Endometriosis is a serious condition that many women suffer from without knowing it. Women often go through their lives thinking that their period pain is common and expected, but that can't be farther from the truth. If you're going through these three symptoms, it's a strong sign that you have endometriosis.
What's Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is essentially uterine tissue that isn't where it belongs. It can form anywhere in the body but typically appears in the abdominal cavity.
When you're on a period (or sometimes off of it), this uterine tissue can react like standard uterine tissue and begin trying to cramp, bleed, or shed wherever it's located. This is obviously something that shouldn't be happening outside of your uterus, and as a result, it can cause some pretty unpleasant symptoms for you during your period and even when you're not on your cycle.
Horrible Cramps
Muscle cramps are a common part of periods, as they help to facilitate moving the old uterine lining out of the body. However, your cramps should never be extremely painful. If you're going through cramps on a regular basis that leave you feeling like you can't accomplish anything or you're paralyzed with pain, that isn't normal.
Period Diarrhea
Endometriosis can often form on the bowel or intestines, which can actually trigger diarrhea while you're on your period. When your body sends chemical signals for the muscles and uterine tissue to cramp and shed, including the uterine tissue on your bowels or intestine. The bowel is very sensitive, and pressure or swelling on it can cause you to have diarrhea.
Pain Off-Cycle
You shouldn't be experiencing pain in your reproductive organs when you're off your period. If you're having problems with that, it's a good sign that you have endometriosis or another reproductive problem.
This pain may come about halfway through your cycle, during mittelschmerz, or it may happen randomly. The uterine tissue in the body goes through many changes throughout the month that go unnoticed when it's where it belongs, but uterine tissue outside the uterus can trigger pain while it's thickening for your next fertile cycle.
Endometriosis is a serious medical condition that requires help from a doctor to treat. The excess uterine tissue can be surgically removed and will make a massive impact on your current level of pain and discomfort. If you're tired of hurting, talk to an obgyn about your symptoms to find out if you have endometriosis.
Share20 July 2018
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