Could I Have Endometriosis?

Let’s do this Jeff Foxworthy-style.

Just imagine after each question I say “if the answer is yes, you might have endometriosis.”

• Have you missed work or school due to debilitating periods?

• Do you have painful bowel movements?

• Has your mother/aunt/grandmother had a hysterectomy to help with vague “symptoms” that they never really explained to you?

• Have you been told you just need to “relax and enjoy it, maybe drink a glass of wine” when it comes to sex?

If so, please keep reading. 

These are all very real scenarios that clients of ours with endometriosis (endo) have experienced. If you identify with any of those questions from above, I am sorry and I want to help. In this post, we are going to cover qualifying factors and symptoms for you to consider if you or your medical provider is questioning whether you may have endo. 

First, let’s talk about some factors that make it more likely that the symptoms you are experiencing could be endo, these include: 

• never giving birth (yet) 

• starting your period at an early age (before 11) 

• having short cycles (less than 27 days) 

• having heavy periods lasting more than 7 days 

• having heightened levels of estrogen 

• low body mass index 

• having female relatives with endo 

• any condition that prevents blood from exiting the body during menstruation (such as retrograde menstruation) 

Next, let’s take a look at some symptoms that could potentially be a result of having endo, these include (but are not limited to): 

• excessive pain during your period 

• excessive bleeding during or between your periods 

• pain with intercourse 

• pain with bowel movements/bladder emptying 

• bloating 

• nausea 

• diarrhea 

• constipation 

• fatigue 

• infertility 

If you are someone who has some of these factors and/or symptoms, I can not encourage you more strongly to start tracking your cycle using a period tracking app (such as Flo). There are countless options for these on your phone, many with free versions. These apps will not only help you see the rate of your cycles, but many of them include features that allow you to track nearly every symptom listed above. Having this data handy on your phone can help you see

patterns as well as provide you with concrete evidence to supply your provider if you are questioning the presence of endometriosis in your body. 

Once you and a provider you trust are suspecting endo, you may have a lot of questions about what to do next. Stay tuned into our endo blog series for our suggestions in the next post!