Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is similar to the lining of your uterus grows on other parts of your body. When this tissue grows in the wrong places, it can cause painful symptoms that can impact not only your menstrual cycle but also your daily life. Some people with endometriosis have trouble getting pregnant due to scarring and fallopian tube blockage as well.

Some of the most common places you can develop endometriosis include the: Space behind your uterus, Myometrium (a layer of your uterine wall), Ovaries, Peritoneum, Fallopian tubes.

What are the symptoms of endometriosis?

There are many symptoms of endometriosis, but the most common is pelvic pain. This pain can be intense or mild. Symptoms often feel worse just before and during your period due to inflammation brought on by the hormonal changes that occur at that time.

Symptoms of endometriosis include:

• Very painful menstrual cramps.
• Abdominal pain or back pain during your period or in between periods.
• Heavy bleeding during periods or spotting (light bleeding) between periods.
• Pain during sex (dyspareunia).
• Infertility.
• Pain when pooping or peeing.
• Stomach problems like diarrhea, constipation or bloating.

You can also have no symptoms of endometriosis. Sometimes, you can have it and not know until you’re unable to get pregnant.

There’s no connection between your symptoms and the severity of the condition. Some people may have very few patches of endometriosis and still experience severe pain. Other people might have many patches of endometriosis, but not experience any pain.