While endometriosis is seen in 1 in every 10 women, why is it noticed so late? Endometriosis, briefly defined as the tissue that lines the inside of the wall of the uterus and is called the endometrium being found somewhere outside the uterus, forms most often on the pelvic peritoneum, the ovaries, the rectovaginal septum, the bladder and the bowels. The disease, whose cause is not exactly known, generally comes to light when a doctor is consulted with a complaint of pain and being unable to become pregnant. Especially the widespread misinformation among women about periods can delay the diagnosis of the disease.
Misconceptions believed to be true about endometriosis
FALSE: Severe period pains are normal. TRUE: Especially in young girls, severe period pains that do not respond to painkillers may not always be normal. These pains can stem from another health problem and can also be a symptom of endometriosis. FALSE: Endometriosis is not seen in young women and in girls who have just entered puberty (adolescents). TRUE: In girls entering puberty who have chronic pelvic pain and pains that do not pass with painkillers, endometriosis should be brought to mind at a rate of 70 per cent. FALSE: Becoming pregnant and having children treats endometriosis. TRUE: During pregnancy the endometriosis lesions are suppressed, but after the birth the same symptoms recur. FALSE: Endometriosis means infertility. TRUE: Patients diagnosed with endometriosis at the same time think that they are infertile. Yet 60-70 per cent of women with endometriosis are fertile. Only, in patients with endometriosis the rate of becoming pregnant is low. FALSE: Endometriosis is a hormonal disease. TRUE: Genetic predisposition, the immune system and environmental factors play a part in the development of endometriosis. FALSE: In patients with endometriosis, ovarian cancer also develops. TRUE: In patients with endometriosis the risk of ovarian cancer may increase, but there is no such thing as it being certain. FALSE: The formation of endometriosis can be prevented. TRUE: Endometriosis is not a disease that can be definitively treated and completely eliminated. The stage and severity of endometriosis affect the treatment approach. While improvement is observed both with surgical treatment and with drug treatment, there is a probability of recurrence. FALSE: The larger the endometriosis lesions, the greater the pain. TRUE: In endometriosis no relationship has been determined between the extent or severity of the disease and the pain.