Symptoms of Endometriosis

The amount of pain associated with the disease is not related to the extent or size of the implants. Some women with Endo have no symptoms, others have debilitating pain and even infertility. Some signs that may lead you to suspect Endo include - (but are by no means limited to) - any of the following:

• Pain before and during periods	• Pain during sex
• Infertility	• Fatigue
• Painful urination during periods	• Painful bowel movements during periods
• Chronic or intermittent pelvic pain	• Pain in the leg and/or hip which radiates down the leg
• Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation is not normal!)	• Infertility
• Miscarriage(s)	• Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• Dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)	• Pain after intercourse
• Backache	• Leg pain
• Nausea	• Vomiting
• Abdominal Cramping	• Diarrhea
• Rectal Pain	• Constipation
• Painful bowel movements	• Blood in stool
• Rectal bleeding	• Sharp gas pains
• Bloating	• Tailbone pain
• Blood in urine	• Painful or burning urination
• Tenderness around the kidneys	• Flank pain radiating toward the groin
• Urinary frequency, retention, or urgency	• Hypertension
• Coughing up of blood or bloody sputum, coinciding with menses	• Accumulation of air or gas in the chest cavity
• Constricting chest pain and/or shoulder pain	• Shortness of breath
• Collection of blood and/or pulmonary nodule in chest cavity (revealed under testing)

Fatigue, chronic pain, and allergies and other immune system-related problems are also commonly reported complaints of women who have Endometriosis.

Remember, it is quite possible to have some, all, or none of these symptoms.

Because Endo symptoms are so inconsistent and nonspecific, it can easily masquerade as several other conditions. These include: adenomyosis ("Endometriosis Interna"), appendicitis, ovarian cysts, bowel obstructions, colon cancer, diverticulitis, ectopic pregnancy, fibroid tumors, gonorrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ovarian cancer, and PID.

In addition, many women with endometriosis suffer from:

• Allergies

• Chemical sensitivities

• Frequent yeast infections

Diagnosis is considered uncertain until proven by laparoscopy, a minor surgical procedure done under anesthesia. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the growths. This helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices.

Reproduce with kind permission from Endometriosis Research Center




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