“It’s normal to have pain during your period”, “it’s all in your head”, “stop acting so crazy”… Have you ever heard one of these phrases? Probably. Just like millions of women and girls before you. And yet no, being in pain to the point of not being able to get up is not normal. This may be a sign of endometriosis – a gynecological disease (all too common), invisible but above all unknown and for which there are currently no definitive treatments . Love & Green gives you some keys to understanding this disease.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a complex disease that affects around 1 in 10 women and is characterized by fragments of the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, which instead of being eliminated by the immune system and evacuated by the period, migrate outside the uterus towards neighboring organs such as the ovaries, the bladder, the intestine or the peritoneum. Under the influence of hormonal changes and menstrual cycles, these pieces of uterine tissue can then proliferate and cause inflammation, lesions and therefore pain.
Many people think – wrongly – that endometriosis is limited to intense pain during periods. Unfortunately, this is far from reality….
7 out of 10 women with endometriosis suffer from chronic debilitating pain .
- Digestive disorders,
- urinary disorders,
- pelvic pain, especially during sexual intercourse,
- difficulty conceiving a baby,
- chronic fatigue…
So many symptoms with serious consequences on the quality of life of women, echoing their personal, marital, professional and social lives.
However, the intensity of the pain has no link with the degree of severity of endometriosis . Some women can have serious damage without it having any impact on their daily lives. Conversely, some women with so-called “mild” forms of endometriosis experience severe, debilitating, daily pain requiring treatment.
Hence the importance of a rapid diagnosis of endometriosis to avoid any worsening of symptoms over the years but also medical wandering of suffering women.
Endometriosis: difficult to diagnose
7 years. This is the average time spent between the appearance of the first symptoms and the diagnosis of endometriosis. 7 years of medical wandering during which women often suffer in silence, feeling neither listened to nor understood. However, endometriosis is far from being an isolated or new disease. It was actually identified in 1860, more than a century and a half ago!
150 years later, 2 to 4 million women in France would suffer from endometriosis. That's almost 1 in 10 women. Worldwide, this represents more than 200 million women!
A figure that many experts believe is below reality as endometriosis remains a difficult - if not impossible - subject to address, trivialized for some and above all, a poorly diagnosed disease.
Talk about periods? It's taboo!
About half of the world's population starts menstruating at puberty. However, talking about periods remains taboo in our society. Menstruation – natural and essential to the procreation process – is seen as something dirty, disgusting that should be “hidden”. As proof, we had to wait until 2018 to see red and not blue liquid in an advertisement for sanitary protection!
A deep societal problem to which is added poor knowledge and stigmatization of the disease by certain health professionals.
The voices of women ignored and a poorly trained medical profession
Still too many women deplore a lack of listening and consideration of their symptoms on the part of health professionals for whom the addition of periods + pain = normality. An observation that is all the more obvious among young women and adolescents.
Very often, endometriosis is diagnosed “by chance” after years of long struggle. The primary reason? A lack of knowledge of the disease which has its origins in the training of health professionals since endometriosis was not included in the medical study curriculum until recently.
On September 2, 2020, thanks in particular to the EndoFrance association, endometriosis made its official entry into the second cycle program of medical studies. A major breakthrough which suggests better listening and support for women in the future.
So how to recognize your symptoms and when to consult?
The most common symptom is pain, whatever it is, wherever it is, and regardless of its frequency. This is THE symptom to remember and which should encourage you to consult. , It is not normal to have pain to the point of not being able to carry out daily activities, it is not normal for an analgesic not to provide minimal pain relief and above all it is not normal not to find of solution.
As explained previously, the diagnosis can unfortunately take a long time, lack of knowledge from your usual doctor or even your own preconceptions can slow you down. So to be sure to find the best support and be taken care of in the best possible way, you can go to the website of, the association https://www.endofrance.org/, to learn more, and also to find a doctor who knows how to support you in your diagnosis.
If you, or a loved one, have persistent pain, if you think you may have endometriosis, do not hesitate to talk about it, ask for advice and consult a health professional. !
Endometriosis: progress... but can do better to continue!
Fortunately, taboos are gradually being lifted, people are speaking out and things are moving forward, thanks in particular to women and associations fighting endometriosis who are publicizing the disease and bringing it into the public debate. Many celebrities such as Laurie Pester and Laëtitia Milot, both suffering from endometriosis, have increased awareness of the disease among the general public by sharing their struggle and difficulties in becoming a mother.
March 28 is now World Endometriosis Day and since 2014 a march has taken place every year in several world capitals – the “Million woman march for endometriosis” also called “Endomarch”. The opportunity to highlight the fight of millions of women against illness and to educate the population.
However, in terms of research and treatment, much progress remains to be made. Where does endometriosis come from? What triggers it? Why does endometriosis get worse in some women while not in others? Several theories exist but none explains the various forms that endometriosis can take. To date, there is no curative treatment to cure endometriosis . Hormonal treatments and, in the most severe cases, surgical treatments are the main alternatives offered to women.
Many then turn to alternative and alternative medicines to alleviate pain: acupuncture, sophrology, hypnosis, yoga, food supplements, etc. So many alternatives not covered by Health Insurance to which are added the cost of numerous specialist consultations and other treatments. In the end, the bill can be hefty! This is why the question of recognizing endometriosis as an ALD (Long-Term Condition) is being studied by the government. A big step forward that would benefit millions of women!
