Management of Endometriosis: Symptoms, Treatments, Self-Care Practices, and the Role of Nurses

Endometriosis is a benign chronic disease characterized by the ectopic implantation and growth of endometrial tissue, which is normally confined to the uterine cavity. This disease frequently causes pain symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, dyspareunia, dyspareunia, dysuria, dyskinesia and infertility and negatively affects the quality of life of women. In this context, pharmacologic and/or surgical treatment is applied as medical intervention in order to reduce the symptoms of endometriosis and improve quality of life. Due to the non-curative nature of medical treatments and the risk of recurrence following surgical interventions, current treatment options do not offer a complete cure for endometriosis. Therefore, women may adopt self-care practices in addition to standard treatments as part of endometriosis management. When these practices are carried out under the control of healthcare team, they can contribute positively to the management of the disease. One of the key members of the healthcare team is the endometriosis nurse, who plays a prominent role through responsibilities in caregiving, education, counseling, communication, and coordination. In this review, symptoms, treatment, self-care practices and the role of the nurse in endometriosis were discussed.