I remember the first day of finding out about Endometriosis. I was sitting across from my Gynecologist and he attempted to explain exactly what the condition was to me. Words like cysts, adhesions and things being in places where they shouldn’t be, kinda started swirling around in my head. They were swirling because only a week ago, I had received my first Laparoscopy and I was still feeling the tenderness of the operation – combined of course with all the pain-killers I was on at the time!
Initially, all I understood about Endometriosis was that it was made worse with excess hormones in my body and by taking a synthetic hormone like the pill, Danazol or any other options my doctor presented to me, I would be able to stop it from growing. To me, stopping it from growing sounded good. Ultimately, the pain was made worse by these adhesions and cysts so I just wanted those to reduce and stop. Perhaps this is all you understand about Endometriosis at this point too…. a hormonal imbalance?
After 15 years of trying all those hormonal treatments and trying to “stop the Endometriosis from growing”, I have learned a few things about Endometriosis, which I wish someone had told me about, in those first few days of finding out I had Endometriosis.
5 things you probably don’t know about Endometriosis
1. Our hormone imbalances stem from somewhere
I just kinda accepted that hormone imbalances were just part of having Endometriosis. I never truly understood what they were or how they might influence Endometriosis. I can tell you that most of us with Endo, suffer from excess oestrogens in the body, which means…. in simple terms, we tend to encourage more growths in our bodies. These excess oestrogen reactions are often in the form of xenoestrogens which are environmental pollutants which our bodies perceive as hormones. Things like plastics, cosmetics and household cleaning products contain them.
Obviously we can avoid many of these environmental toxins but the key thing we want to do is figure out a better cleansing system within our bodies to flush them out. Which leads me onto my next point…..
2. The liver regulates and flushes out excess hormones
When we clean up our liver – reduce bad fats, excess sugars, eating more dark leafy greens and doing some good cleanses, our hormone imbalances substantially reduce along with it. The liver regulates our hormones and when it is stagnant (I reckon 80% of Endometriosis Women have a stagnant liver), then these hormones don’t leave the body and are simply recirculated.
3. It is an auto-immune condition
Endometriosis is often described as an inflammatory condition. Inflammation is a way our body protects us from danger. Tissues become inflamed to draw extra nutrients and blood to the area. With Endometriosis, the body is exaggerating this response, which is why many of us experience bloating and a heightened sense of inflammation in our abdominal area. Much the same way our bodies over react to pollen, the same can be said for an over reaction to these dispersed cells in the abdominal cavity. We can naturally reduce this response by the body by reducing inflammation and by minimising this auto-immune response.
4. Candida is closely related to Endometriosis
Candida is a fungus that lives in the digestive system and can live there, quite comfortably without causing any harm. In cases of Endometriosis it is believed that Candida has become systemic (has entered the blood stream and spread to other areas of the body). This is why many women with Endometriosis often experience thrush and digestive issues. You can send Candida packing with a plant rich diet, plenty of natural sunshine and herbs you can drink in a decoction or tea.
5. Surgery as a treatment plan
I went through 7 operations with Endometriosis and believed that this was my best option for reducing it spreading. It was only after years of research that I discovered that with every surgery, the body will repair internal damage with more adhesions and scaring. Over years of having operations, this could be making pain and inflammation worse as the body is in a constant state of repair more. You can read more about this through the articles on my site: Adhesions with Endometriosis.
The good news with all of this is that you now have a whole range of approaches to try for Endometriosis. There is more choice to feeling better than just hormone treatments, surgery and pain-killers! Try focusing on the liver, candida and reducing inflammation in the body.
Endometriosis can seem like an incredibly complex condition but I like to approach it from different angles using nothing but holistic approaches.
It gives us an endless selection of things to try to explore – certainly taking away any of that feeling of helplessness.
If you have endometriosis, what things have you done to reduce your pain and symptoms?
Melissa
Gluten-free apple crisp