An Endometriosis Dietitian explains what Endometriosis is
If you’ve landed here, chances are you (or someone you love) has been thrown into the mysterious, frustrating, and downright exhausting world of endometriosis. So let’s cut through the noise and get real about what endometriosis actually is — and why it’s not “just bad periods.
Endo-What?
Endometriosis is pronounced end-o-me-tree-oh-sis (often shortened to endo). The best words to describe this condition are (medically speaking):
Chronic, Complex, Inflammatory, Systemic and Progressive
Endo occurs when tissue similar (but not identical) to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) is found in places it doesn’t belong. Think ovaries, fallopian tubes, pelvic cavity, bowel, pouch of Douglas, bladder and even the lungs or diaphragm. This tissue is called endometriosis lesions.
The low-down on Endo lesions
These endo lesions respond to hormones in the body similarly to the endometrium. The tissue thickens as Oestrogen rises with menstruation, which creates prostaglandins and inflammation. These lesions can also bleed when menstruation occurs, but unlike the endometrium, where the blood exits the body via the vulva, endo lesion blood has nowhere to go.
It’s these prostaglandins that drive the high number of inflammatory molecules produced by endo lesions all around the body. These lesions also produce higher than normal amounts of Oestrogen.
It’s believed that this Oestrogen further stimulates a persistent inflammatory response whereby even more inflammatory molecules are released, including inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process can exacerbate pain, further growth of lesions, and lead to scarring and adhesions between organs or lesions themselves.
Endometriosis symptoms (including all dys…) words
Symptoms can include:
Pelvic pain
Dysmenorrhea (a.k.a painful periods)
Dyspareunia (a.k.a. pain before, during or after sex)
Dyschezia (a.k.a difficulty pooing)
Dysuria (a.k.a pain or burning when you urinate)
Lower back pain
Leg pain
Gut symptoms
Fatigue
Heavy bleeding
Fertility challenges
Nausea and/or vomiting
Bloating (a.k.a. endo belly)
Migraines and/or headaches
It’s crucial to remember that endo symptoms manifest differently for everyone. Endo pains are pretty severe in nature. They are more than “just cramps” or “just period pain, that’s part of being a woman”. We’re talking pain that often stops you in your tracks. For many endo humans, it can often interfere with their daily life, preventing them from attending work, school or university.
A common misunderstanding with Endometriosis is that the amount of pain experienced correlates with the amount of endo lesions. This isn’t true. So this means that a human who undergoes a laparoscopy to diagnose and/or remove endo, could experience severe pain; however, the amount of endo tissue found was graded stage 1. The same can be said for someone who experiences no to minimal pain could have stage 4 amounts of endo lesions found in a laparoscopy.
So, just how common is endo?
Well, earlier this year, in March 2025, Alannah, the Endometriosis Dietitian here at TAY’D, attended the QENDO Long Lunch. Here, Alannah learnt, well, this figure is slightly different depending on what state you’re in in Australia. Alannah will share more about these numbers when the report from these round table events is published.
For the most part, 1 in 7 Australian women/females/AFAB/mullerain humans are affected by Endo.
Endometriosis IS NOT just a “women’s issue” either. That’s an extremely outdated opinion. At TAY’D, we’re proud to be intentionally different on this front. The founder of TAY’D, Alannah, gets what it’s like avoiding seeking help because of trauma, not fitting boxes or feeling reflected in the care on offer. Such experiences have shaped how she shows up for TAY’D clients, including intentionally not using gendered language, because I know the Endo, pelvic pain & co community is diverse and doesn’t always identify with “women’s health”.
This makes TAY’D deliberately different from many other online clinics, and I can only hope that when you land here, you finally feel like you’ve found your space. TAY’D is a space where all humans who experience endo, pelvic pain, connective tissue conditions, or neurodivergence can feel seen, validated, and represented–irrespective of gender identity and sexual identity.
Why It’s More Than a “Period Problem”
As anyone with Endo knows. Endo is no joke. It isn’t just about your uterus. It’s a whole-body condition with systemic impacts. More specifically, research shows that even the gut microbiome is involved in Endo, I know, mindblowing, right? That’s why many people describe it as living with a body that’s constantly in battle mode. More information to come about Endo and the gut microbiome from the TAY’D dietitian for endometriosis.
Some extra resources and reading if this takes your fancy…
Want personalised nutrition advice from an Endometriosis Dietitian?
There’s no cure for endometriosis (yet), but there are ways to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Your treatment plan will look different from someone else’s — and that’s okay. Endo isn’t a “copy-paste” condition.
At Thrive As You, we know that endo is more than a uterus problem. It’s a nervous system problem, an energy problem, an inflammation problem, and a digestive problem.
Nutrition won’t cure endo — but our Dietitian for Endometriosis can help you feel more at home in your body
You deserve care that’s real, evidence-based, and actually makes sense in your life.
Want support from someone who gets it? Book a 1:1 consult with Thrive As You, and let’s figure out your next step together.
