Bloated belly / Endo-Belly as a symptom of endometriosis

How common is the symptom Bloated belly / Endo-Belly among people with endometriosis?

96,26% of people with endometriosis reported Bloated belly / Endo-Belly as a symptom of endometriosis in our survey.

How common is the symptom Bloated belly / Endo-Belly among people with endometriosis compared to the non-affected group?

48,27% of people with endometriosis suffer from the symptom Bloated belly / Endo-Belly very strong compared to a prevalence of 5,03% among non-affected individuals.
The following table shows the symptom Bloated belly / Endo-Belly in people with endometriosis compared to non-affected individuals. The scale ranges from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very strong).

Symptom Bloated belly / Endo-Belly in endometriosis - comparison with control group

Bloated belly / Endo-Belly in endometriosis
(n = 1736)
3,74%
5,36%
14,06%
28,57%
48,27%
Bloated belly / Endo-Belly in non-affected individuals
(n = 159)
39,62%
24,53%
18,87%
11,95%
5,03%

Tabular comparison of the prevalence of Bloated belly / Endo-Belly

Symptom severity Endometriosis Non-affected Comparison
not at all 3,74% 39,62% -35,88%
slightly 5,36% 24,53% -19,17%
moderate 14,06% 18,87% -4,81%
strong 28,57% 11,95% 16,62%
very strong 48,27% 5,03% 43,24%

Symptoms that could be related to Bloated belly / Endo-Belly

Based on the datasets, we calculated the Kendall correlation. The following symptoms could be related to Bloated belly / Endo-Belly.

Symptom name Correlation
Flatulence moderate correlation (42,00%)
Abdominal pain outside the lower abdomen weak correlation (29,00%)
Exhaustion / Fatigue weak correlation (29,00%)
Lower abdominal pain weak correlation (24,00%)
Pain during bowel movements weak correlation (23,00%)
Verstopfung weak correlation (22,00%)
Back pain weak correlation (22,00%)
Pain during urination weak correlation (22,00%)
Pain after intercourse weak correlation (22,00%)
Nausea weak correlation (21,00%)
Dizziness weak correlation (21,00%)
Kidney pain weak correlation (21,00%)
Headaches / Migraine weak correlation (21,00%)
Numbness in legs weak correlation (20,00%)
Belching weak correlation (20,00%)

Bloated belly / Endo-Belly in endometriosis

The term Endo-Belly is not a medical term in the strict sense. Strictly speaking, it refers to a markedly pronounced bloated abdomen. Abdominal bloating occurs when too much air accumulates in the abdomen—more precisely, in the intestines. Both men and women can experience bloating, but studies show that women are affected significantly more often than men. Among women with endometriosis, 96 percent report bloating. When the abdomen becomes markedly distended due to this bloating, it is referred to as Endo-Belly.

Endo-Belly is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • Noticeable increase in abdominal girth due to bloating, that is, not due to weight gain. The abdomen may resemble a pregnancy bump.
  • Constipation: Constipation is often one of the causes of increased gas accumulation.
  • Diarrhea: The accumulation of gas in the intestines, or its release, can trigger diarrhea.
  • Pain: Gas accumulation in the intestines can cause pain.
  • Dizziness: Pain, malaise, and diarrhea can trigger dizziness.

In women with endometriosis, cells that in many respects resemble the cells of the uterine lining also grow in ectopic locations. The pelvis is particularly affected, but the entire abdominal cavity as well as the intestines can be involved. However, Endo-Belly occurs regardless of whether bowel endometriosis is present or not. The causes of Endo-Belly are therefore generally not due to endometriotic lesions in the bowel. Rather, the pronounced bloating appears to be triggered by inflammatory processes caused by endometriosis.

There are additional factors that are only indirectly related to endometriosis but are facilitated or exacerbated by it:

  • Stress: This can lead you to eat too quickly and swallow excess air.
  • Food choices: If foods such as sweets are eaten more often as comfort for endometriosis pain, they can worsen bloating.
  • Lack of physical activity: Movement stimulates the intestines and supports healthy digestion, which reduces bloating. If you live with endometriosis, like others living with chronic pain, you may tend to adopt protective postures and avoid movement.

Did you know that you can also have a big influence on endometriosis symptoms yourself? In the Endo App you learn self-management techniques for endometriosis and find many interactive exercises to relieve symptoms.