Endometriosis
Find help for symptoms of endometriosis in several locations across the Palm Beach Health Network. A hernia happens when an organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in the muscle or connective tissue that normally holds it in place.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a gynecologic condition that causes the tissue that normally develops inside your uterus and sheds during your menstrual period to grow in places it shouldn’t. This condition most often affects your fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the lining of your pelvis. However, endometriosis can spread beyond your pelvic organs, even as far as the brain.
When you have endometriosis, the displaced tissue continues to behave like it normally would, growing and shedding with your menstrual cycle. Since it has no way to leave your body, abnormal endometrial tissue gets stuck.
This condition is a common cause of pelvic pain. In some cases, the pain of endometriosis is so severe it may cause you to miss several days of work or school every month.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Pelvic pain is the primary symptom of endometriosis. Other common symptoms of this condition include:
- Painful periods
- Pain during sex
- Painful urination
- Painful bowel movements
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
Endometriosis may also make it harder for you to get pregnant, but proper treatment from an experience minimally invasive surgeon can help.
Who gets endometriosis?
Endometriosis is common, affecting more than 11% of women of childbearing years. Several factors may increase your risk of getting endometriosis, such as:
- Having never had children
- Family history of endometriosis
- Periods that last more than seven days
- Menstrual cycles that are shorter than 27 days
This condition can affect any woman who gets menstrual periods but is particularly common among women in their 30s and 40s. Endometriosis symptoms typically end permanently with menopause.