The 4 signs your teen daughter’s period pain is something serious – and when to see a GP
PERIODS are painful - there’s no denying that.
But at what point is the pain abnormal, and when should you see a doctor about it?
Women don't need to "put up with the pain".
Occasionally, there is a medical reason behind agonising periods that once diagnosed, can lead to treatment.
One of these is endometriosis, which affects around 1.5 million women - one in 10 - in the UK.
Women with the condition have womb tissue growing where it shouldn't.
It behaves in the same way as the womb lining, building up, breaking down and bleeding with every menstrual cycle, causing searing pain through the pevlic area.
Dr Snieguole Martinkiene, an obstetrician gynaecologist (OB/GYN), said: “There are several symptoms that might point towards endometriosis diagnosis.
"[These are] debilitating menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain for more than six months, irregular spotting, bloating, chronic fatigue.”
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Endometriosis progresses over many years and is crucial to spot early, said Dr Martinkiene.
“The cells that constitute the uterine mucosa have a tendency to multiply and form endometrial foci which make the illness progress over four stages,” she said.
“The more advanced the stage, the more chances that endometriosis might cause infertility and other health issues.
“That is why early diagnosis can prevent the spread of the illness.”
But shockingly, endometriosis can take an average of seven years to diagnosis, and up to 12 years, research shows.
Vilmante Markeviciene, founder of feminine hygiene products brand , said: “Adolescents tend to suffer from more painful periods because of fluctuating hormones.
“Nonetheless, normal period pains should not be a cause for missing out on school or other daily activities and they should subside with usual pain-relief medication.”
She said if a teenager describes their period pain as throbbing, burning, searing, or stabbing, it calls for medical attention.
Signs of endometriosis
Endometriosis UK says teenagers who suffer with the following could have the condition:
- Painful, heavy or irregular periods;
- Pain when going to the toilet;
- Tiredness all the time;
- Severe pelvic pain between periods
Other warning signs of endometriosis include pain during and following sex and difficulty getting pregnant, which older women may notice.
Bleeding from the bowel may also occur.
If endometriosis is suspected, the only definitive way to diagnose it is with a laparoscopy.
The operation entails inserting a camera (a laparoscope) into the pelvis via a small cut near the navel. The doctor looks for signs of the disease around the fallopian tubes, ovaries and more.
There is no cure for endometriosis, but it can be managed with a number of approaches.
Other causes of painful periods
The NHS says that aside from endometriosis, painful periods may be caused by fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease or adenomyosis.
Fibroids, affecting one in three women, are most common in those aged between 30 and 50, but can appear as early as 16.
The non-cancerous growths can cause similar symptoms to endometriosis. But two-thirds of women have no signs.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive system, often due to an STI.
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It's important to wear a condom with new sexual partners to avoid the condition, which could lead to infertility.
Adenomyosis is when the tissue that normally lines the womb starts to grow within the muscular womb wall, making periods particularly painful.