A 20-year-old UK woman’s suicide attempt has focused attention on a problem many women have long contended about – that healthcare professionals take women’s problems like period pains very lightly. Lucy Grainger, who had been suffering from extreme period pains for a long time, had to take the extreme step after her concerns were brushed aside by all the gynaecologists she consulted. Although she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, the young girl had to go to hell and back in order to be taken seriously.

For most women, period cramps are a minor inconvenience that they have to deal with every few days in a month. But in some women, the pain can be bone-crushingly bad. But sadly, there’s a terrible lack of empathy on the part of doctors when it comes to women’s menstrual problems and all kinds of period pains are grouped under the same category. Like Lucy, many women are totally incapacitated by their endo pain and are often forced to miss work. But rarely are their concerns taken seriously. The 20-year old was called delusional and crazy and was accused of exaggerating the pain. Her mother Tracey Grainger told The Daily Mail: “The reaction was always the same, it was period pains or growing pains or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).”

For the longest time, she believed her doctors since they were the experts and knew what they were talking about. She was put on pills and intrauterine contraceptive devices, and after a while, she felt her mental health deteriorating. The combination of the pain and the depression reached a tipping point in December 2017 when she made an attempt on her own life. It was only then that the doctors took note of her agony.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is an enigmatic illness with no apparent cause or cure in sight. It is caused due to the abnormal growth of the endometrial tissues that normally lines the inside of the uterus. The primary symptom of endometriosis is a chronic pelvic pain. While most women experience cramping, women suffering from endometriosis experience an intense radiating pain, accompanied by excessive bleeding and gastric disturbances. Read about endometriosis in detail.

How is the Pain Associated with Endometriosis Different?

Like Lucy, many women realise late in their life that the intense pain that made their lives miserable was endometriosis and not regular period pains. If you have been dreading your periods and the pain makes you call in sick at work, you had better insist on an ultrasound. Here are some defining features that make endometriosis different from regular period pain. Read Endometriosis FAQs

1. The most defining sign of endometriosis is the pain. Multiple mechanisms underlie endometriosis-associated pain, which includes inflammation and alterations in the central nervous system pain processing.

2. Women suffering from endometriosis have more than just pain on their mind. Long periods of intense pain causes mental distress and fatigue, both of which can worsen the pain.

3. The pelvic pain in endometriosis is cyclic and chronic in nature. The intense pain begins just before menses and lasts throughout the cycle. It’s a throbbing, pulsating sensation and also radiates to other parts of the body.

4. The pain doesn’t limit itself to the lower abdomen and the pelvic area. It’s a musculoskeletal pain that travels all the way to the flank, the lower back and even the thighs.

5. Although painkillers work in some cases, many women report getting no relief from the pain even after taking analgesics.

6. Not all endo sufferers experience pain in the same way, which makes it all the more difficult to investigate the cause.

7. Women also face dysuria and dyschezia, pain while passing urine and stools. It’s commonly seen in those who develop endometrial lesions on their bladder and bowels. It’s not uncommon to see blood in the urine and faeces in such cases.

8. Eighty percent of the women suffering from endometriosis suffer from heavy bleeding during periods. And 30 percent report pain during sexual intercourse.

The lack of empathy when it comes to female menstrual problems is appalling. Currently there are 176 million women suffering from endometriosis the world over. But little has been done towards the treatment and diagnosis of the disease and it fares far worse than other illnesses which affect the same number of people. Like Lucy Grainger who had to almost take her life to be taken seriously, scores of women all over the globe have to take extreme steps to focus attention on their problem. And it’s only until recently that the medical world has finally started paying heed to endometriosis. As writer Jane Gilmore from The Sydney Herald notes: “As long as men's lives and bodies are the medical default women are going to continue to suffer inexplicable illnesses. That should make anybody angry.”

(References: Mechanisms of pain in endometriosis, Endometriosis, Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain: Unraveling the Mystery Behind this Complex Condition)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2018 11:53 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).