Symptoms of endometriosis
- painful period
- pain in your tummy or back
- pain during intercourse
- pain when peeing or pooing, especially during period
- unable to get pregnant
- heavy period
- feeling sick
- bowel symptoms like constipation and diarrhoea
- depression from the effect on your life
Diagnosis of endometriosis
It may take up to 7 years to diagnose endometriosis, without specialist help
- careful history taking along with your symptoms is required to reach an accurate diagnosis
- ultrasound scan can help in diagnosis some of the endometriosis
- MRI is very good in diagnosis deep infiltration endometriosis that affecting the bowel or bladder
- keyhole surgery is very useful to give accurate assessment if it is done by trained team able to identity the various shape of endometriosis
Treatments for endometriosis
Treatments can help to ease your symptoms
- start by taking painkillers – such as ibuprofen and paracetamol
- hormone medicines like contraception or Mirena and medicines called gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues can help
- surgery to excise endometriosis tissue by a specialist surgeon, especially if medical treatment failed
- surgery to remove part or all of the organs affected by endometriosis – such as surgery to remove the womb (hysterectomy) and ovaries
Further problems caused by endometriosis
One of the main complications of endometriosis is difficulty getting pregnant Surgery to remove endometriosis tissue can improve your chance to conceive
Internal adhesions – "sticky" areas of endometriosis tissue that can join together inside the abdomen and pelvis and cause pain
Endometrioma fluid-filled cysts in the ovaries that can sometimes become very large and painful and the cyst will be filled with old blood. They can be treated with surgery
Living with endometriosis
Endometriosis can be a difficult condition to deal with, both physically and emotionally
Please contact a support group, such as Endometriosis UK
