Most women have plenty of experience with period cramps and related symptoms, like bloating. But for women with endometriosis, period symptoms can be severe, so intense that they can interfere with even simple activities, like work or sleep.
While there’s no cure for endometriosis, medical treatment can help — and so can some simple lifestyle changes.
In this post, Rafael J. Perez, MD, FACOG, offers a brief overview of endometriosis, along with a few tips to help patients at the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery manage endometriosis symptoms more effectively.
Your uterus is lined with a special tissue called the endometrium. During your menstrual cycle, the endometrium thickens to support the early stages of pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the endometrium sloughs off and sheds during menstruation.
In endometriosis, this tissue forms outside the uterus — often on the outer uterine wall, the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, or elsewhere in your pelvic region.
Every month during your period, these tissue growths (called implants) respond to hormone changes, just like the tissue lining your uterus, thickening and sloughing off. But unlike your uterine lining, which sheds through your vagina, endometrial implants have nowhere to go, leading to significant inflammation and pain.
In fact, endometriosis is associated with severe menstrual cramps and related pain that can spread through your belly, pelvis, and lower back — even down your legs. Implants also interfere with your cycle, making periods more irregular and causing much heavier bleeding than you’d have with a normal period.
These symptoms aren't just inconvenient. They can take a toll on your physical health, your energy, and your mental well-being. Medical evaluation is essential for managing symptoms and ensuring complications don’t occur. But there are steps you can take, too.
Many women find significant relief with medication that helps regulate their periods, lighten menstrual flow, and sometimes even stop periods entirely. Many birth control options, like pills, implants, and hormonal IUDs, serve this need. Other medications suppress ovulation, relieving symptoms and preventing additional endometrial growth and scarring.
Medication also helps relieve painful periods. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, can be helpful, and so can prescription medicines for very severe symptoms.
Our team works with you to find a therapy that works best, adjusting your treatment as your needs change over time.
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of home remedies, either. Using a heating pad or taking a warm bath helps relieve tight muscles and improve cramping for many women. Others find that gentle stretching or pelvic floor exercises lessen period-related symptoms, and alternative therapies like acupuncture or physical therapy may help, as well.
Living with endometriosis can definitely be challenging, but there are treatments that can help. The first step in finding a therapy that works for you is to schedule a visit with Dr. Perez.
To learn how we can help you relieve endometriosis symptoms, request an appointment with Dr. Perez and our team at the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery in South Miami, Florida, today.
