What is Endometriosis

Endometriosis involves the cells that grow in the lining of the uterus; called the endometrium. In women that suffer from endometriosis, these cells grow in the uterus, however they also abnormally grow outside of the uterus too – where they do not belong. As these cells continue to grow, they also bleed outside of the uterus and cause severe and incapacitating pain for women. The cells can also cause scarring and grow in many places, including the bowels, the bladder and kidneys, the ovaries (affecting fertility – read on) and even in very severe cases – on the lungs. Whilst endometriosis is affected by our hormones (i.e. oestrogen affects growth of the uterine lining), endometriosis is not exclusively a hormonal condition. More and more research points towards endometriosis being an inflammatory disease that affects our immune system.

Common Symptoms of Endometriosis

Without a doubt, PAIN is the number 1, leading symptom in sufferers of endometriosis. However, many women experience a whole host of symptoms such as;

• Nausea
• Fever
• Heavy, frequent periods
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea/constipation
• Fainting/feeling dizzy
• Headaches
• Exhaustion and lethargy
• Back pain
• Pain during sex

endometriosis treatment

Unfortunately, endometriosis is commonly undiagnosed as it’s incredibly difficult to test for in its early stages. Generally, endometriosis will only show up on scans in very advanced stages so many women suffer month after month. Once diagnosed, common conventional treatments include;

Hormonal suppression – just go on the pill!

Being prescribed the contraceptive pill is the first line of treatment for many that suffer with endometriosis, particularly the young. The pill works well to suppress symptoms, however, should you want to have a break – or stop taking the pill, symptoms normally return. In addition, the contraceptive pill has debilitating side effects of its own including anxiety, depression, moodiness and bone loss – so it is not a 1 size fits all approach. Women that do have side effects from the contraceptive pill are commonly offered the Mirena coil. The Mirena coil may be a better choice for some women as it doesn’t completely shut down ovulation. Remember, ovulation is the ‘main event’ of your cycle and helps your body to secrete hormones effectively. However; as with the regular pill, the Mirena coil can have extremely unpleasant side effects of its own.

Surgical Exision

Surgical exision treatment is the removal the endometrial tissue and scarring. This can be effective pain. It may also improve fertility and conception. However, it is not a cure and for many women, the lesions and growths re-appear between 1 and 5 years.

Get up the Duff

Endometriosis is an oestrogen dependent disease. When your preggers, progesterone levels are super high in the body which means it can suppress the symptoms. For a lot of women, it’s not a cure though and once baby arrives, the menstrual cycle returns to normal……cue heavy, painful, debilitating periods once again. Not to mention, do you even want a baby, or…….can you even get pregnant? Read our “how to get pregnant: Take control of your fertility today” blog.

Hysterectomy

Definitely a last resort treatment, however if you were in incapacitating pain each and every month, you would probably consider all of your options to stop the pain too. As endometriosis affects the uterus, it makes some sense to suggest that by removing the uterus you would remove the problem. However, if this has been suggested to you as a course of treatment, I urge you to seek a 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th opinion and consider ALL of your options that are far less radical.

pain relief

So many of my patients rely heavily on pain relief each, and every cycle. It’s not uncommon for me to hear that they may be consuming doses of 8+ Neurofen/ibuprofen/NSAIDs on heavy bleed days. Whilst these drugs fulfil their purpose and stop or greatly reduce pain, they can have a knock on effect and cause major problems in other areas of the body; e.g. the kidneys, the heart and the gut – being responsible for ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Natural Treatments For Endometriosis That Work!

When it comes to naturopathic care for endometriosis – or for any disease or condition; there is no one size fits all approach. What this means is that 10 people could come into my clinic suffering from the same condition and they would likely receive 10 different prescriptions of care. In saying that, there is a lot I can suggest and recommend that is safe for you to not only minimise symptoms, but to restore optimal healthy and vitality to your body as quickly as possible.

Turmeric 

As a powerful anti-inflammatory, turmeric works incredibly well to reduce the inflammatory proteins that affect the size and activity of endometrial lesions in the body. You can of course add it to food, however you want a therapeutic dose when it comes to endometriosis, so a supplement is best. Better yet, it’s safe for long term use. Take 1 tablet, 3 times daily.

Magnesium

Whenever you experience pain and cramping in the body, you definitely want to consider adding in high quality magnesium to your body. Again, this powerful mineral is incredibly safe to take and will work to calm smooth muscle tissue and reduce pain. 1 scoop twice daily

Bromelain 

This enzyme is found in large amounts in the core of pineapples. It contains properties that are anti-inflammatory and acts a smooth muscle relaxant in the body. It may also be beneficial to reduce potentially harmful substance in the body known as prostaglandins, that are responsible for pain and inflammation. Again, this supplement is safe to use.

Castor Oil packs

Have you heard of castor oil packs before? Maybe not? Castor oil packs are 1 of my go-to prescriptions for women that suffer from painful periods or endometriosis, irregular cycles and even fertility challenges. Yes, they are a little messy and take some time to get comfortable with the preparation, however I see them work successfully time and time again for a number of these health concerns. Read all about how and why to use them in my blog; Castor Oil Packs for Endometriosis and Fertility

Endometriosis and fertility

It’s important to understand that when endometriosis grows in areas or organs of the reproductive system; e.g. on the ovaries, it can permanently damage a woman’s fertility. Therefore, it’s critical that you don’t ‘downplay’ your pain and symptoms each and every cycle as ‘just part of being a woman’. Explore, one, some or all of the options listed above. With tailored naturopathic and conventional medicine support for your body, you can absolutely manage and significantly reduce your endometriosis symptoms and get back to living your best life.