Symptoms of Endometriosis (in the bowel, bladder, and ovaries)

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

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

The intensity and frequency of these symptoms can vary from month to month and from one woman to another, so the 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.

Also, depending on where the uterus tissue grows, there are different types of endometriosis with symptoms that vary:

1. Intestinal endometriosis

This type of endometriosis happens when tissue from 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 a very bloated belly;
• Persistent pain in the rectum.

Often, a woman may start by suspecting a bowel disease, such as irritable bowel, Crohn’s syndrome or colitis, however, after a more in-depth evaluation by a gastroenterologist, endometriosis may begin to be suspected, 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 general, 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 tissue is growing and if the ovaries are affected. To do this, the doctor usually does a laparoscopy under general anesthesia, where he inserts a thin tube with a camera on the end through a cut in the skin and looks at the organs inside the abdominal cavity. Understand better how this technique works.

3. Endometriosis in the bladder

In the case of endometriosis appearing in the bladder, the more specific symptoms that may arise are:

• Pelvic pain that gets worse when urinating
• Presence of pus or blood in the urine;
• Severe pain during intimate contact;
• Frequent urge to urinate and feeling of a 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, symptoms do not seem to improve with antibiotic use.

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

How to confirm the diagnosis

Usually, the gynecologist can suspect endometriosis only by evaluating 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 minor surgery in which a small tube with a camera at the end is introduced through a cut in the skin, allowing to observe the pelvic region from the inside and collect samples of tissue that will be analyzed in the laboratory.

Watch the video with Dr. Helizabet Ribeiro, a gynecologist specializing in endometriosis who clarifies all doubts about this disease: