Endometriosis can manifest differently in different women. If you want to have an effective conversation about endometriosis with a doctor, you must have a basic working knowledge of the common symptoms of this condition. These are as follows:

• Chronic pain in the pelvic area
• Dysmenorrheal—discomfort before and during menstruation
• Dyspareunia—discomfort during or after sexual intercourse
• Vaginal bleeding outside the normal menstrual cycle
• Inability to conceive
• Discomfort while making bowel movements during menstruation

This condition occurs when the tissue that lines the uterus, called endometrial tissue, begins to grow in regions outside the uterus.  This tissue can grow on the fallopian tubes, the ligaments that surround the uterus, on the ovaries, or anywhere else in the pelvic area. This tissue has even been found in the bladder, vaginal walls, bowels, and other locations in the body.

Endometrial tissue that grows in other locations of the body responds in its usual way to hormonal changes in the body.  It builds up tissue each month as it does when it lines the uterus, and it can also dissolve and bleed during the menstrual cycle.  However, when displaced endometrial tissue bleeds in this way, it can cause irritation in the body.

Two possible treatments your doctor may recommend are surgical therapy—which involves surgical removal or destruction of rogue endometrial tissues—and medical therapy—which involves nonsurgical reduction of the size of the affected area, and treating the symptoms.  In most cases, a combination of both treatments is the most effective. Consult your doctor to know what is best in your case.

In order to treat this condition surgically, your doctor may use laparoscopy. To surgically remove endometrial growths, a doctor will usually perform a procedure called laparoscopy.  During this procedure, a long, thin fiber-optic tube is inserted into the abdominal area, usually through the navel.  The laparoscope is a device that allows doctors to see and assess the size and location of endometrial tissue growths, and to remove as much of it as they can.

Endometriosis is a condition where the tissues that make up the uterine lining grow in other locations of a woman’s body.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may have endometriosis our doctor will examine you. Below mark which symptoms you are experiencing (we'll send them in your comments).