Endometriosis

Endometriosis can affect women of any age, including teenagers. It's a long-term condition that can significantly impact your life, but some treatments can help.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, often associated with menstrual periods. Although many experiences cramping during their menstrual periods, those with endometriosis typically describe menstrual pain far worse than usual. Pain also may increase over time.

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Common signs and symptoms of endometriosis include:

• Painful periods (dysmenorrhea). Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before and extend several days into a menstrual period. You may also have lower back and abdominal pain.
• Pain with intercourse. Pain during or after sex is joint with endometriosis.
• Pain with bowel movements or urination. You're most likely to experience these symptoms during a menstrual period.
• Excessive bleeding. You may experience occasional heavy menstrual periods or bleeding between periods (intermenstrual bleeding).
• Infertility. Sometimes, endometriosis is first diagnosed in those seeking infertility treatment.
• Other signs and symptoms. You may experience fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.
  
  The severity of your pain may not be a reliable indicator of the extent of your condition. You could have mild endometriosis with severe pain or advanced endometriosis with little or no discomfort.
  
  Endometriosis is sometimes mistaken for other conditions that can cause pelvic pain, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts. It may be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which causes bouts of diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal cramping. IBS can accompany endometriosis, which can complicate the diagnosis.

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