Chronic Pelvic Pain, Abnormal Bleeding, Fibroids

When it comes to chronic pelvic pain, the main symptom is pain that lasts for more than six months, but there are usually other symptoms as well. Understanding your symptoms can help you and your doctor begin to pinpoint the cause or causes of your chronic pelvic pain and/or abnormal bleeding. Here are some of the most common causes of chronic pelvic pain and/or abnormal uterine bleeding.

Endometriosis: cells that normally line the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) grow inappropriately outside on organs such as the ovaries, bladder or rectum.

Adenomyosis: this condition is similar to endometriosis but slightly different. In Adenomyosis, cells that normally line the uterus (the endometrium) invade the muscle tissue of the uterus wall (the myometrium).

Interstitial Cystitis: women with interstitial cystitis have an inflamed bladder. The inflammation is not caused by an infection. This condition tends to affect women in their 30s and 40s.

Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: pelvic congestion is just like the varicose veins that some women have in their legs, but it affects the veins of the pelvis. Blood backs up in the veins, making them become enlarged and engorged. Pelvic congestion causes chronic pelvic pain in some women.

Uterine Fibroids: Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow in, and on, the wall of the uterus. Not all women who have them notice symptoms, but for some, fibroids can be painful. Click here to learn more about The St. Luke’s Fibroid Center.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: this is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries that causes them to become inflamed and infected. Most often it is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection.

Pelvic Support Problems: sometimes women have pelvic pain when the muscles and ligaments that hold organs in place weaken. This causes organs like the uterus, the bladder, or the rectum to move from their normal places and herniate into the vagina.

Vulvodynia: this is paint that affects the vulva for no apparent reason. The pain of vulvodynia may be constant or it may come and go.