'No one told me it wasn't normal to be hospitalised for period pains. Now I finally have relief from endometriosis'

Kneeling down on all fours, Hannah Bingham struggled to hold herself up as she doubled over in agony.

The 37-year-old had suffered from painful periods for years, likening the suffering to being in labour while having her insides ripped open.

Hannah, who lives in Manchester city centre, put the pain down to normal period cramps. But as her symptoms worsened, her family encouraged her to visit a doctor.

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“I started having painful periods at 15,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I thought I just had a bad pain threshold and never went to a doctor.

“Over the years, it just got worse. I moved to Australia for a bit in my mid 20s and was hospitalised. When I was 29, my sister did a bit of research on it and realised I shouldn’t be hospitalised for period pains. I was off sick and I couldn’t walk.

“Because no one had ever told me this wasn't normal, I presumed this is what we all went through. Until I was hospitalised because I physically couldn’t move, I realised this wasn’t normal.

“I pushed my doctor a bit more. They were constantly giving me codeine to manage pain and they wanted to give me something stronger. I had to put my foot down to be referred to a specialist.”

After more than a decade of suffering, Hannah finally received the diagnosis she had been waiting for – she had endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Endometriosis can affect women of any age, including teenagers. It's a long-term condition that can have a significant impact on the sufferer’s life but there are treatments