The symptoms of endo belly include pain and severe distension. Your abdomen may be tender to touch and often worsen throughout the day. Many endometriosis patients say that by the end of the day, they can't button their pants or that they look like they're pregnant.
The exact cause of endo belly is unclear although there are several theories. One theory suggests that the endometrial tissue growing outside your womb causes pain as it still bleeds during your periods but the blood has no way to exit your body and becomes trapped.
Endo belly is a buildup of inflammation and gas inside the abdomen. It typically occurs before or during your period (menstruation). The main endo belly symptom is a painful, swollen abdomen. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea and nausea, are also common.
The following self-care tips may help alleviate endo belly symptoms: Consider an anti-inflammatory diet: Foods such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help ease inflammation. Avoid inflammatory items, such as red meat, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol.
Endo belly is the colloquial term for abdominal distension caused by endometriosis. Unlike the short-term bloating that sometimes accompanies your period, endo belly is much more severe, triggering physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.
Severe bloating from endometriosis, known as endo belly, can make it feel like you have gained weight. People with endometriosis may gain weight from fluid retention. Hormonal fluctuations and medication side effects may also contribute to weight gain.
Stage IV: This is also known as severe endometriosis. With stage IV, deep implants and dense adhesions are present. There may be superficial endometriosis and filmy adhesions, but the disease is more widespread than in Stage III. Any score greater than 40 indicates severe endometriosis.
Many women describe this pain as violent and like physical damage because of its strength and severity, and common descriptions are stabbing or twisting pain. This pain can be so intense that many people find it incredibly debilitating.
Untreated endometriosis can cause significant pain, bloating, excess menstrual bleeding, and digestive distress. Over time, it can also affect a person's fertility. When endometriosis tissue grows outside the uterus, it can affect other organs — especially the ovaries and reproductive structures.
Endometriosis is very unlikely to go away on its own. Thankfully, treatment can radically reduce symptoms for many patients. We typically start with medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, or birth control pills that control hormonal fluctuations in the body.
When it comes to endo belly, diet and gut health is an essential component to explore. The “endo diet” or an anti-inflammatory diet are regularly recommended to endo patients: These diets generally eliminate alcohol, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, red meat, preservatives, artificial sugars, and caffeine.
Can endometriosis be seen on an ultrasound? Ultrasounds can show large clumps of tissue that are likely signs of endometriosis. Ultrasounds are also very good at identifying endometriosis of the ovaries. But ultrasounds can't show tiny pieces of tissue that may also be signs of endometriosis.
Endometriosis can have a range of symptoms such as heavy and painful periods, discomfort during and after intercourse and infertility. However, the condition can also cause abdominal bloating and general fatigue which are very common and often overlooked.
Some people have an endo belly, which increases the size of their belly and can affect their appearance. Bloating is typically due to fluid retention and can affect your legs, feet, and hands. Some endometriosis-related causes of bloating include: Elevated estrogen levels.
Losing weight with Endometriosis
The first thing that the patient with endometriosis can do is removing the endometrial tissue that grows outside the uterus because this will reduce the pain and also bloating. Doing this treatment will make the patient look thinner and also lose some weight.
CA125 Test This is a blood test that checks levels of a blood protein known as CA125, which is a tumor marker for certain gynecological cancers, but is also used to detect a specific protein found in the blood of women who have endometriosis.
No, a Pap smear cannot detect endometriosis. A Pap smear is used to diagnose cervical cancer and HPV.
The only way to know for sure if you have endometriosis is with a minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy: A doctor will make a small cut in your belly and insert a thin tube with a tiny light called a laparoscope to look for the tissue growing outside the uterus.
Some women call the pain from endometriosis “killer cramps” because it can be severe enough to stop you in your tracks. For many, it gets worse as they get older. Other endometriosis symptoms include: Very long or heavy periods.
Other Symptoms: Pain and menstrual irregularities are some of the most common symptoms. Women with endometriosis may also suffer diarrhea, constipation, nausea, abdominal fullness, cramping, and unexplained infertility.
Most of us have cramps during our periods, but women with endometriosis often have debilitating pain. Chronic pelvic pain. Sometimes women have chronic and severe pelvic pain even when they don't have their periods, Christianson says. This can be due to prolonged disease and scarring.