Endometriosis is an often-debilitating condition which affects around 1 in 10 women throughout the UK. Women and girls are not only impacted by chronic pain and exhaustion, it can also impact their fertility, mental wellbeing and day-to-day life.
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. To help raise awareness of the condition and common symptoms, we're looking at this condition in more depth.
Do you know the symptoms of endometriosis?
Physical symptoms can include painful periods, heavy, long-lasting periods and pain or bleeding before or after peeing or pooing.Tracking your symptoms and how they are affecting your daily life may help your conversation with a health professional and explain the support you feel you need.
The menstrual health symptom tracker has been designed to support those conversations.
While there is no cure for endometriosis, treatments such as the contraceptive pill can help control and improve symptoms, helping you to live well with endometriosis. You can find out more about this at NHS Inform which has a bespoke endometriosis section too.
Women’s Health Pharmacy Services
Its also worth remembering the help, advice and services available to women at their community pharmacies throughout Scotland. As part of Pharmacy First, there are a number of women’s health symptoms and conditions which pharmacy first can offer advice and support on including endometriosis, these include:
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) which are particularly common in women and which some women experience regularly.
- Cystitis
- Period symptoms and pain
- Thrush
- Emergency contraception
- Bridging (short term) contraception
Pharmacy First allows you to speak to the pharmacist or a member of their team. They will
- ask you about your symptoms
- give you advice on your condition
- provide medication (if you need it)
- refer you to another healthcare professional (for example, your GP) if they think this is necessary
- set up a Patient Medication Record (PMR) to make a note of any advice and treatment they give you
You can ask to use the pharmacy’s consultation area or room if you want to speak to the pharmacist in private. You can sometimes make an appointment but don't always need to do this for ad hoc advice.
Read more about Pharmacy First services.
