BBC presenter Naga Munchetty has revealed she has adenomyosis, a condition which left her 'screaming in pain'. Over the weekend, her pain was so intense, she says she had to phone an ambulance.
Speaking on her BBC Radio 5 Live Show, Munchetty, who was diagnosed with adenomyosis eight months ago, explained: "On Saturday night I came home from the theatre and my adenomyosis flared up. I was in so much pain I could barely walk from the car to my front door. It was only with my husband's help that I made it upstairs.
"The pain was so terrible I couldn’t move, turn over, sit up. I screamed non-stop for 45 minutes. I finally got to sleep and in the middle of the night the pain returned and it was worse. My husband called an ambulance."
What is adenomyosis?
Adenomyosis is a condition that causes the lining of the womb to bury into the muscular wall of the womb, the NHS says. It is not known exactly why adenomyosis happens, but it is likely that women with the condition have a predisposition due to their genes, immune system and hormones.
Adenomyosis is not an infection, it is not contagious and is benign - meaning not cancerous. The condition affects as many as one in ten women of reproductive age. It is more common in women aged 40-50 years and who have had children, the NHS writes.
Symptoms
According to the NHS, common symptoms associated with the conditions are:
- heavy periods that last for a long time
- severe period pain
- a feeling of pressure in your tummy
- bloating
Munchetty said her diagnosis came: "After decades of painful, heavy periods, periods that made me pass out, sweat, cry, moan, groan, curl up in a tight ball, having to sleep on a towel."
The presenter said she was never offered a scan or ultrasound until she bled for 30 days straight a few months ago and had a scan, which revealed adenomyosis.
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Treatment
There are numerous treatments available to sufferers of adenomyosis, these are:
- anti-inflammatory medication to help relieve mild pain
- treatment during your period to help reduce the amount of menstrual blood loss
- hormone therapy such as the contraceptive pill, to help control heavy or painful periods
- a hysterectomy (removal of the womb) - this would only be considered in extreme cases, where other treatments do not work and if you do not wish to become pregnant
Munchetty's symptoms mean she is an extreme case but does not want to have a hysterectomy, which is the removal of her uterus.
