More menstrual pain in endometriosis

Strong menstrual pain: Young woman talks about her endometriosis

06/04/2015

Endometriosis is considered to be one of the most common but also the most difficult to diagnose gynecological disorders. It is estimated that around one million women in Germany suffer from this chronic disease, in which the uterine lining proliferates morbidly. A typical symptom is severe menstrual pain. A young woman tells about her illness.

Common cause of infertility
Among professionals, endometriosis is considered one of the most common but also the most difficult to diagnose gynecological disorders. In the painful chronic illness the uterine lining proliferates outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis often goes unrecognized for years. It is estimated that about one million women in Germany suffer from it. The disease is one of the most common causes of infertility. A young woman affected by this spoke about her suffering in an interview.

Young woman got initially no suitable help
Today's 25-year-old Lisa Hinterholzer talked to the Austrian Internet portal „woman.at“, how she has been fighting the disease for years. The young Tyrolean had her first menstrual period at the age of 13 years. From the beginning she had severe menstrual pain, which became increasingly violent over the months. In addition dizziness, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting came. For gynecologists she visited, she did not find the expected help initially. „Every doctor tells me the same thing. It was a normal thing, I should take the pill and you're done“, told the young woman. „I was even sent to psychotherapy.“

Strong menstrual pain
Her complaints were getting worse and worse, sometimes she fainted with pain and even strong painkillers did not help. „Every toileting was pure hell. The urination sometimes made me cry ... and every single month“, Lisa reported. The then 17-year-old finally began to research for himself and came across the disease endometriosis. Typical symptoms of the disease include severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse. In addition, if endometriosis occurs in the bladder or bowel, it is more likely to have blood in the urine, blood in the stool, or urinary symptoms. In many cases, painful cysts are also formed. Some women also experience nonspecific symptoms such as back pain, headache, dizziness and stomach problems.

Illness is usually diagnosed only after years
It is typical that the symptoms become more and more intense as the cycle progresses and then decrease with the onset of menstruation, with most affected women experiencing the greatest problems one to three days before the onset of the period. Mostly the disease is diagnosed correctly only after years. Lisa Hinterholzer also showed many of the typical symptoms. She was later told that she partially withstood pain that was ten on the pain scale. By comparison, birth pains are eight and ten.

Various therapeutic approaches
The causes for the development of endometriosis are not yet fully understood. There are indications that the disease is hereditary. Experts point out that although there are different therapies, none guarantees a cure. Frequently, sufferers are treated with hormone supplements such as the anti-baby pill to relieve the most cyclical complaints. If this is not enough, the pain-causing tissue can be surgically removed. Although some women even go through this procedure multiple times to finally find relief, there are patients whose pain gets worse. Increasingly, alternative healing methods are recommended. These include homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture. Obese people should reduce their weight and a healthy diet that eliminates milk, dairy and wheat, and lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, cold-pressed oils such as evening primrose oil, olive oil and linseed oil and fatty sea fish because of the omega-3 fatty acids helps many Patients to relieve the symptoms.

Dangerous complications in young patient
„Living with a disease for which there is no cure is terrible. But it is even more tragic that we women are not taken seriously if we suffer from chronic pain“, said Lisa. „After all, the herd have already spread to my lungs. I can never get children either ... How can one simply reject young girls and prescribe the pill for the menstrual pain??“ When the young woman was finally treated in the hospital, there were dangerous complications, so she eventually got an artificial bowel. Lisa was so weakened that she could not eat or drink. She had to be fed artificially for weeks and at the end weighed only 36 kilos. „There were moments when I could not hope anymore. Had I not had my great partner, I would have given up.“ Lisa Hinterholzer not only has not given up, but is committed to the topic of endometriosis being handled differently. She has also been photographed with her artificial intestinal output. „I want to speak for us women and end the silent suffering! For more education and understanding!“ (Ad)