Do You Know the Symptoms of Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a painful condition that can affect 1 in 10 women and is the second most common gynaecological condition after fibroids.
I have heard from a number of women who suffer from Endometriosis but have found it not always diagnosed early as symptoms can be confused with PCOS and painful periods. This is why in young women very painful periods should always be investigated.
What is it?
Knowing what it feels like is the first step in getting help.
Common symptoms
Some women call the pain from endometriosis “killer cramps” because it can be severe enough to stop you in your tracks. For many, it gets worse as they get older.
Other endometriosis symptoms include:
- Very long or heavy periods
- Severe cramps
- Severe migraines or lower back pain during your period
- Pain when you have a bowel movement or pee
- Allergies that get worse around your period
- Vaginal bleeding between periods
- Blood in your urine or from your rectum
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Bloating
- Trouble getting pregnant
Pain From Endometriosis
Endometriosis can cause pain in more than one area of your body, including:
- Pelvic or belly pain. It might start before your period and last several days. It can feel sharp and stabbing, and medication usually won’t help.
- Some women say it feels like their insides are being pulled down. They have a gnawing or throbbing feeling that can be severe.
- Backache. Your uterus and ovaries are near your back. Belly pain that makes you hunch over can hurt your back, too.
- Leg pain. Endometriosis can affect nerves that connect to your groin, hips, and legs. This can make it hard to walk. You may limp or have to rest often.
- Painful sex. Many women with endometriosis feel pain while having sex or up to 2 days later. For some, it feels stabbing or sharp. Others describe it as an ache in their pelvic area.
- Painful bowel movements, depending on the affected areas.
Endometriosis and Infertility
Many young women may first be diagnosed with if endometriosis if they are finding it hard to get pregnant.
This may happen if the tissue growing outside your uterus causes scarring, which can affect your fallopian tubes and keep an egg and sperm from meeting. It can also stop a fertilised egg from implanting in the lining of your uterus.
Surgery can remove the extra tissue, which may make it easier to get pregnant. Or you might try assisted reproductive technology (such as in vitro fertilization) to help you conceive.
Helpful information:
Endometriosis does need to be reported and investigated by your doctor, but there are several helpful things you could do too. The heavy bleeding which is a common symptoms can often be helped by bioidentical progesterone so checking your hormone levels is a good first start.
https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/9-lifestyle-changes-that-may-help-with-endometriosis/
