What do celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Halsey, Padma Lakshmi and Bindi Irwin all have in common?
They’ve shared personal experiences with something called endometriosis – something many women may not even know about.
They’re encouraging women to speak out, get their regular checkups and realize severe pain associated with a women’s menstrual cycle does not have to go untreated.
Bindi Irwin is the latest celebrity to add her voice to the conversation about this often misdiagnosed health condition.
“And that’s what’s needed. You know I mean you want people to kind of know what’s going on and what better than people who have a huge platform to help spread the word,” said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueCross BlueShield.
Saint Clair specializes in obstetrics and gynecology and says most women don’t know they have endometriosis – thinking their pain caused by the condition is ‘normal.’
“They think that they’re dealing with you know, oh, I have bad cycles, or this is just kind of normal. Maybe other women in your family have had similar symptoms and you just attribute it to – this is just what we go through,” said Saint Clair.
Endometriosis is a menstruation disease affecting the lining of the uterus, causing severe pain and inflammation.
But Dr. Saint Clair said you don’t have to suffer.
“There are several ways this can be managed. A lot of them don’t involve surgery and couple do,” she said.
Many women discover they have the condition when they visit the doctor for fertility treatments since endometriosis can cause scarring.
Often called the ‘missed disease’ – it affects approximately 1 in 10 women.
“So, the main symptoms of endometriosis often times can overlap with other vague symptoms and can be hard to pinpoint,” said Saint Clair.
But if the pain is so bad that you can't carry on with your life, you should seek medical attention.
“Endometriosis shouldn’t be so disruptive you have to change your activities, that you’re finding you have to cancel events or really restructure your life around anticipating this pain. If you’re taking over the counter medications like ibuprofen and that’s not enough, then I definitely think it’s time to talk to your doctor.”
For more information about endometriosis, check with your doctor or visit endometriosis.org.