Endometriosis and Its Symptoms
Did you know that you might discover you have endometriosis 8 to 10 years after its onset?
This is mostly due to many women being unaware of the disease’s symptoms.
This condition can affect teenagers, adults, and even children and fetuses.
Symptoms of Endometriosis:
- Severe pain during menstruation (pelvic/abdominal pain near or during your period)
- Pelvic pain at any time during the month
- Pain during ovulation
- Pain during or after sexual intercourse
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Pain during bowel movements
- Pain in the bladder, with frequent urination, and symptoms like burning sensation while urinating or blood in urine
In rare cases, symptoms may include bloody cough coinciding with the menstrual period, or even itchiness, since endometriosis is an autoimmune-related disease and often connected to other autoimmune disorders.
Other symptoms can include:
- Chronic digestive issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation, especially during periods
- Back pain
- Pain while sitting
- Pain in the lower legs, and sometimes the leg may cramp or give out
- Pain that mimics appendicitis
- Pain that resembles colitis, Crohn’s disease, or IBS
- Brown spotting between periods
- And of course, infertility and miscarriage
In adolescents, the pain is often acyclic, meaning irregular — it can happen at any time during the month, or even continuously.
That’s why it’s so important to observe teenage girls, believe them when they say they’re in pain, and take them to a specialist immediately.
Also, many cases of “silent” endometriosis exist, especially during adolescence.
The girl may not feel any symptoms, but the disease is present and causing damage over the years.
That’s why in many cases, the disease is only discovered by chance.