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Before I was diagnosed with endometriosis I had never heard of it. My doctors had never mentioned it and I had never come across it in my day-to-day life. I sometimes wonder if I would have had an earlier diagnosis if endometriosis was more well-known. There is never a character on a TV show or in a movie dealing with chronic pain or infertility from endometriosis. This seems strange seeing as how 1 in 10 women have endometriosis.

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Employment & School

Working and going to school with endometriosis can be extremely difficult. For some women it is impossible. It is a constant struggle of trying to balance your limits and what you want to accomplish. Constant pain requires constant analysis. Every hour can be a question of whether or not you can handle the next activity. This constant analysis makes it hard to thrive in a typical school or work situation.

Emotional Pain

There is more than physical pain associated with endometriosis, there is also emotional pain. Before even getting a diagnosis it can be frustrating and disheartening not to know what is wrong. As doctors repeatedly tell you that they can’t find anything, it can make you start to distrust your own body and the signals you are getting from it.

Pain

Pelvic pain is one of the symptoms most associated with endometriosis. Pelvic pain can be during menstruation or an everyday occurrence. The severity of the pain depends on the person and has no correlation with how extensive the disease is. Pain can also occur in the lower back and in the legs.

Infertility

Endometriosis can lead to infertility. Not all women with endometriosis deal with infertility, but most women with endometriosis take slightly longer to conceive. 30-40% of all women who are infertile have endometriosis, compared to 10% of the general female population that has endometriosis.

Diet

While there hasn’t been sufficient research done to decide what impact diet ultimately has on endometriosis, many specialists believe a balanced diet with an emphasis on anti-inflammatory foods is best. Some research has shown that women who have diets that are low in red meat and high in green vegetables and fresh fruit are less likely to have endometriosis.

Treatments: Medicinal

There are several medicinal treatments available for endometriosis. The most basic is birth control. Combination estrogen and progesterone birth control can be prescribed to stop menstruation and the pain associated with menstruation. Combination birth control may not treat all pain; it just prevents the pain associated with menstruation (if used continuously to stop menstruation).

Treatments: Surgical

The most basic form of surgical intervention for endometriosis is laparoscopic surgery. This laparoscopic surgery is the same as what doctors would do for diagnosis, but in this instance they make additional incisions to insert the instruments needed to remove the endometriosis.Laparoscopic surgery has been shown to help reduce pain, but the pain may return.

Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis of endometriosis can be a long process. It is estimated that, on average, 7.5 years pass from the start of symptoms to diagnosis. This means that women may continue to suffer and live in pain for years until they find a doctor who suggests the problem might be endometriosis or they learn about endometriosis on their own.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disorder where endometrium, the tissue that lines the uterus, grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is usually found in the pelvic region attached to ovaries, the bowels, or the pelvic walls. It can be found outside of the pelvic area, but it is relatively rare.  Endometrium tissue thickens, breaks down, and bleeds during menstruation, even when the tissue is outside of the uterus.