March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

Another year another endometriosis awareness post

This year I was actually inspired by an article I wrote a few years back for Eureka St. I wanted to talk about a few very important topics I covered in that article BUT had not actually gone into detail or created any infographics about.

I wanted shed some light on the fact that MISDIAGNOSIS and MISINFORMATION are common.

Misdiagnosis

Diagnosis can be very difficult as most people experience different symptoms and types of pain. Also, intensity of symptoms does not relate to levels of endometriosis found.

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DID YOU KNOW PEOPLE WITH

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
HYPOTHYROIDISM
BLADDER OR PELVIC ISSUES
ASTHMA
ALLERGIES
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
FIBROMYALGIA

these conditions have been found to be significantly more common in people with ENDOMETRIOSIS
Picture from behind of person holding their lower back in pain. Wearing orange shirt and pink pants with lines emanating from lower back to signalise pain.

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People may think they have found the root cause of their problem...
when in fact there may be another underlying health issue:
endometriosis, which is being overlooked.
@FINDYOUROWNHOPE

Endometriosis is commonly misdiagnosed as other conditions, such as:

irritable bowel syndrome,
chronic fatigue syndrome,
fibromyalgia,
chronic pain,
bladder issues,
pelvic issues or,
sexually transmitted diseases.

These conditions along with: hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases, allergies and asthma have been found to be significantly more common in people with endometriosis. Hence, many people with these conditions may think they have found the root cause of their problem, when in fact there can be another underlying health issue, endometriosis, which is being overlooked.

I was originally diagnosed with IBS at age 11, then Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at age 16. But little did I know endometriosis and a few other conditions were also behind all of these symptoms.

Misinformation

It is common that people think endometriosis ‘just’ affects people during their time of the month. But this is not true. Before surgery I barely had one good week a month. My worst week being ovulation week 2 weeks prior to menstruation.

It’s important to know endometriosis doesn’t just affect the down stairs area. Endometriosis has been found to grow all over the body, including, brain, lungs, liver, bowel etc.

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although pain is most common during menstruation
PAIN CAN OCCUR ANY TIME OF THE MONTH.
Lately, my worst pain is during ovulation.
@FINDYOUROWNHOPE

Cartoon image of woman with brown hair, pink shirt and orange pants hunched over sitting down looking tired.

What is endometriosis? What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a whole body disease which causes a chronic inflammatory response. The science says… Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease where tissue, ‘similar to which normally lines the uterus, grows in other parts of the body.’

It can affect countless aspects of our lives, e.g. nausea, fatigue, digestive issues. Please listen to your body, ask around and if your symptoms don’t feel right – advocate for yourself and ask your doctor.

The symptoms of endometriosis don’t stop at physical or mental, it has profound social and financial impacts as well. Studies show the average yearly cost of endometriosis per patient per year is between $12,000-$30,000, with most patients at the higher end of the scale.

In turn, endometriosis costs the Australian economy approximately $9.7 Billion annually – AND this does not include the cost to the Australian Health System.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read and checking out this post. If you want to find out more – be sure to also check out my past blog posts on endometriosis awareness. Please share this with someone! We desperately need more awareness.