Symptoms of Endometriosis

Symptoms vary a lot. Some women have severe pain with small patches of disease, and some have extensive disease and few symptoms. The most important point is this: period pain that disrupts school, work or daily life is not normal, and it deserves to be checked. On average, diagnosis takes 7 to 10 years, mostly because pain is brushed off as "normal."

Common symptoms

• Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea), often starting before bleeding and lasting several days.
• Pelvic pain at other times of the month, sometimes constant.
• Pain during or after sex.
• Pain with bowel movements or passing urine, especially during periods.
• Heavy or irregular bleeding, and spotting between periods.
• Bloating and nausea, sometimes called "endo belly."
• Tiredness that does not improve with rest.
• Difficulty getting pregnant. Endometriosis is found in many women who are being tested for infertility.
• Low back or leg pain linked with periods.

Symptoms that need urgent care

• Sudden, severe lower abdominal pain, especially with fainting, vomiting or fever. This can mean a ruptured or twisted ovarian cyst.
• Very heavy bleeding that soaks through pads quickly.
• Blood in the stool or urine, especially during periods, if new.

What to do

If pain is bad enough to miss school or work, or paracetamol or ibuprofen does not control it, see a doctor, ideally a gynaecologist. Keep a simple diary of pain, bleeding and symptoms for two or three cycles, since it helps the doctor.

Pain is not a measure of severity. How much pain you feel does not match how much disease is present. Believe your symptoms, and ask for further assessment if you are not being heard.