Did you know that Endometriosis is a disease that affects 1 in 10 women, girls and transgender individuals worldwide? The causes of Endo are not fully understood but current thinking is that genetic factors, immune system dysregulation and inflammation are all likely factors. Unfortunately, if you have endometriosis you have an increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease likely due to the imbalance in the immune system response.
Endometriosis is personal to me. I have had it my whole life and due to very few health professionals being able to diagnose it when I was young I was told that there was no treatment for my excruciating “period pain” and told to take nurofen as needed (which was for many days every month) and just keep going.
Fast forward to my 30’s when I wanted to get pregnant (and it was not happening) and I consulted a gynaecologist for the first time where she recommended exploratory surgery. This surgery identified a grade 3-4 endometriosis which she treated with laser (that was a fun recovery). What I didn’t fully understand at the time is that surgery is treatment but not a cure. So my endo grew back and I needed another surgery a few years later.
Risk factors for endometriosis include;
Genetic – a female relative with Endo
Hormonal – occurs in reproductive years
Immune – alterations in immune cells in the pelvic region
Age – peaks at age 40-44
Symptoms can vary widely and affect many systems of the body including
-painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, ovulation pain, heavy periods and bleeding in between periods.
-infertility, vaginal thrush
-chronic UTI’s
-nausea, digestive disturbance, constipation, diarrhoea
-headaches, fatigue, fainting, dizziness
-depression, anxiety
- back pain
-anaemia, iron deficiency
What about other conditions associated with ENDO?
· Hypothyroidism ( I have this one too)
· Fibromyalgia
· Coeliac disease
· IBS
· Vaginal infections
· Anxiety/depression
GOOD NEWS!
Natural medicine may help. By taking a wholistic whole body approach to your health and wellbeing, we can help to optimise your hormone function, digestive health, immune responsiveness which should result in improvements in symptoms. There is no cure for endometriosis but there is help to manage symptoms and optimise the quality of your life.
What can you do right now to help yourself?
· Love your MICROBIOME (my specialty) – by having a fibre packed diet (food for your good bugs) and taking an Endo evidence based probiotic you will optimise the job that your microbiome does to regulate your immune system and make anti-inflammatory and antibacterial products. All helpful buffer and manage your immune and inflammatory responses.
· Avoid exogenous (outside of the body) oestrogens: Reduce exposure to BPA – it’s found in the packaging of processed foods, in plastic containers (store food in glass), Avoid GMO soy products – you will need to check labels because soy is in EVERYTHING! And unless labelled organic the soy is likely GMO. Consider avoiding soy altogether but if you are going to consume it then in moderation and organic only.
· Consider eliminating (at least for a month or two) dairy and gluten. In one study, 75% of endo patients has improvement in symptoms after 12 months on a gluten free diet.
· Increase cruciferous vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage. These vegies contain Indole 3 carbinol which helps to get rid of excess oestrogen from the body
· Choose fruit and veg from “the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen” – only buy organic from the dirty dozen list and wash your fruit and veg in an organic fruit and veg wash or an apple cider vinegar wash
· Reduce caffeine intake (sorry!)
· Avoid or reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates (that turn into sugar) – sugar makes inflammation worse.
· Reduce alcohol consumption – consider a period of abstinence and see how your symptoms change. Alcohol is associated with a moderate increase level of oestrogens and alcohol depresses immunity and results in the loss of valuable B vitamins.
· Increase antioxidant rich foods (rainbow of colours fruit and veg)
· Eat a low glycaemic diet and manage your blood sugar.
· Specific nutrients to help: B complex, Calcium, Magnesium, Omega 3 fatty acids, iron, specific probiotics, selenium, silica, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and Zinc. That sounds like a lot – the ones that I would recommend from the outset would be a B complex, Omega 3 fatty acids and zinc. I would also recommend a blood test to assess vitamin D and iron status.
Lifestyle recommendations
· Manage your stress – stress makes everything worse. It disrupts blood sugar regulation, alters your microbiome in a negative way, disrupts gut function and makes inflammation worse. Learning basic breathing exercises or downloading a meditation app will help.
· Exercise: regular exercise has a long list of benefits both physical and psychological. Seek professional advice if you are not sure where to start.
· Sleep: Again good quality sleep is integral to overall good health which is integral to managing your Endo. If you are have poor sleep and are not waking up refreshed seek help. This is a whole article in itself (which I will do)
· Avoid the use of tampons
· Avoid Sexual intercourse during your period to reduce risk of retrograde blood flow
· Reduce environmental toxins. This is a huge subject in itself but I refer you to “low tox life” by Alexx Stuart to get started.
I know this is a lot of information. There are lots of areas of your life that you can make a start on and they are mostly the common sense advice I would give to all of my patients. Some of the information is specific to Endo but will relate to lots of immune and inflammatory conditions. Good reproductive health starts in the teen years – that is why I am passionate about helping teenagers with period issues to get to the root cause and put habits in place that will optimise their period health and set them up for good menstrual and repro health throughout their lives.
If you want to talk more about your endometriosis and get a specific plan and support to help you move forward, book an appointment with me. I would love to help you. If you want to ask some questions to know if I am the right person to help. Book a discovery call.
You could also download my free ebook called “Managing pelvic pain and period pain naturally” at bekdimauro.com