Nausea as a symptom of endometriosis

Nausea in endometriosis

In medical terms, the symptom is referred to as nausea. Nausea can have numerous different causes: it may be the body’s protective response as a defense mechanism after you have eaten spoiled or toxic foods, or it may be a symptom of an illness. With endometriosis, gastrointestinal problems, including nausea, are among the key symptoms. Because endometriosis is a highly complex condition, there is, at least so far, no single established explanation for the mechanism that leads to nausea.

In endometriosis, endometrium-like tissue also grows in ectopic locations. Endometriotic lesions primarily affect the pelvic cavity, but the peritoneum or, in rare cases, even the stomach can be involved. The endometriotic lesions are influenced by the hormonal cycle and therefore first proliferate and then bleed. Depending on where the growths are located, the blood may not be able to leave the body; it can remain within the tissue or enter the abdominal cavity. The consequences include inflammation, adhesions, scarring, and the formation of cysts. These processes can cause severe pain, which many women with endometriosis experience.

Depending on the location of the endometriotic lesions, different causes for your nausea are possible:

• Severe pain: Regardless of whether it is lower abdominal pain or generalized pain, this can trigger nausea.
• Endometriotic lesions on the peritoneum or on the ovaries and fallopian tubes: If inflammation develops over the course of the disease, this inflammation can be the cause of your nausea.
• Ovarian cysts: As a result of endometriosis, cysts can form in the ovaries, which may manifest, among other things, as nausea.
• Lesions on/in the stomach: These endometriotic lesions directly trigger nausea.
• Generalized inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity due to endometriotic lesions: Inflammatory processes in general can provoke nausea.
• Altered gut microbiota: Endometriosis appears to change the intestinal flora, which in turn can cause nausea.
• Iron deficiency due to heavier menstrual bleeding: In endometriosis, increased blood loss during your period can lead to iron deficiency. In addition to other symptoms, iron deficiency triggers dizziness.
• Stress: A chronic illness with all its accompanying circumstances raises stress levels, which in turn can lead to nausea.