Symptoms of Endometriosis

List of symptoms of Endometriosis:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Endometriosis includes the 24 symptoms listed below:

• No symptoms - many cases cause no symptoms
• Menstrual symptoms
  • Period pain - but severity may be mild in some people or severe in others
  • Heavy periods
  • Excessive menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
  • Pain after sexual activity (dyspareunia)
  • Severe pelvic pain - note that pain is a poor indicator of disease severity
  • Pelvic pain between periods
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding
  • Bleeding between periods
• Intestinal pain - less common
• Lower back pain
• Leg pain
• Fertility issues:
  • Infertility
  • Subfertility
  • Anovulation
• Digestive symptoms - can occur in some cases
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Painful defecation
  • Rectal pain
  • Abdominal bloating
  • Pain with flatulence

Note that Endometriosis symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Endometriosis signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About Endometriosis

Do I have Endometriosis?

• Endometriosis: Introduction
• Endometriosis: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
• Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Endometriosis
• Failure to Diagnose Endometriosis
• Treatments for Endometriosis
• More about Endometriosis

Wrongly Diagnosed with Endometriosis?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Endometriosis includes:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Cystitis
• Adenomyosis
• Uterine leiomyomas

See the full list of 24 alternative diagnoses for Endometriosis

More about symptoms of Endometriosis:

More information about symptoms of Endometriosis and related conditions:

• Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
• Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Endometriosis
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Endometriosis
• Underlying causes of Endometriosis
• Associated conditions for Endometriosis
• Risk factors for Endometriosis

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Abdominal bloating - see all causes of Abdominal swelling
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding - see all causes of Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Anovulation - see all causes of Ovary symptoms
• Bleeding between periods - see all causes of Vaginal bleeding
• Constipation - see all causes of Constipation
• Diarrhea - see all causes of Diarrhea
• Digestive symptoms - see all causes of Digestive symptoms
• Excessive menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) - see all causes of Dysmenorrhea
• Heavy periods - see all causes of Heavy periods
• Infertility - see all causes of Infertility
• Intestinal pain - see all causes of Abdominal pain
• Leg pain - see all causes of Leg pain
• Lower back pain - see all causes of Lower back pain
• Menstrual symptoms - see all causes of Menstrual irregularities
• No symptoms - see all causes of No symptoms
• Pain after sexual activity (dyspareunia) - see all causes of Painful intercourse
• Pain with flatulence - see all causes of Flatulence
• Painful defecation - see all causes of Pain
• Pelvic pain between periods - see all causes of Dysmenorrhea
• Period pain - see all causes of Dysmenorrhea
• Rectal pain - see all causes of Rectal pain
• Severe pelvic pain - see all causes of Pelvic pain
• Subfertility - see all causes of Subfertility

Medical Books Online about Endometriosis

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Endometriosis are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Endometriosis.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Related videos for Endometriosis

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• Patient Profile Survey
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Symptoms of Endometriosis: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Endometriosis.

Endometriosis: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The classic symptom of endometriosis is acquired dysmenorrhea, which may produce constant pain in the lower abdomen and in the vagina, posterior pelvis, and back. This pain usually begins from 5 to 7 days before menses reaches its peak and lasts for 2 to 3 days. It differs from primary dysmenorrheal pain, which is more cramplike and concentrated in the abdominal midline. However, the pain’s severity doesn’t necessarily indicate the extent of the disease.

Other clinical features depend on the location of the ectopic tissue:

❑ ovaries and oviducts: infertility and profuse menses

❑ ovaries or cul-de-sac: deep-thrust dyspareunia

❑ bladder: suprapubic pain, dysuria, hematuria

❑ small bowel and appendix: nausea and vomiting, which worsen before menses, and abdominal cramps

❑ cervix, vagina, and perineum: bleeding from endometrial deposits in these areas during menses.

The primary complications of endometriosis are infertility and chronic pelvic pain.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Endometriosis: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The classic symptom of endometriosis is acquired dysmenorrhea, which may produce constant pain in the lower abdomen as well as the vagina, posterior pelvis, and back. The pain usually begins 5 to 7 days before menses, reaches its peak on days of bleeding, and lasts for 2 to 3 days. It differs from primary dysmenorrheal pain, which is more cramplike and concentrated in the abdominal midline. The severity of pain doesn’t necessarily indicate the extent of the disease.

Other clinical features depend on the location of the ectopic tissue:

❑ ovaries and oviducts: infertility and profuse menses

❑ ovaries or cul-de-sac: deep-thrust dyspareunia

❑ bladder: suprapubic pain, dysuria, hematuria

❑ rectovaginal septum and colon: painful defecation, rectal bleeding with menses, pain in the coccyx or sacrum

❑ small bowel and appendix: nausea and vomiting, which worsen before menses, and abdominal cramps

❑ cervix, vagina, and perineum: bleeding from endometrial deposits in these areas during menses.

The primary complication of endometriosis is infertility.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Endometriosis:

This condition may cause painful menstrual periods, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and sometimes loss of fertility (ability to get pregnant), but it does not cause cancer. Women with endometriosis may be treated with hormones or surgery. (Source: excerpt from What You Need To Know About Cancer of the Uterus: NCI)

Endometriosis as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Endometriosis, it is also important to consider Endometriosis as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Endometriosis may cause:

• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
• Dysmenorrhoea
• Dyspareunia
• Female infertility
• Fits
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Menorrhagia
• Miscarriage
• Pelvic mass
• Pneumothorax
• Ureteric obstruction

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Endometriosis
• Research Alternative Diagnoses for Endometriosis
• More about Endometriosis
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Endometriosis:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Endometriosis. This signs and symptoms information for Endometriosis has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Endometriosis signs or Endometriosis symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Endometriosis may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Endometriosis symptoms.