Actress Zainab Balogun Recounts 20 Years Battle With Endometriosis, Treatment

Nollywood Actress Zainab Balogun Recounts Painful Encounter With Endometriosis and Reveals Treatment.

See all the latest health news in Nigeria

Balogun told her hundreds of followers on Instagram about her battle with Endometriosis.

According to her, the condition dealt with her for over 20 years.

In another part of the post she explained that the ailment caused her “vicious pain” for two decades.

The actress revealed that she started losing her hair as a result of the treatment.

Her words:

 “This time last year, I was reminded that it was Endometriosis Awareness month. After a year I wasn’t ready to share. Stage 4 Endometriosis, they said.

“I took this picture just after I noticed I was losing my hair as a result of treatment. It took a lot not to burst into tears because I love my hair! To see batches of it in my hands stung. It still does but we’re gonna get it back.

“I was really happy to finally have an accurate diagnosis because it meant I finally knew the root of twenty-something years of excruciating pain.

“I liken the pain to someone taking a barbed wire to your insides and twisting it continuously for days on end. It’s not mere period cramps, aches, or discomfort. It’s a vicious pain!”

Explaining the ailment, Balogun said, “Endometriosis affects one in 10 women. It’s an unseen chronic condition that is often misdiagnosed. It doesn’t get enough attention or research.

“Endometriosis is when the tissue lining the uterus grows outside of it. Endo lesions can form everywhere from the lungs, intestines, ovaries, Fallopian tubes and more.”

Must read: WHO Weighs In On Ukraine vs Russia War

What is Endometriosis?

Mayo Clinic describes endometriosis as a condition uterine lining condition where tissues that are supposed to grow in the uterus, grows outside the uterus.

Symptoms include:

• Extreme pain during menstruation.
• Pelvic pains.
• Prolonged bleeding during menstruation.
• Bleeding in between periods.
• Infertility.
• Pain during sexual intercourse.
• Fatigue.
• Diarrhea
• Bloating or nausea during periods.

Also, read the latest health news in Nigeria on COVID-19

Causes:

• Retrograde menstruation: A condition where menstrual discharge returns to the pelvic cavity.
• Transformation Peritoneal cells: Cells that mimic uterine tissues, outside the uterus.
• Embryonic cell transformation: Hormones such as estrogen may transform embryonic cells.
• Surgical scar implantation. After a surgery, such as a hysterectomy or C-section, endometrial cells may attach to a surgical incision.
• Endometrial cell transport. The blood vessels or tissue fluid (lymphatic) system may transport endometrial cells to other parts of the body.
• Immune system disorder. A problem with the immune system may make the body unable to recognize and destroy endometrial-like tissue that’s growing outside the uterus.

Source: Mayo Clinic