One in five women suffers from endometriosis
No one likes to have abdominal pain, but when we do we often just try to get comfortable on the sofa, search for solace on Netflix and wait for the pain to pass. Most people will be more busy thinking about what show they want to binge than about what’s causing their pain. It’ll pass, right? Not every abdominal pain is cause for worry, but it is good to be mindful of what might be causing it. For example, it could be that you have endometriosis and that that’s causing your pain.
Some women don’t know that they have this disorder.
Scar tissue
If you have endometriosis, you’ve got small pieces of the uterine lining, or endometrium, roaming through your lower abdomen, ovaries, oviducts, bladder and intestines and this can cause pain. The treacherous part of this is that a lot of women don’t even know that they have this chronic disease. We don’t know how these pieces of the uterine lining can escape the uterus, but we do know some women are more sensitive to this than others. We also know that there’s a direct correlation between the amount of uterine lining floating through the abdomen and the amount of pain and symptoms.
Symptoms
These are the symptoms of endometriosis:
- Menstrual pain: throughout the years, the pain can slowly get worse or start a little earlier. A number of women end up having chronic pains, even in between menstrual periods.
- Bowel and bladder problems: think of intestinal cramps, constipation, diarrhoea, pain while you’re peeing or having to pee more often.
- Pain during intercourse: endometriosis can cause pain deep in the belly during or right after intercourse because the pieces of the uterine lining can get in the ovaries, between the rectum and the uterus or between the bladder and the uterus.
- Infertility: endometriosis is the cause of infertility for three in ten women who have trouble getting pregnant.
- Fatigue: a striking number of women who suffer from endometriosis also suffer from fatigue.
- Lower back pain: the pain in your abdomen can radiate to your back.
Treatment
Often treatment isn’t necessary but there are a couple of things you can do if you really suffer a lot from your endometriosis. A doctor can prescribe painkillers or even do keyhole surgery to see what’s going on. The contraceptive pill can suppress the painful symptoms of endometriosis as well. Do you have a lot of problems with abdominal pain? Don’t hesitate to contact your doctor and discuss it with them!
Disclaimer: This information is not an alternative to professional medical advice. In case of doubt, please contact your doctor.
