What is endometriosis and main symptoms in the intestines, bladder and ovaries

Endometriosis is a very painful syndrome in which the tissue lining the uterus, known as the endometrium, grows in other places in the abdomen, such as ovaries, bladder or intestines, for example, generating symptoms such as severe pelvic pain, very heavy menstruation and even infertility..

If you think you may have endometriosis, select your symptoms:

1. Severe pain in the pelvic area and worsening during menstruation Yes No
2. Abundant menstruation Yes No
3. Cramps during intercourse Yes No
4. Pain when urinating or defecating Yes No
5. Diarrhea or constipation Yes No
6. Fatigue and excessive tiredness Yes No
7. Difficulty getting pregnant Yes No

The intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary from month to month and from one woman to another, so diagnosis can be quite difficult. However, if endometriosis is suspected, it is very important to consult a gynecologist to start treatment and assess the decrease in symptoms.

In addition, depending on the location that is affected by the growth of tissue in the uterus, there are different types of endometriosis with symptoms that vary:

1. Intestinal endometriosis

This type of endometriosis happens when the tissue of the uterus develops inside the intestine and, in these cases, some more specific symptoms include:

Constipation with very strong cramps; Blood in the stool; Pain that worsens when defecating; Feeling of very swollen belly; Persistent pain in the rectum.

Often, a woman may begin to suspect an illness in the intestine, such as irritable bowel, Crohn's syndrome or colitis, however, after further evaluation by a gastroenterologist, one may begin to suspect endometriosis, and it may be necessary to consult a doctor. gynecologist.

Check out all the symptoms that may indicate intestinal endometriosis and what treatment options are available.

2. Endometriosis in the ovaries

Ovarian endometriosis, also known as endometrioma, is characterized by the growth of the endometrium around the ovaries and, in these cases, the symptoms are almost always the most generic, such as severe pain in the pelvic region, excessive menstrual bleeding and pain during sexual intercourse.

Therefore, diagnosis with a gynecologist is very important to identify where the tissue is growing and if the ovaries are affected. For this, the doctor usually makes a laparoscopy with general anesthesia, where he inserts a thin tube with a camera at the end through a cut in the skin and observes the organs inside the abdominal cavity. Better understand how this technique works.

3. Endometriosis in the bladder

In the case of endometriosis appearing in the bladder, the most specific symptoms that can arise are:

Pelvic pain that worsens when urinating; Presence of pus or blood in the urine; Severe pain during intimate contact; Frequent desire to urinate and feeling of full bladder.

Some women may only have one or two of these more specific symptoms and, therefore, in some cases, endometriosis in the bladder may take time to be correctly identified, as the first diagnosis is usually a urinary tract infection. However, the symptoms do not seem to improve with the use of antibiotics.

See other possible symptoms of this type of endometriosis and how the treatment is done.

How to confirm the diagnosis

Usually, the gynecologist may be suspicious of endometriosis only with the evaluation of the symptoms described by the woman. However, it is necessary to do a pelvic ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other options such as ovarian cysts, for example.

In addition, the doctor may also order a tissue biopsy, which is usually done with a small surgery in which a small tube with a camera at the end is inserted through a cut in the skin, allowing you to observe the pelvic region from the inside and collect samples of tissue that will be analyzed in the laboratory.