This week we have not only had International Women’s Day, but it’s also Endometriosis Week, and the resounding message is that this is a problem more women suffer from than any of us realize, many suffer in silence, and even more suffer without really knowing what’s wrong.

Perhaps one of the most horrifying comments I have read is from a woman who thought she was losing her mind because her pain was ‘hidden’ and unidentified. Often dismissed as ‘women’s problems’, endometriosis is crippling for some of its sufferers, leaving them unable to work, socialize or generally do very much at all.

The Guardian stated that an estimated one in 10 women of reproductive age has endometriosis, but it still often goes unidentified for years. It’s not like it’s a modern phenomena either with cases having been documented for centuries.

So what exactly is endometriosis?

Well, it comes about when tissue similar to the lining in the womb is found in the abdomen, ovaries, bladder, bowel and other areas and behaves like the lining of the womb each month, bleeding and causing pain so acute that women have been known to pass out. It isn’t about lifestyle, it’s luck of the draw, so it’s not something a dose of coconut oil is going to fix.

It has been blamed for broken marriages, not to mention the impact it has on an individual’s own life, confidence and happiness, and almost every woman with it goes through a point of misdiagnosis first time around, which seems scandalous.

What can you do to soothe endometriosis?

According to the NHS there’s a whole range of potential treatments for Endometriosis, but what you choose or what is relevant to the individual is of course personal. According to the Endometriosis Research Centre however, some alternative therapies can help to sooth the symptoms. Acupuncture, shiatsu, osteopathy and naturopathy all being options to look into and see what works for you.

One thing’s for sure, there’s been a lot of talk about periods this week in the press, but it seems that it’s not quite enough… so let’s keep talking!