One in seven women worldwide suffers from endometriosis, a painful condition more common than diabetes that robs years from women's working lives, though much of the damage is avoidable, a medical expert said.

Prolonged disease can lead to infertility, as it damages the ovaries and fallopian tubes, while the resulting inflammatory environment hampers implantation, endometriosis surgeon and Indian Centre for Endometriosis (ICE) director Dr Abhishek Mangeshikar told PTI.

Endometriosis is now recognised as more than a gynaecological condition, which can affect almost any part of the body and occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, sometimes in unexpected locations and organs, he said.

Some of the more complex and frequently misdiagnosed cases involve lesions affecting the intestines, ureters, bladder, chest, diaphragm, nerves and even the abdominal wall, often requiring specialist care and a multidisciplinary team for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
For millions of women in India, endometriosis is more than a health condition, with chronic pain and symptoms taking a toll on their work lives and career progression, he said.
According to data from the Endometriosis Society in India, nearly 2.7 crore women suffer from this condition, Dr Mangeshikar said.
As per global statistics, one out of seven women have endometriosis, which is much more common than even diabetes, but it's a disease that is very rarely heard of, he added.

The condition steals years from women's working lives, and a large part of that damage is avoidable, Dr Mangeshikar said.