Did your doctor tell you that super bad period pains are normal???

Endometriosis is a condition that causes painful periods. In this condition the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium, that sheds during a period, flows in a reverse direction and deposits itself on the outside of the uterus, around the ovaries and small crevices of the pelvis like between your rectum and vagina.

When you have a period, the deposits that sit outside the uterus also breakdown and bleed. The bleeding irritates the pelvis and causes painful excruciating cramps. Overtime this repeated building and bleeding and inflammation of these endometrial deposits cause scarring and stringy adhesions to form within your pelvis. Having a lot of scar tissue and angry inflammation with your pelvic cavity is undoubtedly painful and can even cause pain well beyond the days of your
menstrual flow.

Don’t accept repeated painful periods that leave you crying, dependent on painkillers and unable to proceed with your day as normal. Respect yourself enough to have this investigated. The honest fact is that prolonged recurrent painful periods are NOT NORMAL.

Here’s some truths:

· 60% of women with recurrent painful periods have endometriosis

· The earlier age at which you start menstruation the higher your risk of endometriosis

· Endometriosis deposits grow in response to estrogen

· It can take an average of 5-8 years before a women is finally and correctly diagnosed with endometriosis, having suffered with the symptoms for all that time.

· Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose on an ultrasound scan alone. Sometimes the deposits are small and they cannot be picked up on an ultrasound scan.

· You don’t need a key hole surgery to diagnose endometriosis

· Endometriosis can quite safely be diagnosed based on your history and your story

· Birth control pills that contain both estrogen and progesterone are no longer the ideal way to treat endometriosis. There are better drugs available.

· Drugs used to treat endometriosis should do these following things

o Shrink the endometrial deposits

o Reduce the inflammation caused by the endometrial deposits.

The medications used to manage endometriosis should give you pain relief and it should also control of reverse the progress of the disease.

Many women have had multiple surgeries for endometriosis to remove the endometrial deposits. Surgeries alone without hormonal medication have a high risk of recurrence of the endometriosis. There is a 30% risk of recurrence of endometriosis with surgery alone. Hormonal drugs like Visanne and the Mirena IUD (intrauterine device) have been very effective in controlling endometriosis.

If your period pains bother you badly, don’t let anyone tell you they are normal. Persist to have this investigated especially if it affects your quality of life. Don’t let your doctor brush it off as a regular pain a women is meant to experience. Give yourself the reassurance that you need through proper medical checks.