While some discomfort is normal, many women unknowingly have endometriosis. This condition affects an estimated 11 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44. It can develop in women only a few years after the first menstrual period. But many will be asymptomatic until the condition is severe. Furthermore, the signs of endometriosis are easy to mistake for other conditions, and it’s common for women to mistake them for standard period pain.

So, what are the differences between endometriosis vs menstrual cramps?

Normal Menstrual Cramps

Cramps are a relatively normal part of the menstrual cycle. Not everyone experiences them. Some have no discomfort at all, while others only navigate mild issues during their cycles. But for some women, cramps can cause debilitating pain lasting several days.

Typically, menstrual cramps begin one to three days before your period. They can peak within 24 hours after your period starts before subsiding a few days into menstruation.

Cramps occur when the body produces high levels of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are necessary for menstruation because they trigger your uterus to contract and shed its lining. The period pain you feel during this time is the byproduct of those contractions. It can create a throbbing sensation in the lower abdomen. Higher levels of prostaglandins can lead to severe cramps.

Fortunately, the pain and discomfort are temporary, and there are many ways to address cramps. But for women who suffer from substantial period pain, it can be difficult to distinguish endometriosis vs. menstrual cramps.

RELATED: Pelvic Pain: When is it Serious?

Signs and Symptoms of Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when tissue or cells from the uterine lining move and proliferate outside the uterus. Endometrial tissue can end up somewhere in the pelvic cavity, bowel, bladder, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and other pelvic organs. Those implants can grow and bleed inside the abdomen as hormones from the ovaries feed them.

The body responds to the tissue, resulting in inflammation. The pain women feel with endometriosis is the byproduct of that inflammation.

The symptoms of endometriosis can vary. What’s worse is that endometriosis may not cause symptoms at all. It’s common for women to live with this condition for many years until it gets severe enough to cause debilitating pain.

The most common sign of endometriosis is experiencing a painful period every cycle. Timing is an important factor when determining whether discomfort results from endometriosis vs. menstrual cramps, timing is an important factor. Menstrual cramps typically begin several days before the period starts. But with endometriosis, pain occurs throughout your period.=

Women also often feel pain during intercourse. Some feel it during a bowel movement or urination. Every woman experiences endometriosis differently, and the pain level depends on how severe the issue is. In most cases, period pain is cyclical. However, it can also be chronic and debilitating.

Endometriosis may also cause menstrual irregularity. That can include heavy bleeding and unpredictable cycles. A recurring painful period becomes common over time as the condition worsens. Eventually, the proliferating tissue in the abdomen can damage nearby organs and cause infertility.

RELATED: Endometriosis Diet: What To Eat And What To Avoid

Endometriosis vs. Menstrual Cramps Treatment

There are significant differences in treating endometriosis vs. menstrual cramps.

Treatment for menstrual cramps often involves over-the-counter pain relievers. Regularly taking these medications starting the day your period begins can help manage pain. For more serious cases, your doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

Many women also turn to breathing exercises, heating pads, and muscle-relaxing activities to address discomfort.

Treating endometriosis is a different process. Some techniques for dealing with menstrual cramps may provide relief, but successful treatment involves addressing the tissue causing inflammation. Depending on the severity of the case, doctors may recommend hormonal birth control or medications to stunt tissue growth. However, the most effective treatment is often surgical.

Dr. Michael Tahery performs minimally invasive laparoscopy to diagnose and remove endometriosis. While other diagnostic approaches can indicate endometriosis, laparoscopy is the proper way to diagnose the condition. Dr. Tahery can perform the laparoscopy through the belly button to analyze the tissue. If appropriate, Dr. Tahery can remove the excess tissue growing outside the uterus.

Individualized treatment is crucial for painful periods or endometriosis. So If you’re unsure whether your pain is a product of endometriosis vs. menstrual cramps, you can turn to Dr. Michael Tahery. Dr. Tahery has over two decades of experience treating women in the Los Angeles area. He’s a board-certified OB/GYN, a member of the Cedars Sinai Center of Excellence in minimally invasive surgery, and an expert in treating endometriosis. You can trust Dr. Tahery to take care of your needs and provide the personal treatment you need. Contact our offices today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Tahery and discuss your period pain or endometriosis worries

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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition that can cause pelvic pain in women and may need medical attention depending on the symptoms being presented by the patient. It is a disorder in which endometrial tissue grows outside of the lining of the uterus. Endometriosis usually causes a stabbing pain during menstruation or repeatedly during the cycle. 

RELATED: Endometriosis treatment in Los Angeles

Fibroids

Fibroids are benign tumors that grow on the lining of the uterus and can be quite painful. The pain can be dull or sharp and is experienced during sex or menstruation. The size and number of fibroids are likely to affect the severity of the pain because the pain originates from the tumor pushing against the nerves or organs.  

Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is another condition that is associated with pelvic pain because of the severe menstrual cramps in causes. Adenomyosis is when the endometrium is in the muscular wall of the uterus. Women get to experience pain from adenomyosis between periods, when urinating, during sexual intercourse or bowel movement.

Pudendal Neuralgia

This is a condition that causes pelvic pain and yet it is oftentimes undiagnosed or unrecognized. Pudendal neuralgia is caused by irritation or damage to the pudendal nerve. Pain from pudendal neuralgia can be felt in the form of aching, burning or itching in between the anus and vagina.

RELATED: Pudendal Neuralgia Treatment in Los Angeles

Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial Cystitis is a bladder condition that causes pain or discomfort in the pelvic region. Women with Interstitial Cystitis usually experience dull aches or piercing pain in the pelvic area because of bladder inflammation. 

Ovarian Cysts

An ovarian cyst is a noncancerous pocket in or on the ovary. They are usually asymptomatic and disappear by themselves unless they rupture or get too big. Symptoms of ovarian cysts include sharp or dull aches in the abdomen or severe sudden pelvic pain which might indicate a rupture of the cyst.

Contact a medical professional if you are experiencing pelvic pain because treatment options are dependent on the diagnosis. We offer many different options for pelvic pain treatment in our West Los Angeles and Glendale locations and always happy to welcome new patients.

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The pain becomes worse and worse with time and eventually no longer restricted to menses. Pain can appear randomly, with bowel movement, intercourse, cause frequent urination, bloatedness and many other symptoms. The usual age of diagnosis is late 20’s when the pain gets intolerable or if a couple has difficulty getting pregnant. The major issues reported are pain and infertility. Women with strong family history of endometriosis are at higher risk for the disease. Puberty hormones stimulate the growth of the endometriosis and menopausal hormone withdrawal marks the end of endometriosis. Endometriosis have been found in girls as young as 8 year of age. 

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis of endometriosis is surgical. Diagnosis is performed through a small umbilical incision of 5mm by inserting a camera called a laparoscope inside the abdomen. This operation is usually recommended once a patient reports unbearable progressive menstrual pains, or unexplained fertility. Other times finding of a blood filled ovarian cyst also called endometrioma prompts a surgical evaluation and leads to diagnosis. Endometriosis is staged based on the spread of the disease identified during surgery. Severity of symptoms do not correlate with the extent of the disease.  

RELATED: Endometriosis Treatment in Los Angeles

TREATMENT

Treatment options are surgical and hormonal suppression. During a diagnostic laparoscopy endometriosis lesions can be eliminated using excision or lasers. Treatment can also be in the form of hormonal suppression such as birth control pills. Many women who are unable or unwilling to use birth control pills may use bio-identical hormones to suppress the growth of the endometriosis and control pain. The ideal treatment is a combination of the surgical and hormonal suppression. Surgically the extent of the disease can be determined and the visible lesions can be excised which reduces pains and improve fertility. Hormonal suppression is also used to reduce the disease progression or recurrence.

Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial since endometriosis expands with time. In my practice women diagnosed early usually have the best outcome. Do not ignore persistent signs and symptoms. If you suspect endometriosis in yourself or a friend and would like to be evaluated please give us a call or pay us a visit in Glendale or West Los Angeles.

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Adenomyosis occurs when the lining of the uterus penetrates the muscle of the uterus and causes the uterus to act as a sponge. As a woman gets closer to having her period, the uterus becomes full of blood and congested and when the period starts, the bleeding pours out of the endometrial lining and the uterus, as if a sponge is being squeezed. The congestion causes fullness and pressure in the lower abdomen and once the bleeding starts, the large amount of blood trying to exit the uterus causes cramping and pressure that can be very severe.

RELATED: 4 Reasons You Might Be Experiencing Irregular Periods

How is the diagnosis made?

An ultrasound examination in the office can easily identify the many causes of pain and bleeding. We use transvaginal or trans-abdominal ultrasound as needed and with the advanced technology in our ultrasound system, we can use 3D options to further evaluate the uterus and the ovaries. We also utilize Doppler to evaluate the blood flow.

In situations when the problem is hormonal or due to an enlarged uterus as a result of adenomyosis, identified treatment is usually hormonal. We use natural progesterone creams or pills, low-dose hormonal birth control, or hormonal IUD as the first line of therapy. The hormone progesterone in these treatments helps decrease the congestion of the uterus and is usually extremely effective in resolving pain and heavy bleeding. Minimally invasive surgical options such as uterine artery embolization and endometrial ablation are also very effective in treating the more severe cases which do not respond well to conservative measures.

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Traditionally, diagnosis and treatment of this condition has been very complicated. However, with greater understanding of the condition, it has become very treatable.

Diagnosis of IC involves a complete history and physical evaluation, eliminating other causes for the symptoms, along with more specific testing. Treatment is usually by a combination of diet modification and medication, as well as natural therapeutic agents and therapy.

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