Endometriosis Is Associated with Higher Healthcare Utilization and Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting 10%-15% of women, with symptoms including abdominopelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and menorrhagia. Up to 90% experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms including constipation, bloating, and nausea/vomiting.1 Females with endometriosis are at 3-5 times greater risk of developing IBS than healthy women,2,3 with rates of IBS as high as 52%.4 Another study demonstrated 37% of those with IBS also had endometriosis, much higher than the typical prevalence of endometriosis.5 Patients with IBS and endometriosis experience lower pain thresholds and more painful menstrual cycles than those with either condition alone. This amplification of pain experiences can increase health care utilization and decrease quality of life.