Endometriosis can take one of three forms, depending on the clinical presentation and management: peritoneal or superficial endometriosis, ovarian endometrioma (OMA), or deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). DIE is the most aggressive form, which affects 20% of women who suffer from endometriosis (6).
Impact. Endometriosis has significant social, public health and economic implications. It can decrease quality of life due to severe pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and infertility. Some individuals with endometriosis experience debilitating pain that prevents them from going to work or school.
Give Yourself a Break. A useful coping technique for women with endometriosis is to acknowledge there will be chronic pain and some days will be worse than others. If you don't feel well, forego any activities. Always try to get ample sleep at night and don't feel guilty about taking naps when you need them.
Endometriosis can damage the reproductive organs and affect fertility. For example, adhesions and endometriosis tissue can damage the uterus, making it more difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. It may also damage the ovaries, affecting egg quality and making it harder for a person to become pregnant.
You could be putting your health at risk if you don't get treatment. While they are unlikely to be fatal, they can have a negative impact on your quality of life. Untreated endometriosis can lead to a variety of complications, including: Pain that lasts for a long time.
Living with endometriosis
Endometriosis can be a difficult condition to deal with, both physically and emotionally. As well as support from your doctor, you may find it helpful to contact a support group, such as Endometriosis UK, for information and advice.
It is important to find out how much support your partner would like to have, and then give her that support if possible. But it is also just as important not to ignore your own problems and feelings. Men often avoid talking about these things because they are worried that it may cause their partner even more distress.
Endometriosis can cause anxiety
Endometriosis is painful, and pain shares some biological similarities to anxiety. When you're in constant or intense pain, like the type that often occurs with endometriosis, you live under a high level of stress that puts you on edge, shortens your temper, and makes you feel anxious.
Reducing the amount of red meat in your diet, upping intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and getting three or more days of moderate- to high-high intensity exercise will help you in numerous ways—and may make a difference in the severity of your endometriosis. So they're certainly worth a try.
According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service, endometriosis is among the 20 most painful medical conditions, along with cancer, appendicitis and childbirth, and yet women's pain is on average ignored for seven years.
The classification also uses a point system to try to quantify endometriotic lesions . This point system allows for a way to numerically scale the disease. A score of 15 or less indicates minimal or mild disease. A score of 16 or higher may indicate moderate or severe disease.
Endometriosis does not resolve on its own. If you experience pain and other symptoms, these symptoms will remain unless you receive treatment. In some cases, your symptoms may get worse. In addition to pelvic pain, infertility is another common complication of endometriosis.
“The day-to-day pain can be described as sharp, shooting abdomen pains, paired with period cramps. My belly would become bloated and I would bleed very heavily, large blood clots, even when not on my period for days.
You can explain that endometriosis can cause pelvic pain, excessive bleeding, and in some cases, difficulty getting pregnant. This is a good time to explain that the symptoms (and the severity of symptoms) vary from individual to individual.
The most common symptom of endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain, especially just before and during the menstrual period. Endometriosis is also associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, and a reduced quality of life.
Fatigue is a symptom of endometriosis that may affect as many as 3 in 4 people with the condition. In addition to fatigue, people may also experience other symptoms, such as pelvic pain and nausea.
Women with endometriosis often have higher-than-normal estrogen levels, which can cause mood swings, anger, irritability, and frustration.
Telling someone to become pregnant is not only rude, but it's also none of that person's business. Many do not understand that pregnancy is not a cure for endometriosis. It is possible that pregnancy can mask the pain for a few months, but it is also possible that pregnancy can make symptoms worse.
Those with endometriosis may feel isolated, anxious, or depressed, which can create distance and strain in a relationship. Additionally, partners may feel helpless or unsure of how to provide support or help manage the symptoms of endometriosis.
Some women call the pain from endometriosis “killer cramps” because it can be severe enough to stop you in your tracks. For many, it gets worse as they get older. Other endometriosis symptoms include: Very long or heavy periods.
Symptoms can include chronic pain and fatigue, and the condition can disrupt daily routines, fertility and mental health. Time off work may be needed for coping with symptoms or for tests and treatment. Some women feel no negative effects, and don't want support from their employer.