The actress, who is married to actor Dylan Sprouse, encouraged other women to seek out an endometriosis specialist if they are experiencing similar symptoms that she had
Barbara Palvin revealed that she recently had surgery for endometriosis.
The Hungarian-born model and actress, who is married to 33-year-old actor Dylan Sprouse, shared the personal health update in an Instagram post on Sunday, Aug. 17.
"Hi guys, it's been a while!" Palvin, 31, began her message, before adding that she was posting in the hopes that her experience might help others.
She continued, "For some years now I've been dealing with the difficulties that can come with my periods. Fatigue, severe pain, heavy and irregular flow, sleepless nights on the bathroom floor. I thought this was just how it works for me."
She added that she was "advised to seek out an endometriosis specialist."
"I've been going to checkups [with] my gynecologist every year. I thought if I had endometriosis I would have known about it by now, but as it turns out, endometriosis can't be diagnosed with general examinations," she wrote.
The Armani Beauty ambassador said she ultimately went to a specialist, and she received surgery for the condition within three months. She said that she is "finally" experiencing more comfortable periods.
Palvin ended her post by encouraging other women to see a specialist if they are experiencing similar symptoms.
Never miss a story -- sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
She added, "[The surgery] helped me a lot, and I'm grateful I did it. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important to prevent long-term complications, and now I'm more mindful about my body to act fast if needed."
"I'm excited about this new chapter of my life and now ready to get back to work 🙆🏼♀️," she concluded.
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue grows outside the uterus, according to the Mayo Clinic. The often painful disease can affect the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. It can cause cysts and scar tissue to form in the body, and can lead to fertility issues. Often, one of the first symptoms of endometriosis is painful periods.
Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of reproductive-age women globally, per the World Health Organization.
Palvin is one of several celebrities who have shared their experience with endometriosis in recent years in attempts to bring more awareness to the disease.
In February, Bindi Irwin shared that she spent a decade in "agonizing pain" before receiving her endometriosis diagnosis while appearing on an episode of the A Life of Greatness podcast.
"It resulted in a lot of canceled plans, people must have thought I was just incredibly flaky because I was getting so sick from this disease that I would try to get up and I would just throw up, I was in so much pain all the time. Every day the fatigue and the battle," Bindi, 27, said.
"I went for 10 years undiagnosed because doctors really didn't know enough, they diagnosed me with a million other things, like IBS, or hormones or, 'It's just part of being a woman.' The symptoms continued to snowball, and it took me such a long time to find help and it's a story that so many women and girls know all too well," she added.