Calling All Women: Stop putting up with severe period pain
What is endometriosis? What are the telling signs and how can it be treated? We reached out to endo expert Dr Rose McDonnell whose passion is helping women be heard and treated properly.
“Endometriosis is a condition where the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus.” Dr McDonnell said. “Similarly to the endometrium, tissue breaks down and bleeds during a period, causing inflammation and potentially affecting the reproductive organs.”
This affects 10 per cent of women globally.
What are the telling signs?
Endometriosis is unusual because it presents itself in many different ways; it doesn’t always present itself as period pain. “You can have lots of endo and not many symptoms or a small amount of endometriosis and severe symptoms,” Dr McDonnell said.
Known symptoms include:
Painful periods that can often stop you in your tracks.
Pain when they pass urine or when bowels move.
Pain during or after sex, time of ovulation, in the pelvic region, lower back, legs and lower abdominal pain.
Having trouble holding on when you have a full bladder.
Fatigue.
Infertility.
“I think a large proportion of women are dismissed as having ‘normal’ period pain and I think generally women are conditioned to put up with a lot,” Dr McDonnell said. With the help of social media ‘endo’ is increasingly becoming more apparent across our news feeds and less about normalising period pain; many taking the stage online to vocalize their struggles with the pain.
We spoke to Ball Park Music bass player Jennifer Boyce who encourages women on Instagram to advocate for themselves in medical spaces. “You should not be in such pain that it affects your everyday life,” Jen told us. “If you are asking questions, and if you are wanting to know more, you’re not a difficult patient, you are just advocating for your own health and that is so important.” But even with the power of virtual platforms the evident lack of awareness has often led people to feel confused and lost in their search for answers.
So, what needs to change to better support women?
Continued awareness and education are integral. Over the years with the increased awareness across both social media platforms and medical spaces, doctors are considering endo earlier and investigating, and more patients are now inclined to ask about it. “Encouraging women to have a voice for themselves and not accept when they have been dismissed is vital,” Dr McDonnell said.
Advice and resources for women seeking help
Understanding the condition and having a community that understands what you’re going through are really important.
Endometriosis WA and Endometriosis Australia are amazing organisations that support education, awareness and advocacy for women with endometriosis, and the Endometriosis WA Warriors is an excellent online community for women suspected to have or who have been diagnosed with endometriosis.
See your GP for advice and initial investigations.
This usually involves the GP taking a history and arranging a pelvic ultrasound scan. “Even if the pelvic ultrasound doesn’t show obvious endometriosis it is still worthwhile consulting with a Gynaecologist with an interest in endometriosis if endometriosis is suspected,” Dr McDonnell said.
Ask for a referral to a Gynaecologist.
If you are finding that difficult it’s worthwhile seeking a second opinion or seeking out a GP with an interest in women’s health. “Don’t give up trying to find an answer and a solution to the symptoms that you’re having,” Dr McDonnell said. “You deserve a good quality of life.”
Article by: PerthNow | July 28, 2021
This is general information of a medical nature supplied by a third party and is not medical advice. For medical advice specific to your needs, please see your medical practitioner
