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Condition · Endometriosis
Endometriosis is one of the most commonly missed conditions in women's health, largely because severe period pain gets treated as something to put up with. It is not. It is a diagnosable condition with treatments that work.
Short answer
Period pain severe enough to stop you getting through your daily life is more suspicious of endometriosis than ordinary cramps. Other signs are bloating, heaviness in the lower abdomen, irregular periods and heavier bleeding. It is diagnosed by ultrasound and, definitively, by laparoscopy — which can treat it in the same procedure.
Tissue like the lining of the womb grows outside the womb — on the ovaries, the tubes, or elsewhere in the pelvis. It still responds to your monthly hormones, so it bleeds and inflames every cycle with nowhere for the blood to go. That is what causes the pain, and over time the scarring and adhesions.
The clearest sign is severity. Period pain bad enough to stop you getting through your daily life is more suspicious of endometriosis than ordinary cramps. Pain you can work around is a different matter from pain that means cancelling work or plans every month.
Besides severe period pain: bloating, a heaviness in the lower abdomen, irregular periods, and heavier blood loss than usual. Some women also have difficulty conceiving, and are only diagnosed when they come in about that.
An ultrasound comes first and may show ovarian cysts and adhesions. An MRI gives more detail where it is needed. The Ca 125 blood test can be raised. The definitive answer comes from laparoscopy — keyhole surgery that lets Dr. Mazumdar see the endometriotic tissue directly, and treat it in the same procedure.
It depends on how much disease there is, how much pain you are in, and whether you want to conceive. Laparoscopic surgery can remove adhesions, remove chocolate cysts from the ovaries, and cauterise endometriotic spots. Medical treatment is used alongside or instead, depending on your situation.
Many women with endometriosis conceive, some with help. Endometriosis is one of the causes of infertility Dr. Mazumdar looks for during a fertility assessment, and treating it can improve your chances. It is a reason to be assessed, not a reason to assume the worst.
At the Clinic
The threshold is not how the pain feels — it is what the pain stops you doing.
Period pain severe enough to prevent you getting through your daily life is the sign that matters. When in the cycle it comes, how long it lasts, whether it has been worsening, and whether painkillers still work.
Bloating, heaviness in the lower abdomen, irregular periods and increased blood loss — the pattern that goes with endometriosis rather than ordinary cramping.
A pelvic examination, then an ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries, which may show ovarian cysts and adhesions where endometriosis is present.
An MRI gives more detail in some cases. The Ca 125 blood test may be raised, though it is used alongside the imaging rather than on its own.
Keyhole surgery lets Dr. Mazumdar see the endometriotic tissue directly. It is both the diagnosis and, in the same procedure, the treatment: removing adhesions, removing chocolate cysts from the ovaries, and cauterising endometriotic spots.
If you have been told your pain is normal and you still cannot get on with your day, that is a reason to have it properly investigated — not a reason to keep putting up with it.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Only a consultation and examination can tell you what is causing your symptoms.
Your Doctor
Dr. Madhumita Das Mazumdar — MBBS, MD (Obstetrics & Gynecology), FOGSI member, 30+ years in practice. She runs Aries Obgyn Clinic single-handedly, so every consultation, in clinic or on WhatsApp, is with her — never a junior or an assistant.
30+
Years in practice
MD (OBG)
Qualification
4.9★
Google rating
FOGSI
Member
Patient Reviews
“The best gynaecologist in Guwahati. Such a polite doctor. She is such an angel and an extremely sweet person and also easily approachable. Treats her patient with utmost care. Thank you for everything ma'am.”
Sukanya Bor Saikia
Google review · Gynecology
“Dr. Madhumita Ma'am is an exceptional gynecologist who provided me with compassionate and professional care.”
Sikharani Medhi
Google review · Gynecology
“Dr. Madhumita is a really pleasant, empathetic and intelligent doctor.”
Joyeeta
Google review · Gynecology
Consult Dr. Madhumita Das Mazumdar — MD (OBG), 30+ years of experience — at the clinic in Beltola, Guwahati, or on WhatsApp from anywhere.