What Is Endometriosis? And, How Should I Treat It If I Want To Heal Naturally?
It's Endometriosis Awareness Month, which for me, makes it the perfect time to talk about this women's health condition.
Research shows that endometriosis affects 5 to 10 percent of teenage girls and women of reproductive age. Meaning about 1 out of every 10 to 20 women will experience it. Keep in mind that this statistic does not account for the number of women who remain undiagnosed.
You may think endometriosis only affects your reproductive system and pelvic organs.
But, this is not true.
In fact, this condition is no longer being just considered or categorized as a reproductive disease. Endometriosis is now being recognized as an autoimmune disease becaue of how it manifests in the body of women.
That's because endometriosis is a full body systemic inflammatory condition. And this I always knew.
Which is why relying on birth control, pain medication and surgery to treat this condition is not the answer for you; and why a root cause whole-body approach is neccesary.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when tissue that is similar to the inner lining of your uterus or womb (the endometrium), develops outside the uterus in other areas.
And, it most commonly grows in your lower abdomen, on your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissues lining your uterus and pelvis. But despite what's common, endometriosis can actually appear anywhere in your body.
Endometriois growths, lesions and cysts can be found in the colon, thoracic cavity, lungs, heart and brain.
And this tissue, no matter it's location in your body can thicken, break down, and bleed with each period -just as the lining of your uterus does. But it grows in places where it doesn't belong, and it doesn't leave your body as it would under normal conditions. Which is why it causes so much pain.
What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
The number one symptom I hear women with endometriosis report they are experiencing, is pain. Pain with their period, pain while having sex, pain during ovulation, pain with their bowel movements, and for some women, chronic pelvic pain that's constant.
In truth, you can and may feel pain wherever endometriosis is located in your body.
Common signs and symptoms of endometriosis are:
- Dysmenorrhea, a painful period
- Menorrhagia, heavy period bleeding
- Chronic inflammation & pain
- Endo flare-ups
- Pelvic, stomach and back pain
- Pain during sex
- Painful bowel movements
- Pain while urinating
- "Endo belly" & bloating
- Digestive disturbances
- Fatigue and low energy
- Trouble getting pregnant
- Difficulty staying pregnant
Not so common symptoms:
- You have no symptoms at all
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness of chest
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Currently endometriosis can only be diagnosed via surgery, specifically during a laparoscopy procedure; which is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that's done under general anesthesia (while you are asleep).
As of today, endometriosis cannot be diagnosed with an ultrasound or other imaging.
Although ultrasounds can show large clumps of tissue or scarring that are likely signs of endometriosis, ultrasounds can't show tiny pieces of tissue thought to be the most common type of endometriosis.
Ultrasounds are good at identifying endometriosis in your ovaries though. But even if the ultrasound shows tissue that doesn’t belong, there’s no way to be 100% sure it’s endometriosis. The only way to know for sure is to remove the tissue and test it.
An experienced gynecologist may suspect endometriosis based on a woman's symptoms and the findings during a pelvic exam.
How is Endometriosis treated?
Standard medical treatment for endometriosis is treatments that helps to reduce symptoms for harsh pain and cramping, and to even remove your endometriosis lesions.
- Gonadatropin-releasing Hormone (GnRH): medicines that stop the growth of endometriosis my sending your body into a menapause-like state
- Danazol Treatment: a synthetic androgen hormone that stops the release of menstruation related hormones and induces the state of pseudomenopause, characterized by complete suppression of ovarian function, amenorrhea and hypoestrogenic state
- Progestin Hormone: "synthetic progesterone" can make your periods lighter and less frequent or stop them altogether
- Birth Control Pills: used to make periods lighter and shorter by surpressing your symptoms
- Laparoscopy: can diagnose, remove or destroy endometriosis lesions, growth or cyst
- Surgery: can severe the nerves in your pelvis or abdominal to lessens symptons
These standard medical treatments all focus on treating the symptoms of endometriosis, and not the underlying root causes. And that's the flaw in the way the medical system views our body and treats it.
By now you should know my approach to healing is alway the more holistic functional path. As I mentioned earlier, endometriosis is a whole body disease. And their are many moving pieces to why endometriosis manifests.
Here are the root causes I help women address and improve:
- Hormone imbalance
- Poor eating patterns
- High levels of stress
- Vitamin, mineral and nutrient deficits
- A high environmental toxin load
- Chronic inflammation & pain
- Destabalized immune system
- Sluggish liver health
- Poor gut health
- High levels of stress
And them together we focus on:
- Hormone balance
- Eating a whole-food diet
- Enhancing vitamin, mineral and nutrient levels
- Optimizing detox pathways
- Improving liver health
- Gut healing
- Reducing chronic inflammation
- Stabalizing immune system
- Anti-inflammatory foods
- Reducing enviromental toxins
- Quality rest and sleep
- Nervous system support
And these are the areas you should focus on too!
This is the ONLY effective and truly transformative way to treat and reverse endometriosis.
Where should you start?
You should start with my 30-Day Cleanse Health Program! This comprehensive herbal, nutrition and lifestyle program helps you address your root cause and alleviate your endometriosis symptoms.
I recommend you also start your Womb Steamng journey, if you have not yet started steaming. Steaming provides direct and gentle non-invasive herbal therapy to help dissolove your endometriosis lesions, heal scar tissue and decrease pain in your womb and pelvic area.
If you want to learn more about Womb Steaming, check out my blog article here.
If you would like to work 1:1 with me to help conquer your endometriosis symptoms and reverse this disease, schedule your FREE Health Discovery Call.
Be Well and Take Care,
Shavonne Richardson