What is Endometriosis?
- Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes
- This tissue also bleeds each month but there is no way for this blood to leave the body – this causes inflammation, pain and scar tissue formation
- Endometriosis is associated with high oestrogen which helps it grow
- It affects one in 10 women from puberty to menopause
- Diagnosis can take an average of 7.5 years
Symptoms of endometriosis:
- Back pain or lower tummy pain, usually worse during your period
- Period pain
- Pain during or after sex
- Pain when going to the toilet during your period
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Nausea
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Blood in your urine during your period
- Heavy periods
- Difficulty getting pregnant, infertility
Diagnosing endometriosis:
- If you have any of the symptoms above, book an appointment. It may be helpful to keep a diary of symptoms and when they occur.
- Advanced sex hormone testing is available that can help identify if sex hormone imbalace is a suspected factor in your symptoms
Treatment for endometriosis:
The following treatments may help ease the symptoms:
- Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen
- Hormone medicines and contraceptives
- Surgery to remove patches of affected tissue
- Surgery to remove part or all of the organs affected such as a hysterectomy
Diet & lifestyle changes:
The following recommendations may help improve endometriosis by reducing inflammation, balancing hormones and supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes.
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet:
- focus on whole, natural foods including rainbow of differently-coloured vegetables and fruit for a wide range of beneficial phytonutrients
- include healthy fats and oily fish for anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids
- minimise processed foods, red meat, refined carbohydrates, sugar, caffeine and alcohol
- consider eliminating gluten and dairy to see if symptoms improve
- Choose organic meat, fruit and vegetables wherever possible to minimise hormones, pesticides and chemicals used in food production
- Manage blood sugar – high insulin levels can contribute to inflammation
- Manage weight – being overweight increases inflammation and the risk of being oestrogen-dominant
- Improve constipation to enhance the removal of toxins and excess hormones:
- Increase water intake and the right kind of fibre
- Minimise exposure to xenoestrogens or endocrine disrupting chemicals such as BPA found in plastic bottles and products and parabens found in cosmetics and personal care products(1)
- Reduce stress and improve stress management – try deep breathing or mindfulness
- Gentle exercise:
- helps reduce inflammation
- stimulates the body’s lymphatic system which helps clear excess oestrogen from the body
- promotes the release of pain-relieving endorphins
- Prioritise sleep – even small amounts of sleep deprivation may increase stress and sensitivity to pain