How Does Endometriosis Affect Your Body?

WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS?

Sometimes the tissue that lines the inside of your uterus starts to grow outside of it.

This can lead to a painful condition called endometriosis.

Endometriosis affects about 200 million women worldwide.

the most common endometriosis symptoms

Pain

- Cramps
- Lower back and pelvis pain
- During or after sex
- When you use the bathroom

Extra-heavy bleeding during your period

Heavy spotting between periods

Infertility or trouble getting pregnant

Stomach problems like constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during your period

head

Doctors haven’t found a direct link between endometriosis and headaches. Instead, they say the connection could result from a mix of things like:

- Genetic factors that the two conditions have in common
- If you started your periods early
- Your sensitivity to pain
- Hormone-like chemicals known as prostaglandins
- Your estrogen levels

I use ice packs or an ice helmet for my migraine pain. Also, a sound machine or some white noise helps my brain "turn off" and sleep.

Court M., 35, Asheville, NC

get a handle on stress

Researchers say there’s an endless loop linking stress and endometriosis symptoms.

Try yoga, meditation, or schedule some
“me time” if that’s what
it takes to help you
relax.

Talking to a
therapist can also help.

BRAIN

Endometriosis can make you more likely to have anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.

Researchers say the chronic pain causes a negative cycle that can make other issues like anxiety and depression surface or become worse.

That, in turn, can worsen your endometriosis pain.

People with a chronic illness are

15%-20% more likely

to be depressed than those without one

Always tired?

Does it get worse around your period?

Researchers think they’ve found the endometriosis-fatigue connection. Your immune system kicks on in response to endometrial tissue growing in places it shouldn’t. That causes inflammation.

Certain cells involved in this process, called cytokines, also cause fatigue.

I've learned to ask for help when my fatigue strikes. I can’t do it all. Whether it’s asking my husband to walk the dog or having someone cover my class at the yoga studio, asking for help and resting is so important.

Justin Anne P., 37, Raleigh, NC

pelvic area

Endometrial tissue outside your body thickens, breaks down, and bleeds. But because it can’t leave your body, it starts to irritate the tissues around it. They can scar or stick together, which causes pain.

This pain may be worst during your period. And it will hurt more than normal menstrual cramps. But unlike monthly aches, these don’t always go away. It can also hurt to have sex or use the bathroom.

33% of women

with chronic pelvic pain are eventually diagnosed with endometriosis.

The length of time from when symptoms begin to diagnosis is anywhere from 3 to 11 years.

My non-pain symptoms take place most intensely the week before my period begins and increase during my period.

Court M., 35, Asheville, NC

Stay active

Medium- to high-intensity exercise on a regular basis could make your endometriosis less severe.

That could lead to lighter periods and fewer symptoms. A low-intensity workout like yoga, which stretches the tissues and muscles in your pelvis, can ease pain and stress.

BLADDER

Inflammation is the most common result of endometrial tissue growth on your bladder.

How Does Endometriosis Affect Your Bladder?

Endometriosis in your bladder can be:

- Superficial: Outside the bladder.

- Deeper: Inside the bladder lining or wall.
This can affect the ureter, the duct that carries urine from your kidneys to the bladder.

Symptoms include:

- Bladder irritation

- Blood in your urine during your period

- Pain when your bladder is full

- Urgency -- feeling like you have to pee all the time

It took approximately 9 years and three different doctors for me to get an accurate diagnosis.

Linda C., 62, Seattle

OVARIES

Endometriomas are the name for cysts that sometimes form when endometrial tissue grows on your ovaries. They can cause pain and scarring and make it tough -- or impossible -- to get pregnant.

They can also:
- Stop your ovaries from releasing eggs
- Damage your eggs

What About Ovarian Cancer?

You may hear that endometriosis is linked to some types of ovarian cancers.

But your overall lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is low to begin with. Fewer than 2 out of 100 women with endometriosis will get ovarian cancer. That means your odds are about the same as someone who doesn’t have the disease.

digestive tract

Endometrial tissue can grow on the lining of your digestive tract, your intestines, rectum, between your uterine wall and rectum, and your appendix. This can lead to painful bowel movements. You might also have diarrhea, constipation, nausea, bloating and gassiness, and blood in your stool.

It’s rare, but because endometrial tissue can cause scarring on surrounding areas, it could block your intestines.

I also eat a low-inflammation diet and avoid dairy, gluten, and soy. I have noticed if I control inflammation, I can cut pain off at the root.

Kristin C., 35, Parker, CO

Eat well

Load up on fruits and veggies. Skip red meat and other high-fat foods, which have also been shown to play a role in how bad endometriosis symptoms are.

BACK, LEGS, HIPS

The inflammatory changes that come with endometriosis can put pressure on nerves in your pelvis and hips. The result? Anything from weakness and numbness to a stabbing, throbbing, or sharp pain in your back, legs, or hips that gets worse when you try to walk.

I manage my symptoms mainly with birth control and pain medication, but also with lifestyle changes. I try to exercise daily, mostly walking, and I eat a clean, fresh diet free of sugar.

Jayne W., 28, Boston

TRY SOMETHING NEW

While complementary therapies can’t treat your endometriosis, they can help manage your symptoms.

Ask your doctor if you could benefit from:

- Acupuncture
- Herbal medicine
- Ayurveda
- Massage

LEARN MORE

Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on November 20, 2018

Sources:

PLOS ONE: “Women with Endometriosis Are More Likely to Suffer from Migraines: A Population-Based Study.”

National Headache Foundation: “Pelvic Pain and Migraine Linked in Women.”

News release, Florida State University.

Current Pain and Headache Reports: “Endometriosis and Headache.”

Biology of Reproduction: “Endometriosis alters brain electrophysiology, gene expression and increases pain sensitization, anxiety, and depression in female mice.”

International Journal of Women’s Health: “Anxiety and depression in patients with endometriosis: impact and management challenges.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: “Endometriosis Fact Sheet.”

Mayo Clinic: “Endometriosis.”

The Lancet: “Informing women with endometriosis about ovarian cancer risk.”

Endometriosis Foundation of America: “Endometriosis Symptoms: Gastrointestinal Distress,” “Endometriosis Symptoms: Neuropathy,” “Examining Endometriosis and Fatigue: What a New Study Found.” “What Is Endometriosis? Causes, Symptoms and Treatments.”

Merck Manual: “Endometriosis.”

Healthy Women: “Lifestyle and Dietary Changes for Endometriosis.”

Endometriosis UK: “Endometriosis and the Bladder.”

Medscape: “Kidney Anatomy,” “Ureter Anatomy.”

Human Reproduction: “Fatigue -- a symptom in endometriosis.”

Office of Women’s Health: “Endometriosis.”

UCLA Health: “Endometriosis.”

Florida Hospital: "Statistics of Endometriosis."

Court McCracken.

Jayne Warren.

Linda Cadigan.

Justin Anne Patterson.

Kristin Collins.

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