Many women experience heavy and painful periods which have a significant impact on their personal and professional lives.

While 10 % of women of reproductive age are thought to have endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows elsewhere in the body.

Endometriosis has a range of symptoms including pain in the lower stomach or back, during periods and sex, and while passing urine or faeces. It also can affect a woman’s fertility.

Nurses are often the point of care of the condition, which takes an average of seven and a half years for a woman to receive a diagnosis.

This episode of the podcast discusses the signs, symptoms and treatment of endometriosis, and examines support for those experiencing severe monthly menstrual pain.

Our guests are Claudia Tye, a clinical nurse specialist in endometriosis and gynaecology and Debby Holloway, nurse consultant in gynaecology, who are based at Guy’s Hospital in London.

They also talk to Nursing Standard editor Flavia Munn about the mental health impact of endometriosis, some of the lesser known symptoms and how women, including nurses themselves, can manage the condition at work. Plus the two nurse experts discuss the role of diet in treatment and how nurses can enter this fascinating field of practice.

For more episodes of the Nursing Standard podcast, visit rcni.com/podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.