Endometriosis - a silent sickness

Dubai, UAE, June 7, 2017:  Women often experience pelvic pain while menstruating and heavy flow during menstruation. Most times women often disregard the pain believing it to be the usual period pain which will get better after those 5 days. This is one of the most common myths associated with Endometriosis. Pelvic pain during menstruation is one of the most common symptoms of Endometriosis often considered period pain. Women believe that sever pain during periods is normal and is caused because they have a low threshold for pain. Periods are not always meant to be painful and endometriosis is much more than period pain. A lot of women experience sever pelvic pain even before and after their periods. 

Endometriosis is a medical condition in which the lining of the uterus called the endometrium grows in various other parts of the body, outside the uterus. It is most commonly found in the ovaries, pelvis, and fallopian tubes. Endometriosis affects 5 to 10 per cent of the female population.  In the UAE, over 100,000 women in suffer from Endometriosis.   

The most common symptom of Endometriosis is pelvic pain and painful periods. Women often experience cramping during menstruation, however pain caused by the condition is a lot severe than period cramps. Other symptoms of endometriosis include painful intercourse, heavy bleeding during menstruation, pain during bowel movements and urination, infertility since the condition is sometimes diagnosed when women seek treatment for infertility, fatigue, constipation, bloating particularly during periods and diarrhea.

Any unusual change noticed in the body must be consulted with a specialist before the condition gets worse. The severity of pain a woman experiences is not an indicator of the severity of the condition. Women with advanced endometriosis may sometimes experience very little or no pain.

There is no definite established cause for endometriosis, although genetics do play a considerable part in the development of the condition. If your mother has the condition, you are most likely to develop it.

As per a study conducted by Aster Hospital & Clinic to determine the awareness levels of endometriosis among the residents of UAE, it was revealed that 91 per cent of the UAE residents were not even aware of the condition. 

Endometriosis is a disease surrounded by serious lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis, a variety of symptoms, various treatments and myths. Endometriosis is a painfully chronic condition that affects women during their prime years. It affects girls and women equally and a lot of times the access to accurate information and diagnoses is often overshadowed by the myths surrounding the condition.

The most prominent myth revolving the condition is that period pain is normal. Pain that interferes with your daily functioning is never normal. Another misconception women have is that if they have endometriosis they are infertile. Most woman with endometriosis conceive. The options of conceiving depend on the severity and location of the condition. Pregnancy is in fact considered a cure for the condition, pregnancy may relieve certain symptoms but doesn’t eradicate the disease overall and symptoms may recur post-delivery.

There is no specific treatment for Endometriosis, treatment can help improve symptoms like pain and infertility. Treatment for endometriosis depends on the woman’s age, severity of the condition and its symptoms and whether you wish to conceive or not. Hormonal therapy and pain medications help cure certain symptoms of the condition. Surgical interventions may also help in providing significant short term pain relief. However a detailed discussion with your specialist is recommended to plan the surgery.

Endometriosis is a challenging health condition and women need to know their body and the symptoms manifested. The condition has no definite cure but individual symptoms can be managed and treated. Each woman has a different body and results for each may vary. Lifestyle changes and mild exercises like walking and swimming can also help get the condition in control. More than treating the condition, early diagnoses of the condition is extremely important because early diagnosis can largely reduce its severity.