Adenomyosis
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, the information on these pages is gathered from my own experience, books, websites, and other people's experience. I will not be held responsible for any injury resulting from this information. If you have a medical condition, you should seek qualified medical advice and supervision at all times.
What is Adenomyosis?
Adenomyosis is very similar to endometriosis, in that it is the growth of the endometrium (uterine lining) where it should not be. Endometriosis grows on the surfaces in the pelvic region, and adenomyosis grows inside the muscle wall of the uterus. The endometrial tissue in both cases follows the menstrual cycle exactly as it does inside the uterus and bleeds during menstruation.
Adenomyomas (clumps of endometrial cells inside the wall of the uterus) bleed, creating a pocket of blood, very much like a bad bruise, which in itself is painful. Because this is growing inside the muscle, it can't respond properly to control the menstrual flow. This results in very heavy bleeding with many blood clots being passed.
A description I found once of this muscle reaction was "like trying to spit through a mouthful of marbles".
This tissue doesn't seem to start bleeing a couple of days in advance (like endometriosis), but the bubble of blood inside the wall causes more and more pain towards the end of the menstrual cycle.
Adenomyosis can occur by itself, or with other diseases, most commonly with endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Fibroids, cysts, and other pelvic diseases may also occur with it. Adenomyosis is a relatively uncommon condition, typically suffered by pre-menopausal women about the age of 40, but any menstruating woman may suffer from it.
As with most of the pelvic diseases, there are no known causes, but unfortunately there is not much research into this disease, as it mostly affects older women, who can treat it by having a hysterectomy. Less is known about adenomyosis than endometriosis.
It can cause infertility and more often miscarriages, as it is a growth that disrupts the tissue supporting the foetus.