Intense. Vicious. Unbearable. Common adjectives that are associated with the pain that comes from endometriosis.

“Its like a stabbing, burning, twisting, horrible, I can’t really describe it,” says Diane Kulikowski. The 27 year old speaks from experience. She knew her pain wasn’t normal, but feared the worst and didn’t see her doctor until it was almost too late. “It was so bad that day that I couldn’t even walk, so I was actually carried into the doctor’s office,” says Kulikowski. After several tests, she learned she had endometriosis.

Currently, there is no cure, but there are effective treatments. Researchers are now looking at a possible genetic component as a possible cause. Dr. Timothy Hughes is a gynecologist with Lee Memorial Health System. “At the present time, most experts would agree that endometriosis is multi-factorial in is cause, meaning there are a number of things that could possibility contribute to a person either developing endometriosis or being predisposed to having endometriosis,” he explains.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue that normally lives inside the uterus starts living outside the uterus and in other places throughout the body, which then kick starts the pain.

Diane says women should definitely not ignore their instincts. “If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not. And definitely get it checked out because for years and years and years I was told, ‘hey, it happens to every girl, suck it up, you know that’s just part of life and it wasn’t,“ she says.

Dr. Hughes adds that some women could have endometriosis and not experience any pain, which is why a yearly visit to the gynecologist is extra important.