subject: What Is Endometriosis? What You Should Know [print this page] Is this you? Frazzled, encountering pain during sex, abdominal bloating, or dealing with worsening pain accompanying a heavy menstrual period, spotting & irregular bleeding between periods, you come to realize that you have never been like this before. What could have brought these unfavorable physical problems? Your doctor may point out that you are experiencing a fairly common disorder called endometriosis. What is endometriosis?
It is a progressive condition affecting about 10 percent of women of reproductive age and can lead to infertility. It is marked by an abnormal growth of tissues lining the uterine wall. The tissue ends up outside the normal location in the uterus, thereby causing adhesions that attach to other organs like the ovaries or fallopian tubes, thereby causing extreme pain. Although women are not likely to experience the same symptoms, a common symptom that many may face is severe pelvic pain. Most women obtain pain relief through medication that their physicians may prescribe. Some doctors relate that in certain cases, surgery has been the recourse. There are other patients, though, whose symptoms eased during pregnancy. There have also been instances of women who were suffering from endometriosis who found their problem resolved after menopause.
It can be gleaned that endometriosis may be one of several body infirmities signaling a hormonal imbalance, which is experienced by women of varying ages from their 20s to her 40s and beyond.
Some women afflicted with endometriosis tend to be susceptible to other ailments. A survey of more than 3,500 members of a reputable association in the US grappling with endometriosis revealed that 20 percent of the female survey respondents were suffering from some other illness, and chronic fatigue syndrome as well as hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia were common, along with autoimmune inflammatory diseases which occurred in numerous cases. There was also a higher incidence of allergies and asthma experienced by women with endometriosis compared to the general US population. What these survey findings point out is that endometriosis has a strong link with autoimmune disorders. Bolstering the immune system is therefore crucial.
The symptoms of endometriosis may be eased with natural remedies, like herbal therapy. Home remedies using herbs or herbal supplementation therapy must be taken under the supervision of a trained medical professional or naturopathic doctor. Symptoms of endometriosis may also be alleviated with a special diet that cuts back on pro-inflammatory foods like gluten-rich foods, dairy, and sugar and loading up instead on anti-inflammatory compounds. Laparoscopic surgery had also served as a remedy for some women with endometriosis that cannot stand the pelvic pain. This may tend to be temporary palliative measure, though, because the disease and pain may recur unless the ovaries and uterus are taken out. It's a tough choice some women choose to make. Others go for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs but these have repercussions like kidney problems, gastrointestinal pain and bleeding.
