What is endometriosis?

Medically reviewed by Andrew Horne, Professor of Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at Edinburgh University’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health.

Endometriosis is a chronic condition that is characterized by tissue similar to that found in the uterus, growing in other parts of the body. This tissue is found in organs and on other structures, most commonly on the lining of the pelvis or in the ovaries, but it has also been found elsewhere in the body, including the lungs and diaphragm.  

Each month, it is thought that the tissue builds up and breaks down as bleeding, exactly as it does within the uterus during the menstrual cycle, but unlike in the uterus where it can exit the body, it has nowhere to escape. This leads to inflammation, chronic pain and scar tissue.    

Who can develop endometriosis?

Endometriosis can affect women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) of any age, including teenagers, and is a long-term condition. 

What are the main symptoms of endometriosis?

Pain is the main signifier of endometriosis. It is usually experienced in the lower tummy or back, as period pain, pain outside of periods, pain during or after sex, or pain when peeing or pooing. 

Other commonly experienced symptoms include:

  • Tiredness
  • Nausea
  • Blood in urine or poo
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhoea

Sufferers also report numerous other symptoms, and more research is needed to establish clear links and understand why these occur. Endometriosis can cause fertility problems but not all of those living with endometriosis will have issues getting pregnant.  

Endometriosis can have a massive impact on the lives of sufferers, not just because the symptoms they experience can be so debilitating, but because it can also impact attendance at work or school and impede a person’s ability to enjoy a normal social life. The physiological symptoms can also result in mental health impacts, including depression and anxiety. The impacts are well documented and researched and it is why both sufferers and experts are crying out for better funding and research to improve diagnostics and treatment options. 

How is endometriosis treated and is there a cure?

The condition can be difficult to diagnose and will often require a referral to a specialist. There is currently no cure for endometriosis, but there are a range of treatments and procedures doctors can explore to help alleviate it. These include painkillers, hormones, and surgery to remove the tissue.  

What causes endometriosis?

More funding and research are needed to really understand what causes endometriosis. The main theories discussed when it comes to the cause of endometriosis are: 

  • Genetic predisposition: some studies suggest the condition tends to run in families and therefore some people are more predisposed to it than others. 
  • Retrograde menstruation: sometimes menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows backwards up the fallopian tubes into the pelvis instead of out of the vagina during menstruation. Research states that this happens to everyone who has periods; most of the time, the body can clear the excess blood and tissue. For those who can’t clear it, it is thought the tissue implants itself and grows. 
  • Immune system: an issue with the immune system that may mean the body can’t identify and destroy endometrial-like tissue that’s growing outside the uterus. 
  • Cell transformation: hormones or immune factors may promote the cells that line your abdomen to transform into ‘endometrium-like’ cells. 

If you think you have any of the symptoms of endometriosis, or your periods are having an impact on your daily life you should book an appointment with your GP. See our handy guide for how to prepare for the appointment. If you want to track or have been asked to track your symptoms, sign up here to find out more about when our app will be available.  

The contents of this website (joiicare.com) such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained in the blog posts and created videos are for information only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, image interpretation or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Joii Care website.

References

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis

Missmer SA, Tu FF, Agarwal SK, Chapron C, Soliman AM, Chiuve S, Eichner S, Flores-Caldera I, Horne AW, Kimball AB, Laufer MR, Leyland N, Singh SS, Taylor HS, As-Sanie S. Impact of Endometriosis on Life-Course Potential: A Narrative Review. Int J Gen Med. 2021 Jan 7;14:9-25. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S261139. PMID: 33442286; PMCID: PMC7800443.

Written by Joii Team

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Joii Limited Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes what Personal Data we collect, how we handle it, why we need it and who we share it with. We may also supplement this Privacy Policy with Data Protection Notices where appropriate.

Who are we?

We are Joii Limited (referred to as ‘Joii’), a limited company incorporated in Ireland and registered under company number 650096. Our registered office is Apartment 15, Thomastown House, Spencer Dock, Dublin, Ireland.

Data Protection Definitions

We use certain expressions throughout this document such as Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data.

Personal Data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

Special Categories of Personal Data includes information revealing a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Data Controller means the entity which, by itself or jointly with others, determines the purpose and means of processing Personal Data. Joii the Data Controller in respect of Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data covered by this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy sets out the basis on which any Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data we collect from you, or that you (or others) provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our practices regarding your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data and how we will treat it.

When you become our customer, the processing of your Personal Data and, in accordance with legal requirements, Special Categories of Personal Data, will become a condition of the contract between us as we require certain information in order to be able to provide you with our products. In those circumstances, if you do not wish us to process your Personal Data and, in accordance with legal requirements, Special Categories of Personal Data, we may be unable to provide our services to you.

If you have any queries on data protection, Justyna Strzeszynska, may be contacted at: justyna@joiicare.com or you can contact on 01 458 6597.

What personal data do we collect from you?

Advertising

Personal Data: Cookies; Usage Data; various types of Data

Google Analytics

Personal Data: Tracker; Usage Data

Contacting the User

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Data transfer outside the EU

Data transfer abroad based on consent

Personal Data: various types of Data

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Google Cloud Storage and Google App Engine

Personal Data: various types of Data as specified in the privacy policy of the service

Google Tag Manager

Personal Data: Usage Data

User database management

Personal Data: city; email address; various types of Data

How long do we keep hold of your personal data and special categories of personal data?

The time periods for which we retain your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data depends on the type of information and the purposes for which we use it. We will keep your information for no longer than is required or permitted.

All Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data will be retained for the duration of the periods set out in our Data Retention Policy. These periods of time are subject to legal, tax and regulatory requirements or to enable us to manage our business.

If you would like further information, please contact us at the details provided below.

In some circumstances we may anonymise your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you. This anonymised data may be used for research or analytical purposes.

What are your rights with respect to your personal data and special categories of personal data?

You have the following rights:

  • To access the Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data we hold about you.
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  • To have us erase any Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data we hold about you in specific circumstances, e.g. where it is no longer necessary for us to hold the Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data for the administration of your contract or if you have withdrawn your consent to the processing.
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  • To request a restriction of the processing of your Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data.
  • In the limited circumstances where you may have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent for that specific processing at any time. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your information for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law. In that instance, any processing that we have carried out before you withdrew your consent remains lawful.

You may exercise any of the above rights by writing to us at our registered office : Justyna Strzeszynska Joii Limited T\A Joii, Apartment 15, Thomastown House, Spencer Dock, Dublin D01 P7N2 or by emailing us at justyna@joiicare.com.

In the above circumstances, we may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that Personal Data or Special Categories of Personal Data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it.

You may lodge a complaint with respect to our processing of your information directly with the Supervisory Authority, the Office of the Data Protection Commission with an address at Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois.

Data Security

We have put in place measures to protect the security of your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data.

Details of these measures are available upon request.

Third parties will only process your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data on our instructions and where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure.

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your Personal Data and Special Categories of Personal Data on our instructions, and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.

What will happen if we change our privacy policy?

This Privacy Policy may change from time to time, and any changes will be posted on our Website and will be effective when posted. Please review this Privacy Policy each time you use our Website or our services. The date this Privacy Policy was last updated is shown below.

How can you contact us about data protection?

You can contact us:

By post addressed to: Justyna Strzeszynska Joii Limited T\A Joii, Apartment 15, Thomastown House, Spencer Dock, Dublin D01 P7N2.

By phone: Customer Services team on 01 458 6597

By email: justyna@joiicare.com

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