Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDescribing Endometriosis PainInfluencing FactorsTelling a Healthcare ProviderPain During Flare-UpsPain ReliefQuality of Life EffectsDifferential Diagnosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Describing Endometriosis Pain
Influencing Factors
Telling a Healthcare Provider
Pain During Flare-Ups
Pain Relief
Quality of Life Effects
Differential Diagnosis
Pelvic painis a common symptom ofendometriosis. Research shows that over 60% of people with endometriosis experience chronic pelvic pain, and people with endometriosis are 13 times more likely to report abdominal pain than those without endometriosis.
How people experience pain withendometriosiscan vary. In a 2020 Endometriosis in America survey, 94% of respondents experienced painful periods, 91% experienced abdominal pain or cramping, and 82% experienced back or flank pain.
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When the pain occurs can also differ from person to person. Some people experience no pain or rarely feel pelvic pain. Others can feel pelvic pain right before their periods, during ovulation, or ongoing.
Endometriosis pain may feel:
This article will discuss what pain associated with endometriosis feels like, the factors influencing pain, pain-relieving measures, and when to talk to your healthcare provider.
Intensity
The best person to determine the intensity and severity of endometriosis pain is the person experiencing it. The pain levels can’t be measured objectively.
People with endometriosis have described their pain with words like:
Cramping during menstruation and/or ovulation tends to be much more intense for people with endometriosis than typical period cramps. Normal cramping during menstruation is light, and discomfort can usually be managed with over-the-counter pain medication.
Cramping due to endometriosisis typically much more intense and can involve:
The Endometriosis Advice I Give to My Daughters
Location
Types of endometriosis lesions(areas of endometriosis tissue) include:
Endometriosis lesions can alsoadhere to organs, such as:
Fibrous tissue can cause organs to stick together (called adhesions).
People with endometriosis often also have chronic abdominal pain disorders such aspainful bladder syndromeand irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
What Is an Endometrioma?
Timing
Some people with endometriosis experience cyclical pain related to the menstrual cycle. Pain can also be omnipresent and not come on in a pattern or be associated with the menstrual cycle.
Does Staging Correlate With Extent of Disease?Endometriosis is staged according to the severity of the lesions/adhesions, but symptoms don’t always correlate to the severity of the condition.Some people withstage 4(most severe) endometriosis have few to no symptoms.Conversely, small areas of endometriosis tissue can cause a great deal of pain.
Does Staging Correlate With Extent of Disease?
Endometriosis is staged according to the severity of the lesions/adhesions, but symptoms don’t always correlate to the severity of the condition.Some people withstage 4(most severe) endometriosis have few to no symptoms.Conversely, small areas of endometriosis tissue can cause a great deal of pain.
Differences In Endometriosis Pain: Influencing Factors
A number of factors can influence how pain due to endometriosis is experienced. These may include:
Do I Have to Have All Symptoms of Endometriosis for a Diagnosis?Endometriosis can cause a constellation of symptoms that vary from person to person. You do not need to be experiencing all the telltale signs of endometriosis to have endometriosis.Symptoms such as pelvic pain and abnormal menstrual cycles are common for people with endometriosis, but some people with endometriosis, even severe endometriosis, can have only a few symptoms or no symptoms at all.It is also possible that an abnormal period could be occurring without it appearing abnormal. For some people, especially those with endometriosis, menstrual blood canflow backwardthrough the fallopian tubes and into the pelvis, going unnoticed.Endometriosis can also manifest as mostly GI symptoms instead of symptoms associated with menstruation.The only way toknow for sureif you have endometriosis is for a surgeon to perform an outpatient surgery called a laparoscopy to look for endometriosis lesions.
Do I Have to Have All Symptoms of Endometriosis for a Diagnosis?
Endometriosis can cause a constellation of symptoms that vary from person to person. You do not need to be experiencing all the telltale signs of endometriosis to have endometriosis.Symptoms such as pelvic pain and abnormal menstrual cycles are common for people with endometriosis, but some people with endometriosis, even severe endometriosis, can have only a few symptoms or no symptoms at all.It is also possible that an abnormal period could be occurring without it appearing abnormal. For some people, especially those with endometriosis, menstrual blood canflow backwardthrough the fallopian tubes and into the pelvis, going unnoticed.Endometriosis can also manifest as mostly GI symptoms instead of symptoms associated with menstruation.The only way toknow for sureif you have endometriosis is for a surgeon to perform an outpatient surgery called a laparoscopy to look for endometriosis lesions.
Endometriosis can cause a constellation of symptoms that vary from person to person. You do not need to be experiencing all the telltale signs of endometriosis to have endometriosis.
Symptoms such as pelvic pain and abnormal menstrual cycles are common for people with endometriosis, but some people with endometriosis, even severe endometriosis, can have only a few symptoms or no symptoms at all.
It is also possible that an abnormal period could be occurring without it appearing abnormal. For some people, especially those with endometriosis, menstrual blood canflow backwardthrough the fallopian tubes and into the pelvis, going unnoticed.
Endometriosis can also manifest as mostly GI symptoms instead of symptoms associated with menstruation.
The only way toknow for sureif you have endometriosis is for a surgeon to perform an outpatient surgery called a laparoscopy to look for endometriosis lesions.
What to Tell a Healthcare Provider About How Endometriosis Feels
It can help to keep a diary of your symptoms and what was happening before or while they occurred. You may notice patterns that can help you identify triggers or determine that symptoms seem to align with your menstrual cycle.
Writing down all of your symptoms can also help you make sure you give your healthcare provider the full picture without forgetting details.
Be descriptive when talking to your healthcare provider, and don’t downplay your pain. It’s common forpeople with endometriosisto think their pain is just part of menstruating and not realize something is wrong. Tell your healthcare provider about your pain in detail, including:
Diagnostic Delays
Getting a prompt, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can be even worse for some demographic groups, including people of color and Indigenous people.
Sometimes endometriosis is mistaken for or missed alongside other conditions such as IBS.
Diagnosis can also be delayed due to the invasive nature of how endometriosis is diagnosed and a lack of understanding about endometriosis within healthcare as a whole.
How Endometriosis Feels During a Flare-Up
Pain during aflare-upis subjective and feels different from one person to the next—and even within the same person’s experiences.
People with endometriosis have described the pain in ways such as:
Pain Relief for Endometriosis Pain You Can Feel All Over
Treating endometriosiscan help with symptom relief, including pain.
Medication
Medications that may help include:
Surgical
Several surgical options are available for treating endometriosis, including:
How Laparoscopic Surgery Treated My Endometriosis Pain
Home Remedies
Things you can do at home to help manage endometriosis pain include:
What Is Endometriosis Supportive Therapy?
How Does Endometriosis Pain Affect Quality of Life?
Endometriosis can significantly impact quality of life. Endometriosis pain can lead to feelings of exhaustion, making it difficult to manage both regular activities and the stress of endometriosis.
Intense paincan be debilitating enough that the person with endometriosis can’t engage in their usual routine. Sometimes the person can’t get out of bed. This can impact areas such as:
Endometriosis can also have psychological consequences. People with endometriosis have reported feeling anxiety, stress, helplessness, and uncertainty. Some note feelings of loss and shame.
Endometriosis can require a lot of time and a financial commitment in terms of medical appointments, treatments, medications, time off work, and more. This can add to the physical and psychological stress.
What Can Be Mistaken for Endometriosis?
Symptoms of endometriosis can overlap with symptoms of other conditions. People with endometriosis can also have comorbid (co-occurring) conditions.
Other conditions that should be considered when endometriosis symptoms are present include:
How Old Are People When Endo Symptoms Start?Endometriosis symptoms can be experienced at any age after the start of menstruation. It is seen in more than 11% of women aged 15 to 44.It is commonly diagnosed at ages 30 to 40, but symptoms may have been present years earlier.
How Old Are People When Endo Symptoms Start?
Endometriosis symptoms can be experienced at any age after the start of menstruation. It is seen in more than 11% of women aged 15 to 44.It is commonly diagnosed at ages 30 to 40, but symptoms may have been present years earlier.
Summary
Pelvic pain is a common symptom of endometriosis. For those that experience it, the pain can be severe and debilitating.
Endometriosis pain is experienced differently from person to person. Some have pain that is associated with their menstrual cycle, while others have pain that does not follow a pattern. The pain can cause different sensations, such as sharp, cramping, or aching.
The intensity of the symptoms does not always correlate with the severity of the condition.
Endometriosis can be treated with medications or surgery. Pain symptoms may be relieved withhome remediessuch as applying heat, performing gentle exercise, or using relaxation techniques.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Maddern J, Grundy L, Castro J, Brierley SM.Pain in endometriosis.Front Cell Neurosci. 2020;14:590823. doi:10.3389/fncel.2020.590823Endometriosis.net.What does endometriosis pain feel like?Endometriosis Foundation.Endometriosis symptoms: painful periods.The symptoms of endometriosis. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2017.World Health Organization.Endometriosis.Johns Hopkins.Endometriosis.Bladder and Bowel Community.Endometriosis symptoms and treatments.Harvard Health.Treating the pain of endometriosis.Cedars-Sinai.Endometriosis.Márki G, Vásárhelyi D, Rigó A, Kaló Z, Ács N, Bokor A.Challenges of and possible solutions for living with endometriosis: a qualitative study.BMC Women’s Health. 2022;22(1):20. doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01603-6Texas Children’s Hospital.Pelvic pain? Endometriosis isn’t always the culprit.HealthyWomen.Endometriosis.Office of Women’s Health.Endometriosis.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Maddern J, Grundy L, Castro J, Brierley SM.Pain in endometriosis.Front Cell Neurosci. 2020;14:590823. doi:10.3389/fncel.2020.590823Endometriosis.net.What does endometriosis pain feel like?Endometriosis Foundation.Endometriosis symptoms: painful periods.The symptoms of endometriosis. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2017.World Health Organization.Endometriosis.Johns Hopkins.Endometriosis.Bladder and Bowel Community.Endometriosis symptoms and treatments.Harvard Health.Treating the pain of endometriosis.Cedars-Sinai.Endometriosis.Márki G, Vásárhelyi D, Rigó A, Kaló Z, Ács N, Bokor A.Challenges of and possible solutions for living with endometriosis: a qualitative study.BMC Women’s Health. 2022;22(1):20. doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01603-6Texas Children’s Hospital.Pelvic pain? Endometriosis isn’t always the culprit.HealthyWomen.Endometriosis.Office of Women’s Health.Endometriosis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Maddern J, Grundy L, Castro J, Brierley SM.Pain in endometriosis.Front Cell Neurosci. 2020;14:590823. doi:10.3389/fncel.2020.590823Endometriosis.net.What does endometriosis pain feel like?Endometriosis Foundation.Endometriosis symptoms: painful periods.The symptoms of endometriosis. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2017.World Health Organization.Endometriosis.Johns Hopkins.Endometriosis.Bladder and Bowel Community.Endometriosis symptoms and treatments.Harvard Health.Treating the pain of endometriosis.Cedars-Sinai.Endometriosis.Márki G, Vásárhelyi D, Rigó A, Kaló Z, Ács N, Bokor A.Challenges of and possible solutions for living with endometriosis: a qualitative study.BMC Women’s Health. 2022;22(1):20. doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01603-6Texas Children’s Hospital.Pelvic pain? Endometriosis isn’t always the culprit.HealthyWomen.Endometriosis.Office of Women’s Health.Endometriosis.
Maddern J, Grundy L, Castro J, Brierley SM.Pain in endometriosis.Front Cell Neurosci. 2020;14:590823. doi:10.3389/fncel.2020.590823
Endometriosis.net.What does endometriosis pain feel like?
Endometriosis Foundation.Endometriosis symptoms: painful periods.
The symptoms of endometriosis. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2017.
World Health Organization.Endometriosis.
Johns Hopkins.Endometriosis.
Bladder and Bowel Community.Endometriosis symptoms and treatments.
Harvard Health.Treating the pain of endometriosis.
Cedars-Sinai.Endometriosis.
Márki G, Vásárhelyi D, Rigó A, Kaló Z, Ács N, Bokor A.Challenges of and possible solutions for living with endometriosis: a qualitative study.BMC Women’s Health. 2022;22(1):20. doi:10.1186/s12905-022-01603-6
Texas Children’s Hospital.Pelvic pain? Endometriosis isn’t always the culprit.
HealthyWomen.Endometriosis.
Office of Women’s Health.Endometriosis.
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