What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is similar to the lining of your uterus grows on other parts of your body. When this tissue grows in the wrong places, it can cause painful symptoms that can impact not only your menstrual cycle but also your daily life. Some people with endometriosis have trouble getting pregnant due to scarring and fallopian tube blockage as well.
Some of the most common places you can develop endometriosis include the:
- Space behind your uterus.
- Myometrium (a layer of your uterine wall).
- Ovaries.
- Peritoneum.
- Fallopian tubes.
Less common places include your:
- Rectum.
- Bladder.
- Intestines.
- Diaphragm.
- Vagina.
- Lung.
Endometriosis is a common condition that affects about 1 in 10 females worldwide. Healthcare providers most often diagnose it in people in their 20s and 30s. The symptoms of endometriosis are often manageable with treatment.
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
There are many symptoms of endometriosis, but the most common is pelvic pain. This pain can be intense or mild. Symptoms often feel worse just before and during your period due to inflammation brought on by the hormonal changes that occur at that time.
Symptoms of endometriosis include:
- Very painful menstrual cramps.
- Abdominal pain or back pain during your period or in between periods.
- Heavy bleeding during periods or spotting (light bleeding) between periods.
- Pain during sex (dyspareunia).
- Infertility.
- Pain when pooping or peeing.
- Stomach problems like diarrhea, constipation or bloating.
here’s no connection between your symptoms and the severity of the condition. Some people may have very few patches of endometriosis and still experience severe pain. Other people might have many patches of endometriosis, but not experience any pain.
Can endometriosis cause weight gain?
Endometriosis doesn’t cause weight gain, but the bloating and fluid retention can make you feel like you’re gaining weight.
What causes endometriosis?
Healthcare providers don’t know for sure what causes endometriosis. When you have endometriosis, tissue that is similar to the lining of your uterus grows in the wrong places. Researchers are looking for a connection between endometriosis and conditions like retrograde menstruation, immune system conditions and hormone disorders as possible factors that may lead to the condition.
Is it genetic?
Although experts don’t know the exact cause of endometriosis, they do see a connection between a family history of the condition and an increased risk of developing it at some point. If another person in your biological family — your mother, grandmother or sister — has endometriosis, talk to your healthcare provider about your risk.
Who can get endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition that most commonly impacts females between the ages of 20 and 40. It can also happen to younger people during their teenage years. Although many people find relief from endometriosis symptoms after menopause, it can still cause discomfort and pain.
You can also have no symptoms of endometriosis. Sometimes, you can have it and not know until you’re unable to get pregnant.