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Glossary - A
Abdomen: The ‘belly’, the area between the chest and the pelvis.
Add-back: When taking certain hormones, Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRH agonists), that put the body into an artificial menopause, the side effects can include menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, headaches, loss of concentration or mood swings. A serious ‘hidden’ side effect can be loss of bone density – which can lead to osteoporosis. To try to counteract these side effects, small doses of oestrogen/progestogen in the form of HRT, Livial, or Norethisterone are given at the same time. They replace some of the hormones that are removed by the hormone treatments.
Adenomyosis: A disease where endometrial tissue grows in the muscle layer of the wall of the womb, bleeding and causing pain. This is not the same as endometriosis.
Adhesion: Fibrous scar tissue that is formed inside the body. They are usually caused by trauma to tissue – which can happen with endometriosis or because of an injury, or during surgery. They are a cause of pelvic pain. They can attach organs to each other inside the pelvis, or to the pelvic wall.
Anaesthetic: Induced loss of feeling and awareness in a patient. Anaesthetics can be either local or general. A general anesthetic puts the patient to sleep (makes them unconscious), a local anaesthetic will numb a part of the body.
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