THINK "KILLER CRAMPS" ARE NORMAL?
THINK AGAIN!
Dull aching and cramping can occur during menstruation in many women and teens, due to uterine contractions and the release of various hormones, including those known as prostaglandins. However, period pain that becomes so debilitating it renders you unable to go about your normal routine is not ordinary or typical! Pain is your body's way of signaling that something is wrong. If you are suffering from pelvic pain, an Endometriosis diagnosis should be considered.
Do you have Endometriosis?
Review the following questions and consider if they apply to you.
Print this page, fill in the appropriate answers, and take this sheet to your gynecologist for further discussion.
YES NO
_____ _____ Do you experience so much pain during or around your period that you find yourself unable to work, attend school or social functions, or go about your normal routine?
_____ _____ Do you have any relatives that have been diagnosed with Endometriosis?
_____ _____ Do you find yourself with painful abdominal bloating, swelling or tenderness at any time in your cycle?
_____ _____ Do you have a history of painful ovarian endometriomas ("chocolate cysts")?
_____ _____ Do you have a history of miscarriage, infertility or ectopic pregnancy?
_____ _____ Do you experience gastrointestinal symptoms during your cycle, such as nausea or vomiting and/or painful abdominal cramping accompanied by diarrhea and/or constipation?
_____ _____ Do you have a history of fatigue and/or a lowered immunity (i.e., "sick and tired" all the time)?
_____ _____ Do you have a history of allergies, which tend to worsen around your periods?
_____ _____ If you are sexually active, do you experience pain during sexual activity?
_____ _____ Do you suffer from any other autoimmune diseases (i.e., thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, or multiple sclerosis)?
_____ _____ Have you ever undergone pelvic surgery like a laparoscopy, in which Endometriosis was suspected but not definitively diagnosed?
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions,
you could have Endometriosis.
Know the Facts:
Endometriosis can affect women and teens of all ages, even those as young as 10 and as old as 85.
Hysterectomy, menopause and pregnancy are NOT cures for Endometriosis; in fact, there is no definitive cure.
Delayed childbearing is NOT what causes Endometriosis; in fact, no one really knows for sure what causes the disease, but research points to multi-factorial origins like heredity, immunology and exposure to environmental toxicants.
Endometriosis can ONLY be diagnosed via surgery; diagnostic tests like MRIs and ultrasounds are not definitive.
GnRH therapy like Lupron should never be administered in
those patients under 18 or before a surgical diagnosis.
Brought to you by the Endometriosis Research Center
Custom Search
Comments
Post a Comment