March is the month to raise awareness about a condition that can cause severe pain and infertility that too often goes undiagnosed. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that can affect anyone who has a menstrual cycle. It causes severe, life-impacting pain that affects about 11% of women between the age of 15 and 44.
Endometriosis is a progressive, chronic condition. Being one of the most common gynaecological diseases, endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body. While these growths are benign, i.e. not cancerous, they can still cause problems. They may swell and bleed in the same way the lining inside of your uterus does every month in the menstrual period of women.
While there is no cure for endometriosis and it lasts until menopause or beyond, effective treatments are available that may relieve the symptoms.
The most common symptoms may include a combination of:
- Abdominal or pelvic pain before and during a period, during or after sex or when going to the toilet.
- Heavy periods or irregular bleeding.
- Bleeding from the bladder or bowel, or changes in urination or bowel movements.
- Feeling bloated, with or without pain.
- Being tired or nauseas, especially around the time of one’s period.
- Having anxiety or depression related to the pain.
- Infertility.
The variable and broad symptoms mean that endometriosis is not easily diagnosed, and many people suffering from it are not even aware of their condition. Moreover, it is sometimes mistaken for other conditions that can also cause pelvic pain, such as ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Once diagnosed, endometriosis can be a challenging condition to manage. An early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary medical team may result in better management of the symptoms.
Therefore, it is important that you share as much information with your doctor as possible, and a private health insurance will prove essential in the process of getting diagnosed and then receiving treatment.