After hitting puberty, a woman’s body undergoes many changes. These changes affect your physical as well as mental health - thus, it is quite important for a woman to be aware of all the changes her body is undergoing - and if she feels anything wrong, we advise you to consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Many women during their childbearing years are diagnosed with a condition called Endometriosis. In this condition, a tissue that lines a woman’s uterus also starts growing outside it. Usually it doesn’t have any symptoms and isn’t considered dangerous. However, sometimes it causes tremendous pain followed by other problems. The lumps which grow outside the uterus are called implants and they usually grow on the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, the outer wall of the uterus or other organs located in the abdomen region. In some rare cases, they have also been found in the area beyond the abdomen or in the belly region.
However, it is quite often women having endometriosis are misdiagnosed as having different diseases such as interstitial cystitis and polycystic ovaries, or the abdominal and bowel endometriosis, which are considered to be inflammatory bowel syndrome while the pelvic endometriosis is diagnosed as pelvic inflammatory disease or pelvic congestion.
It was reported by the Endometriosis Association that over 70 percent of women were initially told that “there was no physical cause for their pain” and later diagnosed with endometriosis. In a qualitative interview- based study done by Karen Ballard, it was discovered that the main reason for not diagnosing was the non-awareness amongst the doctors and the patients, as well as their misguided contempt of these issues.
Misdiagnosis or failed diagnosis can lead to excruciating pain and suffering. Sometimes, this pain can also arise during sexual intercourse making it difficult for women to indulge in it. It can also cause painful bowel movement. Other than this, it can also create problems in conceiving as sometimes they block the fallopian tube and the ovaries leading to infertility. According to survey, 50-80% women suffer from infertility due to endometriosis. Also, they are more likely to have miscarriages, premature birth, malpresentation, caesarian section, etc.
Now it is our duty to educate ourselves and the people around us about this disease. We have to create awareness. You may be surprised to know that not all doctors and nurses have knowledge about endometriosis. They superficially grasp wrong information on the internet and attempt to medicate, based on hypotheses. Thus, the more we know about our body and health, the more we can understand ourselves and our own lives more clearly.