The number of endometriosis diagnoses in Germany has increased by 65 percent in the last decade. But many cases still go unrecognized.
Frankfurt – A new study shows: Endometriosis affects hundreds of thousands in the Federal Republic. The Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance in Germany (Zi) examined cross-health insurance billing data from more than 35 million legally insured women and girls from 2012 to 2022. The results are alarming.
While 5.7 out of 1,000 people with statutory health insurance received this diagnosis in 2012, this number of cases increased by 65 percent in the following ten years. In 2022, doctors diagnosed endometriosis in around 10 out of 1000 women and girls, highlights the study. Almost 340,000 patients received this diagnosis in 2022. But what is behind the increase and what symptoms does the disease manifest itself with?
Endometriosis diagnoses in Germany are increasing: These symptoms are warning signs
According to experts, endometriosis is a benign chronic gynecological disease. This is where cells similar to the uterine lining form outside the uterine cavity. They are subject to cyclical hormonal changes and can cause various symptoms due to inflammation, adhesions or adhesions. These depend on where they settle. Loud gesundheitsinformation.de (gi)a website of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG), the following symptoms often occur:
- Abdominal discomfortwhich do not necessarily occur with menstrual bleeding and can radiate to the back and legs
- Strength Menstrual pain
- Cramping or burning pain during sexual intercourse
- Gastrointestinal complaintsfor example if the intestinal tract is affected
- Painful urinationif the bladder is affected
- General exhaustion and lower physical and psychological resilience
Number of endometriosis diagnoses increased by 65 percent: what's behind it?
Endometriosis symptoms are often not recognized as such. “Many girls and women think severe menstrual cramps are normal because they don’t know any different. “It doesn’t occur to them that there could be an illness behind it,” it says gi. According to the study by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance in Germany, the disease is often only recognized years later. This is reflected in the fact that most women in the survey were between 30
and 49 years old when they received the endometriosis diagnosis. According to experts, the first symptoms appear on average from the age of 21.
Editor's note
The information provided in this article does not replace seeing a doctor. Only professionals can make the correct diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The use of medication or nutritional supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.
The institute does not attribute the increasing number of diagnoses over the last ten years to a higher risk of illness, but rather to greater attention and recognition of the disease. Nonetheless, despite increased awareness, many cases remain unrecognized. According to the researchers, this is Endometriosis diagnosis frequency in Germany well below epidemiological estimates. It can be concluded from this that many women still live with the symptoms untreated.
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