‘Check period pain sufferers for chronic disorder’

WOMEN suffering period pain should be checked for signs of endometriosis, amid concerns GPS are missing too many cases of the womb condition, watchdogs say.

New NHS guidance says patients are waiting an average of seven and a half years for a diagnosis, during which time the painful disorder becomes harder to treat. Around one in 10 women of reproductive age are estimated to suffer from the condition, which can damage fertility. Symptoms include chronic pelvic discomfort, very painful periods and pain during bowel movements or during or after sex.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue that behaves like the lining of the womb is found in other parts of the body. This lining can start to cover the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, parts of the stomach and bladder or bowel.

In new guidance, doctors are told to consider endometriosis in women reporting even just one symptom, such as pelvic pain or period pains which are bad enough to affect daily life. In March, the All-party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health said 40 per cent of more than 2,600 women who gave evidence reported they saw a doctor 10 times before being diagnosed.

Prof Mark Baker, director of the centre for guidelines at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), said: “Delayed diagnosis is a significant problem for many women with endometriosis leading them to years of unnecessary distress and suffering.”

Caroline Overton, chairman of the Nice guideline committee and a consultant gynaecologist, said: “There is no cure for endometriosis, so helping affected women manage their symptoms is imperative.”