility and overall well-being.
• Endometriosis is an invisible, tricky disease whose mechanism is still being understood by researchers.

While the intense studies are ongoing to establish exactly the aetiology of endometriosis, some hypotheses have been put forward to offer some understanding of how endometriosis happens. These are

1. The theory of Retrograde menstruation:
2. It is mostly believed that these endometrial-like tissues are laid down in the foetus at birth, thus suggesting endometriosis to be a disease with epigenetic underpinnings.