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What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Endometriosis symptoms explained: how it differs from normal period pain, how it's diagnosed, and when to ask your doctor about it.
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In short
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
The main symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, often severe period pain that stops you doing normal things and gets worse over time. Other signs are pain during or after sex, pain when you pee or poo, heavy periods, bloating, tiredness and trouble getting pregnant. It affects about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Only a doctor can diagnose it, sometimes with surgery.
Written by the Gyne team · Medical review: pending
Key takeaways
- Period pain that stops you from doing everyday things is not something you just have to live with.
- Endometriosis can also cause pain with sex, peeing or bowel movements, and pain between periods.
- How bad the pain is doesn't always match how much endometriosis there is.
- Diagnosis often takes time and may involve an ultrasound, an MRI or a laparoscopy.
- There's no cure yet, but treatment can help manage pain and other symptoms.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it. It's most often found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the lining of the pelvis, and sometimes on the bladder or bowel.
This tissue reacts to your cycle and can bleed, but the blood has nowhere to go. That causes inflammation and scar tissue, which can make organs stick together.
What are the most common signs of endometriosis?
Symptoms vary a lot from person to person. Some people have mild discomfort, and some have no symptoms at all. Common signs include:
- Severe period pain, often getting worse over the years.
- Pelvic pain that lasts beyond your period.
- Pain during or after sex.
- Pain when you pee or have a bowel movement, especially during your period.
- Heavy periods, needing to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours.
- Bloating, constipation or nausea.
- Extreme tiredness.
- Trouble getting pregnant.
How is endometriosis pain different from normal period pain?
Normal period cramps are usually worst on the first day or two and ease with over-the-counter pain relievers, heat and rest. They let you get on with your day.
Endometriosis pain is more often severe enough to make you miss school, work or plans. It may start before your period, last after it ends, or come at other times in your cycle.
If pain relievers don't help, or your periods are getting more painful over time, that's a reason to see your doctor.
Who is more likely to get endometriosis?
It can affect anyone who has or had a uterus, from their first period to after menopause, and it's especially common in people in their 30s and 40s. The cause isn't fully known.
Your chance is higher if a close relative, like your mother, sister or aunt, has it. Starting periods very young, short cycles of 27 days or fewer and periods that last more than 7 days can also raise the risk.
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
It can take a long time to diagnose, because the symptoms look like other conditions. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and family history, and may suggest:
- A pelvic exam, including an internal exam.
- An ultrasound scan, on your belly or inside the vagina.
- An MRI scan.
- A laparoscopy, a small operation where a camera is passed through a tiny cut in your belly. This can confirm endometriosis, and patches can sometimes be removed at the same time.
What else can cause pain like endometriosis?
Several conditions share some of the same symptoms, so your doctor may check for them too. These include adenomyosis, where lining-like tissue grows into the wall of the uterus, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
How is endometriosis treated?
There's no cure yet, but treatment can ease pain and other symptoms. Options include pain relievers, hormone treatments and surgery to remove patches of endometriosis.
The right choice depends on your symptoms, your age and whether you want to get pregnant. Ask your doctor about the benefits and side effects of each option.
When to see a doctor
- Period pain stops you from going to school, work or doing normal activities.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers don't ease your period pain.
- Your periods have become more painful over time.
- You have pain during or after sex, or when you pee or have a bowel movement.
- You've been trying to get pregnant without success.
- You've had treatment but your symptoms aren't getting better.
- You have sudden, severe pain in your belly with fainting, vomiting or a fever: call 911 or your local emergency number.
How Gyne helps
After a painful day, Gyne offers practical relief steps, and it checks in when your bleeding looks heavy. When the same symptoms keep coming back around your period, Gyne shows you the pattern, so you have a clear record to share with your doctor.
PeriodsThis guide is general information, not medical advice. Only a doctor can diagnose a condition.