Endometriosis

What endometriosis is

Endometriosis is tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing outside it: on the ovaries, on the peritoneum, sometimes on other organs. That tissue responds to the hormonal cycle, and that causes inflammation and pain. It affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age, and yet it still takes years to diagnose, because its main symptom — period pain — has been treated as normal for generations.

The sentence that sums up this clinic: period pain that forces you to put your life on hold isn't normal, and deserves investigation.

When to book an appointment

• Period pain that doesn't respond to the usual painkillers or stops you living normally.
• Pain during sex.
• Bowel or bladder discomfort that gets worse with your period.
• Very heavy periods.
• Difficulty getting pregnant alongside any of the above.

How we investigate it

We start by taking the pain seriously: what it's like, when it appears, how much it limits you. The examination and gynaecological ultrasound can identify many cases, especially endometriosis cysts on the ovary; when more detail is needed, the workup is completed with other imaging tests.

How we treat it

Treatment is decided based on your pain, your age and whether you want to get pregnant. Options range from pain control and hormonal treatments that slow the disease down, to surgical assessment in specific cases. If you're trying for a baby, the approach changes and is coordinated with the Rincón Fertilidadunit. It isn't a disease «to put up with»: it's a disease to treat.