What is the standard treatment for a confirmed case of endometriosis?

The standard treatment for confirmed endometriosis is hormonal therapy. This approach aims to alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis by regulating the hormonal levels in the body, which can help to reduce or eliminate the growth of endometrial tissue and manage pain effectively. Hormonal treatments can include birth control pills, progestins, and GnRH agonists, which work to suppress the menstrual cycle and the hormonal fluctuations associated with it, ultimately leading to less pain and fewer endometrial lesions.

Hormonal therapy is preferred as it addresses the underlying hormonal influences on endometriosis and can be tailored to the patient’s specific needs, including considerations for fertility if the patient is trying to conceive.

Surgical removal of cysts may be necessary in specific cases where there are large cysts or if there is significant damage or obstruction caused by the endometriosis, but it is not the first-line treatment for all patients. Antibiotics are not effective for endometriosis, as it is not an infection, and pain management alone, while important for symptom relief, does not treat the underlying condition. Therefore, hormonal therapy is recognized as the most comprehensive treatment strategy for managing endometriosis.