By Hale Goksever CelikGluten-free diet fot endometriosis-associated gastrointestinal symptoms
By Hale Goksever Celik
Women with endometriosis often report gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping,may have a negative impact on women’s lives having endometriosis and which can mimic irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) leading to potential misdiagnosis. A commonly suggested dietary…
Key Points Lay Summary
Effects of Endometriosis Symptoms on Women's Overall Health and Well-Being
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis significantly affects women's quality of life. Many women face daily challenges due to pelvic pain, which can lead them to miss work or school and withdraw from social activities. It's crucial to assess and manage the symptoms associated with…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Özge ÖzkayaWhat are Patients with Endometriosis Discussing Online?
By Özge Özkaya
People mostly use online health communities about endometriosis to learn about the symptoms of the disease and share their own medical experiences, according to a new study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. The posts and comments of the…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Selma OransayA literature review about postmenopausal endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Typically, endometriosis disease brings relief to women after menopause, but some individuals continue to develop some endometriosis-related issues even after the cessation of menstruation. This enigmatic condition, called postmenopausal endometriosis, needs to be understood, and the disease must be diagnosed…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis-associated symptoms have a negative impact on the quality of life in women
By Hale Goksever Celik
Women with endometriosis experience restrictions in their daily activities due to pelvic pain, resulting in abstinence from work or school and discontinuation of their social activities. Evaluation and management of endometriosis-associated symptoms is important to prevent these significant consequences. However, successful…
Key Points Lay Summary
Self-Compassion May Help Cope With Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
The health-related quality of life of women living with endometriosis in New Zealand is “significantly impaired” confirms a new study published in the scientific journal Psychology & Health. This result highlights the potential role of self-compassion and resilience to support…
Key Points Lay Summary
The type of surgical approach compared to complications and recurrence for colorectal endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Women with endometriosis may have extension and infiltration of the intestine, called "colorectal endometriosis, in up to 12%. The main symptoms are alterations in bowel habits, pelvic pain, and/or infertility. The gold standard management option for colorectal endometriosis is surgical…
Key Points Lay Summary
Clinical Trial Tested Safety of Potential New Drug to Manage Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
The non-peptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist SHR7280 has favorable safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics in 3 different doses, according to the results of a phase 1 clinical trial published in the scientific journal Clinical Pharmacokinetics. “The results of this study provide evidence to…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Eylül GÜNExploring endometriosis symptoms and their effects on women's lives
By Eylül GÜN
Endometriosis symptoms, their severity, and the way they affect patients' lives may vary. With the aim of investigating different personal experiences and perceptions of endometriosis symptoms and the way they impact women's daily lives, Hunsche and colleagues from Switzerland and…
Key Points Lay Summary
Women With Endo Left Alone To Deal With Their Gut Symptoms
By Özge Özkaya
Women with endometriosis had patterns of restrictive behavior, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. They also wanted more professional support to help them manage the gut symptoms associated with the…
Key Points Lay Summary
Women With Endometriosis More Likely to Also Have Non-Specific Symptoms
By Özge Özkaya
Women with endometriosis are more likely to report menstrual symptoms, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. However, they are also at an increased risk of mental health disorders, other pain symptoms, bowel,…
Key Points Lay Summary
Menopause-management strategies for women with endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Menopausal hormonal therapy is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, sweating, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and joint pain. Approximately 75% of all women experienced some degree of these symptoms, while 2-4% were diagnosed with endometriosis. Menopausal…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis awarness for the Gastroenterologists.
By Selma Oransay
Women with endometriosis can develop chronic abdominal pain and/or abnormal bowel habits more than eight times compared to women without endometriosis. For this reason, an undiagnosed patient with endometriosis may be referred to a gastroenterologist and remain in a situation…
Key Points Lay Summary
How Can Endometriosis Care Be Improved?
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers identified 61 areas for improvement in endometriosis care based on the answers of endometriosis patients. Of these the top five areas of improvement were to train caregivers in order to develop their knowledge about endometriosis, to provide better management…
Key Points Lay Summary
Evaluation of the postoperative disability in women with endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Endometriosis is a chronic disease with a prevalence of 4,4% in women of reproductive age. It is also estimated that 23,8 of infertile women have endometriosis. Pelvic pain, dyschezia, dysmenorrhea, and dysuria are the symptoms of this disease that negatively…
Key Points Lay Summary
Gastrointestinal symptoms in colorectal deep endometriosis
By Eylül GÜN
The colon, particularly the recto-sigmoid is the most commonly involved area in deep endometriosis. These patients suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms almost as much as pelvic pain symptoms the most common being reported as frequent and painful defecation. Gastrointestinal symptoms may…
Key Points Lay Summary
The "Painful Periods Screening Tool" Could Speed Endometriosis Diagnosis
By Özge Özkaya
The Painful Periods Screening Tool (PPST) is a useful tool for women with endometriosis, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Reproductive Sciences. The study's authors said that the tool “ facilitated communication between patients and providers…
Key Points Lay Summary
Gestrinone May Be Safe and Effective in Treating Endometriosis Symptoms
By Özge Özkaya
Gestrinone seems to be safe for the treatment of endometriosis, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. It also may be more effective than danazol and other medical treatments. However, these findings…
Key Points Lay Summary
The Delay in Endometriosis Diagnosis Is Huge
By Özge Özkaya
Eleven years pass on average in Italy for a woman to get diagnosed with endometriosis from when she starts having symptoms. This delay can even be even longer (4 more years) if the symptoms appear before a woman is age 20.…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Bahar YukselDevilish triad: Endometriosis-irritable bowel syndrome and eating disorders
By Bahar Yuksel
Most women with endometriosis report digestive symptoms. But it is not well-defined whether those are related to endometriosis itself or a secondary syndrome may be the cause. Irritable bowel syndrome, eating disorders, and anxiety are very commonly diagnosed diseases among women…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis and IBS Have Different Comorbidities
By Özge Özkaya
Comorbidities of endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are different despite several overlapping symptoms, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Human Reproduction. These comorbidities are usually related to the organ systems that are primarily involved in…
Key Points Lay Summary
New Endometriosis Self-Assessment Tool Could Help Women Seek Timely Medical Attention
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers from Korea developed a self-assessment tool that may allow women to determine their risk of endometriosis. They described the tool in an article they published in the scientific journal Obstetrics & Gynecology Science. “The devised tool appears valid and…
Key Points Lay Summary
Self-Management Strategies for Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Many self-management strategies for endometriosis are not more effective at reducing the symptoms of the disease compared to placebo or hormonal therapies, according to a new study published in the journal Reproductive Sciences. The authors, therefore concluded that “no recommendations…
Key Points Lay Summary
What are the most common symptoms of endometriosis and how are they related to age?
By Eylül GÜN
Even though the incidence of endometriosis is relatively high and numerous studies are being conducted to elucidate its pathogenesis, it is still a highly underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. The symptoms of the disease are well-known; however, the correlation between the…
Key Points Lay Summary
The consequences of endometriosis on the quality of life
By Hale Goksever Celik
The most common clinical findings of endometriosis patients are pelvic pain and fertility problems, resulting in impairment of quality of life. These women are affected especially during the menstruation period. Olliges et al., from Germany and Switzerland, published a study…
Key Points Lay Summary
Physical activity and exercise in reducing endometriosis symptoms
By Eylül GÜN
The treatment modalities to date on endometriosis have focused on the symptomatic relief and management of chronic pain. Hormonal suppression sometimes shows intolerable side effects and is known to lose effect after some time. Surgical interventions may not provide a…
Key Points Lay Summary
A New Simultaneous Tool to Assess Endometriosis Symptoms
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers from the Netherlands developed a new digital tool to assess the symptoms of endometriosis using the experience sampling method. This new method may help overcome the limitations of current questionnaires. “After validation and testing, future studies will be planned…
Key Points Lay Summary
Machine learning tools to predict endometriosis
By Bahar Yuksel
The current gold standard diagnostic method for endometriosis is the surgical diagnosis and yet no approaches have been found to replace it. In the study conducted by Sofiane Bendifallah et al, the authors aimed to use machine learning algorithms to…
Key Points Lay Summary
Efficacy of cannabis on endometriosis symptoms
By Eylül GÜN
Endometriosis is related to a wide range of symptoms that affect the quality of life of patients in many aspects. Studies have shown malfunctions in the endocannabinoid system in endometriosis patients which led to the idea to target this pathway…
Key Points Lay Summary
Does Surgery Improve the Digestive Symptoms of Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
Women with deep infiltrating endometriosis involving the bowels have the most significant improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms following surgery. This is according to the findings of a comparative retrospective study in almost 1,500 women. “Women with severe bowel symptoms and deep…
Key Points Lay Summary
How much are the women with endometriosis aware of their symptoms?
By Eylül GÜN
Endometriosis is a debilitating disease from the start. It is not easy to diagnose and there is still not a non-invasive gold-standard diagnostic method despite too much effort. Its effects on the quality of life of patients cannot be ignored.…
Key Points Lay Summary
Dietary adjustments do not increase the quality of life of women with endometriosis.
By Özge Özkaya
Even though dietary changes do not seem to increase patients’ quality of life, they lead to a perceived reduction in symptoms. No specific adjustment in the diet increases the quality of life of women with endometriosis, according to a new…
Key Points Lay Summary
A new assessment tool for the multi-dimensional burden of endometriosis
By Eylül GÜN
Endometriosis is a disease that has multiple effects on patients’ lives in various ways. The quality of life, the status of the patient’s relationships, the continuity and productivity in the patient’s education and work environment, and psychological, emotional, and even…
Key Points Lay Summary
Non-pharmacological self-care: dietary modifications in women with endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
The academic interest on the role of diet in endometriosis has grown due to its possible relation with inflammation, estrogenic activity, and menstrual cycles. Multiple dietary strategies and prescriptions are being used to deal with the pelvic pain and gastrointestinal…
Key Points Lay Summary
Could There Be a Relationship Between Endometriosis and the "Restless Leg Syndrome"?
By Özge Özkaya
Women with endometriosis have a significantly higher prevalence of restless leg syndrome according to a study published in the scientific journal "Frontiers in Endocrinology". This is the first study highlighting such an association between the two conditions. These findings are important…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Irem OnurDiagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in adolescents
By Irem Onur
The belief that dysmenorrhea, the primary symptom of endometriosis, in adolescents is an inevitable condition seen in menstruation as well as unwillingness to perform diagnostic laparoscopy may cause the delay of diagnosis of endometriosis. This is according to a recent…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Nasuhi Engin AydinThe effects of nutrients on endometriosis-related symptoms
By Nasuhi Engin Aydin
A recent literature review from the Netherlands by researchers Emma Huijs and Annamiek Nap, published in "Reproductive Biomedicine Online" puts light on the effects of some nutrients for endometriosis-related symptomatology. Endometriosis has heterogeneous pathogenesis involving genetic, immunological, environmental, and hormonal…
Key Points Lay Summary
A hope for postoperative symptomatic endometriosis therapy
By Irem Onur
A new chapter in the treatment of symptomatic endometriosis patients may begin since new medical approaches including oral GnRH antagonists, selective progesterone receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, and peritoneal immune response modulators are being actively evaluated. To date, there was only…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Timur SeckinCycle-related gastrointestinal complaints in reproductive age young women
By Timur Seckin
An analysis of 1-year data on 266 patients who presented to the Clinic and Polyclinic for Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at Jena University Hospital to undergo surgery for endometriosis and its symptoms was performed by Nicolaous K. et al., a…
Key Points Lay Summary
How does pregnancy affect endometriosis?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is the localization of endometrial stromal and glandular cells outside the uterine cavity. Pregnancy is offered as a treatment option for patients with endometriosis because it causes atrophy of endometrial cells similar to progesterone treatment. Progesterone predominance during pregnancy,…
Key Points Lay Summary
The postoperative functional outcomes of deep infiltrating endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Rectosigmoid endometriosis is defined as the infiltration of the bowel wall with the endometrial-like glands and stroma, reaching at least the muscular layer. The most commonly involved sites are the rectum and sigmoid colon. For the management of deep infiltrating…
Key Points Lay Summary
A Brief Review of Endometriosis
By Timur Seckin
Endometriosis is a common disease among women of reproductive age. It is more frequently seen among women without prior pregnancies, women with a family history of endometriosis, and women with abnormal menstrual periods. Peiris et al., researchers from the United…
Key Points Lay Summary
Factors Associated with Endometriosis Risk
By Özge Özkaya
Socio-economic factors, lifestyle habits, and other physical and mental illnesses may be linked to endometriosis according to a new observational study published in the European Journal Of Obstetrics Gynecology And Reproductive Biology. Endometriosis is a debilitating condition affecting as many…
Key Points Lay Summary
Will Getting Pregnant Make My Pain Go Away?
By Özge Özkaya
Pregnancy can relieve the symptoms of endometriosis, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. However, for most women, the pain usually returns like in the case of hormonal therapy. This…
Key Points Lay Summary
How to evaluate ureteral endometriosis : A review of the literature
By Selma Oransay
In this recently published review of the literature, Barra et al. from Genova, Italy intend to provide a useful tool to guide physicians in the management of deep infiltrating endometriosis. Authors elected 67 abstracts from Pubmed and Medline in accordance with PRISMA…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Yu YuComplementary treatments for endometriosis symptoms: acupuncture, exercise, electrotherapy, or yoga?
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis is associated with debilitating symptoms in some women including dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, and dysuria. There are a few therapeutic options to treat these symptoms; however, only a few studies have considered treating the pain symptoms…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Kasthuri NairEffectiveness of the Endometriosis Symptom Diary
By Kasthuri Nair
Seitz et al., a research group from Bayer AG and the University of Giessen, recently published an article titled “Patterns of missing data in the use of the endometriosis symptom diary” in BMC Women's Health. The authors were analyzing data…
Key Points Lay Summary
Patient-centered endometriosis care
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as endometrial glands and stroma that exist outside the uterine cavity. Ectopic endometrial tissue and resultant inflammation can cause dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pain, and infertility, all of which reduce the quality of life. The aim of the…
Key Points Lay Summary
Can Getting Pregnant Make my Pain Go Away?
By Özge Özkaya
The association between pregnancy and symptoms of endometriosis are controversial and strongly biased, and there is no evidence suggesting that pregnancy reduces the size and number of endometriotic lesions, according to a study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update.…
Key Points Lay Summary
Do Adolescents and Adults Experience Endometriosis Differently?
By Özge Özkaya
Symptoms of endometriosis seem to be the same between women surgically diagnosed during adolescence and those diagnosed as adults, according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. For both age groups, pelvic pain was severe,…
Key Points Lay Summary
Bowel Function not Affected by Type of Surgery in Deep Rectal Endometriosis, Clinical Trial Shows
By Özge Özkaya
Conservative surgery for the management of deep rectal endometriosis does not seem to improve the function of the digestive and urinary system compared to more radical surgery according to a new study by French researchers published in the scientific journal Human…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis early pointers
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis can take a long time to diagnose, thus associated with prolonged symptoms of pain, subfertility and patient frustration/demoralization. It can be difficult to diagnose clinically because the symptoms are common and non-specific so that GP can misconceive them as…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis and Psychological Health: Butterflies from Deep Wounds
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a grueling disease in every sense of the word; however, most of the discussions center on the physical manifestations of the disease. Facchin et al. veer from the beaten path and examine the impact endometriosis have on a…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Murat OsmanWomen with endometriosis are increasingly seeking alternative medical therapies for symptom relief
By Murat Osman
Cyclic premenstrual pain and discomfort (CPPD) encompasses a number of symptoms commonly experienced by many women including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and is experienced by both women with and without endometriosis. CPPD includes physical and emotional symptoms associated with menstruation including…
Key Points Lay Summary
Is it Estrogen that Regulates Endometriosis Pain?
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis-associated pain is a debilitating condition; however, it is surprising that the perceived pain has no correlation to the endometriosis extent. The mechanism that causes the pain is also poorly understood. Nerve growth factor is enhanced in endometriosis and may increase…
Key Points Lay Summary
Endometriosis and Productivity at Home and in the Workplace
By Kasthuri Nair
Soliman et al. recently published an original paper in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy that discusses the impact that endometriosis symptoms have on an individual’s productivity level at home and work. This publication is titled “The Effect…
Key Points Lay Summary
The Symptomatic Impact of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a painful illness that affects the lives of many women around the world. A recent article published in Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology titled “The burden of endometriosis symptoms on health-related quality of life in women in…
Key Points Lay Summary
By Karime Kalil MachadoPatient-completed or symptom-based screening tools for endometriosis: a scoping review.
By Karime Kalil Machado
Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women in reproductive age. Its clinical presentation is variable, and symptoms, such as chronic pelvic pain, may overlap with those of other benign conditions, making differential diagnosis challenging. Therefore, a patient-completed screening questionnaire could potentially…
Key Points Lay Summary
More than Four Years Pass Before Endometriosis is Diagnosed After Symptoms First Appear
By Özge Özkaya
The average time that passes between the onset of symptoms such as pelvic pain and the diagnosis of endometriosis is 4.4 years on average, according to a study conducted by researchers at the pharmaceutical company Abbvie and published in the…
Lay Summary