Endometriosis affects as many as 1.5 billion people worldwide, but many still aren’t diagnosed and experience ongoing symptoms.
Experienced OB/GYN Dr. Daniel Kushner, a trusted expert who’s fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Swedish, and his team provide comprehensive women’s health management for women of all ages. We specialize in treating conditions that cause symptoms like pelvic pain and heavy bleeding.
Endometriosis is often the culprit in these cases, but other conditions can cause the same problems. In addition, endometriosis can cause other symptoms that might surprise you. In this blog, we’re covering some of those lesser known problems in honor of Endometriosis Awareness Month.
Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or frequent nausea during your period might not be what you’d expect. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause symptoms like this — but so can endometriosis.
This condition can cause endometrial tissue growth on your intestines, triggering problems often mistaken for conditions like IBS. When the tissue grows on the large intestine, it can also affect its function, making bowel movements difficult and painful.
Endometriosis can also affect urination. When endometrial tissue grows on the bladder or urethra surface or within the bladder walls, it can prevent normal storage and release of urine. Urination may be painful or slow.
As with digestive issues, endometriosis-related urination problems are often mistaken for other issues, leading to delayed diagnosis for some women.
Leg pain isn’t usually the first thing you think of with endometriosis, but as two studies show, up to 45% or even up to half of women with endometriosis experience this problem. Leg pain may make you think you’ve experienced an injury, but a specific kind of leg pain could point to endometriosis.
If you have sharp pain that starts in your lower back and often radiates down one leg, it may be sciatica. It happens when the sciatic nerve — the body’s longest nerve — is under pressure.
Any type of tissue shifting in the spine can trigger sciatica. For example, a herniated disc is the most common culprit. In some cases of endometriosis, endometrial tissue can grow on the sciatic nerve and trigger painful sciatica symptoms.
Endometriosis symptoms can affect your quality of life, but they don’t have to define it. Dr. Kushner is here to help you understand your symptoms and ensure that you get the right care to find lasting relief.
We’re raising awareness about endometriosis, and we’re ready to support you at our two New York locations. Call our Queens office at 718-793-1995 or our White Plains office at 914-422-0222 to schedule your appointment.
