This post just covers what Endometriosis is, you will find other information on the site about symptoms and treatments.
Endometriosis is the abnormal growth of endometrial cells that spread to areas in the body where they do not belong.
Usually endometrial cells exist within the lining of the womb and are shed during menstruation (period) – whilst they exist and are shed they do not cause endometriosis (they are supposed to exist in this situation).
Endometriosis cells can grow in many areas of the body, they have been reported in the brain, eyes , nose and more commonly in fallopian tubes, the outer surface of the uterus, pelvic organs, the ovaries, colon, bladder and the sides of the pelvic cavity.
As normal during menstruation these cells will become filled with blood and may bleed, unfortunately when they are present elsewhere in the body this can lead to pain due to inflammation and other complications. Often as a result of this symtons are cyclical – especially initially and is often mis-diagnosed as “period pain” or “cramps” etc… It is worth noting that symtpoms can occur at any time and do vary from person to person, this is one of the reasons why we need sites like this!