{"id":1167,"date":"2018-04-19T07:52:10","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T07:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=1167"},"modified":"2021-10-11T01:13:38","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T01:13:38","slug":"15-endometriosis-symptoms-every-woman-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/15-endometriosis-symptoms-every-woman-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Endometriosis Symptoms Every Woman Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"There is a number of gynecological conditions that either have no symptoms at all or have symptoms that mimic those of other conditions or even the normal functions of the female reproductive system such as menstrual pain and monthly bleeding.<\/p>\n

For this reason, they are likely to go under the radar and remain undetected for years; in some cases, untreated gynecological conditions may have terrible consequences in a woman’s life. Endometriosis is one example of these disorders. It happens when the endometrium, or inner tissue of the uterus, grows not only where it should but also in the wrong places, mostly the ovaries and Fallopian tubes.<\/p>\n

These masses of endometrial tissue react just like the rest of the normal endometrium, growing and bleeding on a monthly basis. Endometriosis can be completely asymptomatic, which makes it very difficult to diagnose, but when it does have symptoms, these are the most common ones:<\/p>\n

1. Painful periods<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many women suffer pain during their periods, and this is considered normal in most cases. Cramps<\/a> are the most common source of pain but bloating or inflammation of the pelvic tissues can also play a part in dysmenorrhea (the technical name for menstrual pain). For this reason, endometriosis is likely to remain undiagnosed for a long time, since the pain it causes can be considered normal.<\/p>\n

Periods hurt because the uterine muscles contract in order to force the old endometrium out of our bodies, so a new one can start growing a few days afterward. However, the pain of endometriosis is different. Deposits of abnormal endometrial tissue are called implants, and they can appear in a variety of places, mostly the pelvis; they bleed every month during a woman’s period, but the blood has nowhere to go, and the inflammation and scarring caused by this failed bleeding is behind the pain of endometriosis.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. Pain when ovulating<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A small number of women feel pain when they are ovulating, and that is considered normal in most cases. However, pain during ovulation can be a consequence of endometriosis<\/a>. Ovulation itself is the process through which the egg, once it has matured due to the effect of estrogens and foliculostimmulant hormones, is released from the ovary into the Fallopian tubes, where it can be reached by a spermatozoon so fecundation takes place.<\/p>\n

A small pinch of pain is normal when the egg is released from its follicle inside the ovary. However, some women with endometriosis have an abnormal growth of endometrial cells in one or both of their ovaries. In advanced cases, they might even develop an ovarian cyst as a result. The abnormal tissue present in an ovary can react during the release of the egg, and become irritated or even damaged, thus causing pain during ovulation.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Pain during or after sex<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although most of the symptoms of endometriosis commonly manifest during menstruation, because they are derived from the reaction of endometrial implants to female hormones<\/a>, a few of them can be active during the whole menstrual cycle. Women with endometriosis can experience pain during sexual intercourse. The aching can happen during the act or, in some cases, after it is over.<\/p>\n

Endometrial implants can be found at odd places in the reproductive system, such as ovaries and Fallopian tubes, and the scars they produce might affect how the whole system responds during sexual intercourse. Also, women might experience cramping during their sexual encounters due to their endometriosis.<\/p>\n

Pain derived from endometrial implants isn’t the same as other common causes of pain during intercourse; it can happen with normal lubrication, and with no abnormal muscular contractions of the vagina such as the ones characteristic of vaginismus.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. Pain during gynecological examinations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For the same reasons, sexual intercourse can cause pain in women with endometriosis, more or less invasive gynecological examinations might have the same effect. When performed correctly, gynecological examinations shouldn’t be painful. They are carried out with proper care and without the intent of damaging any tissue<\/a>. However, some types of exams necessarily stimulate the inner tissue of the vagina and, although indirectly, the surrounding area of the pelvis.<\/p>\n

If there is any deposit of endometrial tissue around the vagina, the contact and the pressure might trigger a painful reaction. If you go to a gynecologist, get examined, and feel pain during the procedure, don’t hesitate to communicate it to your doctor. Not only because they should make sure they don’t hurt you with the procedure, but also because it might be vital information for your gynecologist to successfully diagnose a possible cause of endometriosis.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Pain when going to the bathroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Not all endometriosis symptoms are directly related to the reproductive organs. Even though the reproductive system is the most commonplace for endometrial implants to happen, in some cases they can be found in the bladder or in pelvic<\/a> tissues such as the peritoneum. For this reason, endometriosis may have symptoms that are not directly gynecological. Some women with endometriosis feel pain with bowel movements and\/or urination.<\/p>\n

This could be a direct consequence of a deposit of endometrial tissue in the wrong organ, or a derivation of pelvic inflammation or an adhesion (which happens with the scarring produced by an endometrial implant induces the generation of connective tissue that sticks parts of the abdomen together, stressing all tissue around it). Even if pain during bowel movement and\/or passing urine can happen any day of the month, you are most likely to feel this pain during your period, when the endometrial implants are most active.<\/p>\n

\"\"6. Bloody urine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you don’t pay attention, this symptom could fly over your head, but in fact, is one of the very few visible manifestations of a possible case of endometriosis. Although the bladder isn’t a commonplace where you can find an endometrial implant, in some cases this kind of growth has been observed in the urinary system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When the blood of an endometrial implant is released inside the bladder, it ends up in the urine and when we pass it we can see its characteristic color changed to a reddish hue. Also, lessons in the tissue of the bladder caused by the endometrial implants might cause small internal bleedings that end up in the urine as well.<\/p>\n

Bloody urine is darker than usual; it might have an overall red tone, or in some cases, you can clearly see a few drops of coagulated blood floating in the toilet bowl.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. Abundant bleeding during or between periods<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Endometriosis might disturb the balance between female sex hormones and the menstrual cycle. Normally, the inner layer of the uterus<\/a> is completely eliminated every month, in order to make some room for new endometrial tissue that will await possible implantation of an embryo in the days to come. The menstrual flow is comprised of blood as well as other issues that altogether make up the endometrium, and that’s what gives it its characteristic color.<\/p>\n

Excessive bleeding can be detrimental to a woman’s health because it is an amount of blood loss her body might not be ready to manage every month. Abundant periods can be a consequence of endometriosis. Also, women with this condition might experience bleeding between periods, a symptom known as menometrorrhagia. If you bleed between periods, you should ask for an appointment with your gynecologist to get checked.<\/p>\n

\"\"8. Infertility<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Although the actual mechanism by which endometriosis can prevent a woman from being pregnant is yet to be fully understood, it is vastly believed in the scientific community that infertility is one of the most frequent consequences of endometriosis. As a matter of fact, infertility<\/a> treatment or medical checkups due to the difficulty to conceive are the most frequent ways endometriosis is finally diagnosed.<\/p>\n

Women who are asymptomatic or have symptoms that have been misdiagnosed as normal menstrual manifestations or even some other condition such as irritable bowel syndrome often find out about their actual condition once they fail to get pregnant and make an appointment with a specialist. Luckily for those who want to be biological mothers, endometriosis can be diagnosed with a small laparoscopic surgery and successfully treated, so they can become pregnant once their original condition has been totally or partially relieved with treatment.<\/p>\n

\"\"9. Fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The second half of this blog about endometriosis symptoms every woman should know is dedicated to those, often less common, and less specific, symptoms that aren’t directly related to gynecological problems or the reproductive system in general. Some of the less known symptoms of endometrial implants don’t affect the reproductive life directly, be it because said implants are located out of the reproductive system itself (which isn’t usual, but every now and then may happen) or because the effects of endometrial implants affect your whole body and become a general matter of health.<\/p>\n

One of the less specific, yet common enough, symptoms of endometriosis is chronic fatigue. Women with endometrial implants might feel tired for no apparent reason, for there is seemingly no relation between this feeling of fatigue<\/a> and the amount of effort they made recently or how many hours they slept. Fatigue is a consequence of endometrial malfunction.<\/p>\n

\"\"10. Larger intestine problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since endometriosis has quite specific symptoms, all of which can be attributed to other conditions or even normal functioning of the female reproductive system, it is often misdiagnosed. Indeed, when a woman with endometriosis also has another condition that could explain all the symptoms of endometrial implants, the chances of her gynecological problem staying unnoticed, and therefore untreated, are even higher. One of the conditions endometriosis is most commonly mistaken with is irritable bowel syndrome. Since endometriosis can cause pelvic distress and disturbance, it may affect our bowel movements.<\/p>\n

We have discussed before the abnormal pain caused by endometrial implants during bowel movements, but the excretory function might be affected as well. Women with endometriosis sometimes have unexplained diarrhea<\/a>, or the complete opposite, might get constipated; sometimes, even at different times of their lives. Since endometriosis and actual irritable bowel syndrome can coexist, the diagnosis is even more difficult to make.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Abdominal bloating<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yet again, this symptom can be easily overlooked, because it is common for many women to retain fluids during their menstrual periods; this combined with some degree of normal bloating of the abdomen before or during the menstrual bleeding<\/a> can mask actual abnormal bloating due to a problem in the abdominal tissue. Endometrial implants can spread to different spots in the pelvis, and when the right dose of female sexual hormones reach them, they grow and eventually bleed every month just as normal endometrium does.<\/p>\n

However, unlike normal endometrium, endometrial implants don’t have a place where to flow and the blood accrues between organs and other tissues in the pelvis. This rarely causes severe complications as the bleeding is reabsorbed by the organism, but in the meantime, it might cause bloating or pelvic discomfort. Even though bloating isn’t necessarily painful, it isn’t uncommon that both bloating and pain happen together.<\/p>\n

\"\"12. Nausea<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The abdominal discomfort caused by endometrial implants might cause nausea<\/a> in some cases. Sometimes, nausea comes after a period of increasing discomfort and might be associated with other negative sensations. Among them, women can experience increased sweating, a chill sensation on the back of their mouths, shaking off their legs or abdomen, and\/or pelvic pain or discomfort, including intestinal twisting. Sometimes, nausea just feels like it comes out of nowhere, with no preceding signs of discomfort at all.<\/p>\n

Nausea caused by endometrial implants in the pelvic area or the abdominal cavity very rarely derive into vomiting, and they are not associated with any stomach disease or digestive problems, although some intestinal disturbances might occur as a different symptom of endometriosis. Nausea caused by endometrial implants can happen at any time of the month, but in most cases, women experience it during their menstrual periods, or immediately before, when the effect of their female hormones is already preparing their bodies for the bleeding.<\/p>\n

\"\"13. Abdominal and back pain<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Endometriosis can worsen the pain that women normaly feel before or during their menstrual bleeding. This includes cramps of the uterus<\/a> as well as the normal discomfort caused by bloating and fluid retention. However, it may also cause pain in other areas of the body.<\/p>\n

By nature, endometrial implants can grow in several different locations; most of the cases they are found within the pelvic cavity, but every once in a while they can find their way even farther away and grow in odd places such as the pelvic inner membranes and the bladder, among others. As a result, women with endometriosis might experience pain, which usually becomes worse during their periods due to the action of hormones on the endometrial tissue deposits.<\/p>\n

The most common places for this sort of inflammatory pain in the abdominal cavity and the low back, around the kidney area.<\/p>\n

\"\"14. Chest pain and\/or bloody spit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So far, almost all symptoms of endometriosis have been to some degree linked to the sexual function or at least the pelvic area. Statistically, it is very rare to see any symptoms that go beyond abdominal or pelvic problems because that is where most endometrial implants are found. However, on very rare occasions, the cells of the endometrium can grow in places far away from their intended location and cause very characteristic symptoms that are often mistaken for a very different affection.<\/p>\n

In some exceptional cases, for example, an endometrial implant might be found inside the lungs<\/a>. When this is the case, the symptoms of endometriosis are mostly respiratory. The presence of a group of endometrial cells can cause chest pain. Also, when it bleeds, the blood flows inside the respiratory ways, and women might cough up blood. Understandably, these symptoms are rarely suspected to be caused by endometriosis.<\/p>\n

\"\"15. Neurological symptoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the rarest of cases, endometrial cells can grow even farther away from the reproductive system, all the way up into the brain. However, as a matter of fact, the consequences of endometrial implants in the brain is far less severe than you might imagine. Endometrial cells do alter the functions of the brain, but contrary to what common sense seems to indicate, endometrial implants in the nervous system aren’t lethal at all.<\/p>\n

They aren’t even close to being dangerous to a person’s life. However, they do cause some potentially severe symptoms derived from the inner pressure they add to the encephalitis and the potentially damaging effects of internal bleedings and inflammation<\/a> of the tissues. Endometrial implants in the brain can cause headaches and dizziness, and in some cases, seizures. Luckily for all women, it is extremely rare to find an endometrial growth inside a brain.<\/p>\n\r\n

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