Endo what?!
It’s a mouth-full, that’s for sure!
What are the indicators of endometriosis?
The main symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain which can be severe (think of searing, pulsating, stabbing pain) and it can last for many days, keeping you house-bound and from living a normal life.
Other indicators of endometriosis are long, heavy, crampy and clotty menstrual flow, nausea and vomiting, bowel and bladder problems, abdominal bloating, debilitating fatigue, depression and anxiety, headaches, pain or bleeding during sex, bleeding between periods, low-grade fever, infertility and recurrent miscarriage.
It’s a long and nasty list.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where bits of body tissue similar to your uterine lining (the endometrium) grow in places outside your uterus. This out-of-place tissue (also called endometriosis lesions) behave in the same way as the tissue in your uterine lining - it thickens and bleeds every month, but the blood cannot escape. Over time, this monthly shedding causes the formation of scar tissue, cysts and adhesions around the endometriosis lesion which causes an immune response in the body leading to chronic inflammation. These adhesions can also stick pelvic organs to each other and cause twists and blockages.
It is important to know that endometriosis is fundamentally an inflammatory disease, and while the growth of endometriosis lesions are strongly stimulated by estrogen, it is not a hormonal condition, but an immune dysfunction - potentially an auto-immune related condition.
Is endometriosis a common condition?
Yes - unfortunately it is a very common condition. It often starts in our early reproductive years and affects one in ten women. Worse still - it is not easy to identify and it can take up to ten years to diagnose. This is because exploratory laparoscopy (keyhole) surgery is still the only definite method of confirming the presence of endometriosis. A pelvic ultrasound can sometimes detect endometriomas (blood-filled cysts on the ovaries) but the scan cannot confirm or rule-out endometriosis.
Pretty rough hey?!
How can I treat endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a serious disease and there is currently no cure.
Excision surgery can be helpful for some women’s endometriosis for a time, but it is not a cure and further surgery may be required. In addition, the surgery itself can create further scar tissue/adhesions which in time lead to further pain.
Hormonal birth control is often prescribed as a treatment for endometriosis but these drugs suppress natural hormonal activity, have concerning side effects, often do not help women deal with the pain and can mask what is actually going on in the body.
However, the GOOD news is that natural treatment methods can help relieve, diminish and heal many aspects of endometriosis. If you would like to know more about these methods, please do not hesitate to connect with me. As a natural endometriosis specialist, I am dedicated to supporting you to access these natural pathways of healing and taking back control of your health!