Endometriosis: "The Great Imitator"

Endometriosis is a chronic and painful gynecologic condition that affects five to ten percent of Americans with uteruses, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Elise Smith, 32, first started dealing with the pain of endometriosis when she was 15, when she had her first of many surgeries.

"It's very irregular for a 15, 16, 17-year-old to want to be in bed for 12, 16 hours at a time, not get up because it's just so painful to move, eating, going to the bathroom," Smith said.

Over the years, she has tried several things for the pain.

"I've gone through a myriad of different options," Smith said.

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body, such as on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or the bowels and bladder.

Smith's endometriosis is being managed by her gynecologist Kevin M. Audlin, M.D., FACOG, Director of The Gynecology Center at Mercy and Mercy's Endometriosis Center, who notes that Smith's pain has widely improved.

"I can get up and do life, but before, it was not even an option," Smith said.

Dr. Audlin calls endometriosis "the great imitator," explaining that it is difficult to diagnose.

"That's because it sounds like almost anything," Dr. Audlin said.

According to Dr. Audlin many women complain of generic concerns, including "GI issues, they have, bloating or painful bowel movements or diarrhea, constipation, and that sounds like irritable bowel syndrome or nervousness, or a lot of different generic GI issues," adding that doctors need to listen carefully to the patient.

"When I have conversations with GI doctors in the area, I say, 'Listen, if you find a 25-year-old that has IBS symptoms and lower back pain, but she also has painful cycles or intercourse, it's very rarely GI at that point,'" Dr. Audlin said.

Smith said for those with pain to do some research and find people who are experiencing the same thing through social media or in your personal circles.

"Just believe yourself and really go out there and find your community who can support you, so you can find the right practitioner to help you," Smith said.

View Mercy gynecologist Dr. Kevin Audlin's interview about endometriosis and its symptoms.