Endometriosis is a condition that occurs in females where patches of endometrial tissue--the lining of the uterus--grow in other parts of the pelvis and abdomen, causing pain and bleeding in these body parts; the pain is associated with the menstrual cycle. According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, endometriosis affects about 10 to 15 percent of 25- to 44-year-old women who are still menstruating. Endometrial tissue can also attach to the bladder and cause significant urinary and other symptoms.
Problems With Urination
Women with bladder endometriosis may have problems with urinary frequency and urgency, as well as painful urination, according to "The Gynecological Sourcebook." These symptoms resemble the symptoms of interstitial cystitis, a chronic bladder condition, so some women diagnosed with interstitial cystitis may actually have bladder endometriosis.
Blood in the Urine
Some women with bladder endometriosis may experience blood in the urine which is associated with the menstruation cycle. This symptom may not be as common because the endometrial tissue typically does not enter the bladder walls or get inside the bladder itself, as noted by the textbook "Practical Urologic Cytopathology."
Pelvic Pain
Women who have bladder endometriosis often complain of pain in the pelvis; this pain is worse during the monthly period, according to The Doctor Says website. The amount of pain depends on the severity of the disease.
Fatigue
Women with endometriosis have a high incidence of fatigue, according to "The Gynecological Sourcebook." The reason for this symptom is not clear. However, in a 2002 issue of the journal "Human Reproduction," N. Sinaii and colleagues found that women with endometriosis are more likely to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome.
References
- "Endometriosis: Advances and Controversies"; Togas Tulandi, David Redwine; 2004
- The Doctor Says: Common Symptoms of Bladder Endometriosis
- "Practical Urologic Cytopathology"; Ricardo H. Bardales; 2002
- "The Gynecological Sourcebook"; M. Sara Rosenthal; 2003
- Endometriosis Association: What is Endometriosis?
