Endometriosis, or endo for short, affects more women than patients and their medical doctors realize. It is not easy to diagnose and requires considerable clinical experience. Like PCOS, endometriosis has been widely ignored and underdiagnosed for decades. Diagnostic tests are evolving, but currently laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure, is still the gold standard to determine whether or not you have endo.

Endometriosis is considered an inflammatory, proliferative condition in which cells that should only grow inside your uterus appear and spread in other locations of your body, predominantly in the pelvic cavity and attached to other structures like the outside of the uterus, the fallopian tubes, ligaments, and the colon. These implants, called endometriomas, respond to hormonal fluctuations during your menstrual cycle and can bleed and cause painful inflammation.

Pain in connection with your menstrual cycle (called dysmenorrhea), which can be severe and get worse as time goes by, as well as an inability to conceive naturally, can be indicators that endometriosis may be involved. One of the challenges is that the extent of endometriosis inside your body doesn’t correlate reliably with the amount of pain you experience. This also means that laparoscopic surgery provides relief in many but not all cases.

Some women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis benefit from prescription hormone therapy or pain mediations, at least temporarily. Many women, however, need to work with a surgical specialist who is highly experienced in excision surgery to remove endometriomas for the best longterm outcome.

Women with endometriosis often find natural therapies, including appropriate anti-inflammatory nutrition strategies, botanical medicine, and regular acupuncture treatments extremely helpful for pain relief and improvement in their overall health.

Symptoms of endometriosis often subside in pregnancy and after menopause.