The menstrual cycle starts with the first day of the period and ends when the next period begins.

Hormone signals are sent back and forth between the brain and the ovaries, causing changes to the sacs in the ovaries that contain eggs (follicles) and the uterus

The first part of the cycle prepares an egg to be released from the ovary and builds the lining of the uterus

The second part of the cycle prepares the uterus and body to accept a fertilized egg, or to start the next cycle if pregnancy doesn’t happen

The menstrual cycle is more than just the period. In fact, the period is just the first phase of the cycle. The menstrual cycle is actually made up of two cycles that interact and overlap—one happening in the ovaries and one in the uterus. The brain, ovaries, and uterus work together and communicate through hormones (chemical signals sent through the blood from one part of the body to another) to keep the cycle going.The cramps you get during your period can be tough. But if you have endometriosis, the pain may be so intense that it affects your daily routine. It might even stop you from doing some of the things you love.

Endometriosis is when the same type of cells that make up the lining of your uterus, the endometrium, grow outside it and attach to other parts of your body. Knowing what it feels like is the first step in getting help.

Common Endometriosis Symptoms

Some women call the pain from endometriosis “killer cramps” because it can be severe enough to stop you in your tracks. For many, it gets worse as they get older.

Other endometriosis symptoms include:

Very long or heavy periods

Severe cramps

Severe migraines or lower back pain during your period

Pain when you poop or pee

Allergies that get worse around your period

Vaginal bleeding between periods

Blood in your urine or from your rectum

Fatigue

Nausea

Diarrhea or constipation

Bloating

Trouble getting pregnant

Pain From Endometriosis

Endometriosis can cause pain in more than one area of your body, including:

Pelvic orbelly pain. It might start before your period and last several days. It can feel sharp and stabbing, and medication usually won’t help.

Some women say it feels like their insides are being pulled down. They have a gnawing or throbbing feeling that can be severe.

Backache. Your uterus and ovaries are near your back. Belly pain that makes you hunch over can hurt your back, too.

Leg pain. Endometriosis can affect nerves that connect to your groin, hips, and legs. This can make it hard to walk. You may limp or have to rest often.

Painful sex. Many women with endometriosis feel pain while having sex or up to 2 days later. For some, it feels stabbing or sharp. Others describe it as an ache in their pelvic area.Painfulbowel movements. Depending on the affected areas, it might hurt to poop.

Endometriosis and Infertility

Endometriosis can make it hard to get pregnant. This may happen if the tissue growing outside your uterus causes scarring, which can affect your fallopian tubes and keep an egg and sperm from meeting. It can also stop a fertilized egg from implanting in the lining of your uterus.

Surgery can remove the extra tissue, which may make it easier to get pregnant. Or you might try assisted reproductive technology (such as in vitro fertilization) to help you conceive.A woman can have endometriosis for a long time. It can be very painful. Women with endometriosis can have problems with their menstrual flow. This sickness can be so painful that it affects many areas of life.

Endometriosis is hard to find in some women. To find endometriosis in a woman a doctor may order many medical tests. These tests may be a pelvic exam and an ultrasound. When a woman has a pelvic exam the doctor will feel for lumps or scars. An ultrasound will help the doctor see cysts on the ovaries. The doctor may put a wand-shaped ultrasound probe into the vagina. A scanner may be used on your abdomen. Another test may be used. It is called an MRI. The MRI takes a picture of the inside of the body.

A doctor may try to treat endometriosis with medicine. There are different kinds of medicine that treat endometriosis. Birth control medicine can help some women have less pain. Another kind of medicine is called Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. If the pain is less after taking medicine then the doctor may decide that the woman has endometriosis. If the woman stops taking the medicine the pain may come back.

Endometriosis is treated with surgery on some women. This is called laparoscopy. The doctor doing the surgery can look inside the body to find endometriosis tissue. Surgery is the only way to be sure that a woman has endometriosis. The doctor may see endometriosis tissue during laparoscopy. A doctor may remove a sample and study it under the microscope to decide.

With Kind Regards,
John Kimberly
Associate Managing Editor
Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine
 

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