Could your painful periods be endometriosis?

FOR some women, their monthly periods are a nightmare that comes with feelings of incapacitation and intense pain. Consultant obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Michelle Bailey said this could be due to endometriosis, a condition that can be so painful that it forces women to abandon their everyday activities.

“Endometriosis is a common, benign, chronic, oestrogen-dependent disorder that is usually associated with many distressing and debilitating symptoms. It is a condition where tissues similar to the tissue that normally grows inside the uterus also grows outside of the uterus,” she explained.

“These tissues go through a cycle identical to and simultaneous with the uterine lining: growing, breaking down, and bleeding.”

She pointed out that many women are living with endometriosis and sufferring in silence because it usually takes on average six to nine years before the diagnosis is made.

Endometriosis is classified as either classical or atypical.

“Classical symptoms of endometriosis are pain starting before the period, severe period pain lasting for more than two days, and pain during sex. Occasionally patients get lower back pain, chronic fatigue, and for some patients with endometriosis their only symptom will be infertility,” Dr Bailey explained.

Atypical symptoms are usually linked to where the endometriosis is located in the body.

“For example, if it is located on the rectum, she may have pain during defecation, while with bladder endometriosis patients will have frequency passing urine, burning when passing urine and, rarely, blood in the urine,” Dr Bailey said.

She advises women who observe these symptoms to visit their gynaecologists for the necessary tests to be done.

“The gold standard for diagnosis is laparoscopy. However, young patients with classical symptoms should be given a presumptive diagnosis of endometriosis and empirical medical treatment initiated. If they do not respond, then laparoscopic surgery is considered,” Dr Bailey added.