Endometriosis
Our women’s health team provides compassionate care and advanced treatment options tailored to you, helping you manage pelvic pain and find answers for endometriosis.
How endometriosis affects your body
Living with severe pelvic pain can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and isolating. When endometriosis disrupts your work, your family, and your daily routine, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing control. Please know you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.
At Reid Health, our OB/GYN team is dedicated to listening to, validating, and caring for women across East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio. We provide a safe, comfortable space to help you finally get the answers you need. Combining advanced diagnostic tools with personalized treatment plans, we are here to help you understand what is happening inside your body and find the lasting relief you deserve — right here, close to home.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus.
The lining inside the uterus is called the endometrium. With endometriosis, similar tissue can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outer surface of the uterus, and other parts of the body. In addition, like endometrial tissue, endometriosis tissue thickens, sheds, and bleeds during a normal menstrual cycle. However, it cannot leave your body and instead becomes trapped, causing inflammation and irritation.
Over time, the condition can lead to cysts on the ovaries, as well as scar tissue or bands of fibrous tissue called adhesions that can cause pelvic organs to stick to one another.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
Pelvic pain is the main symptom of endometriosis, and it often occurs during or between periods and during sex. This pain is far worse than typical cramping, often affecting the lower back and abdomen. Other symptoms to look for include:
- Digestive issues, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or nausea, especially during your periods
- Feeling very tired (fatigue)
- Heavy periods or bleeding between your cycles
- Painful bowel movements or urination
- Pain during or after sex
What causes endometriosis?
Experts don’t know the exact cause of endometriosis. However, it seems clear the female reproductive hormone estrogen plays a role in the condition.
Researchers are studying several theories about how it develops. A common cause is retrograde menstruation. It happens when menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows backward through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvis instead of leaving the body. These cells can stick and continue to grow on the walls and surfaces of the pelvis and pelvic organs.
Other potential causes being researched include:
- Endometrial cells that implant on scar tissue, for example, from a Cesarean section
- Genetics
- Immune system disorders
How providers diagnose endometriosis
Your provider will ask about your symptoms and review your medical history. They’ll also perform a physical exam. Because other conditions can cause pelvic pain and other endometriosis symptoms, your provider will use various steps to find out what’s causing your specific concerns.
Tests to diagnose endometriosis might include:
- A pelvic exam: Your provider manually feels areas in your pelvis for abnormalities, such as cysts or scars.
- Imaging tests: Providers might use ultrasounds or MRIs to see your organs, possible endometriosis tissue, or cysts.
- Laparoscopy: This procedure is the only concrete way for providers to diagnose endometriosis. Your provider makes a small cut in your abdomen and inserts a small camera called a scope. Using the scope, they can see endometrial tissue and, in some cases, take a small sample (biopsy) for testing.
How providers treat endometriosis
There is no cure for endometriosis, but treatments can help you manage your symptoms. Your provider will help you choose a plan based on the severity of your symptoms and whether you hope to get pregnant in the future.
Medications
- Pain medicine: Your provider might recommend over-the-counter pain relievers, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), to help reduce pelvic pain.
- Hormone therapy: Medicines can slow or prevent the growth of endometriosis tissue and possibly decrease pain. Common options include birth control and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (which stop your periods and lower estrogen production).
Gynecologic surgery
Providers generally recommend gynecologic surgery after trying medications or if you still wish to become pregnant. You might also need surgery if you have severe symptoms, like intense pain or very large cysts or adhesions.
Often, gynecologic surgeons can treat endometriosis with laparoscopy.
If you no longer wish to have children, your provider or surgeon might suggest a hysterectomy to remove your uterus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Care for all ages and stages
Your body changes over time, and your healthcare needs change with it. At Reid, we provide care for all ages and stages of life. Whether you’re a young adult dealing with painful periods or a mother trying to balance family life with chronic pelvic pain, our team is here for you. We focus on compassionate, personalized care from your first exam through long-term management.