Debilitating period pain? Could it be endometriosis?
Do you have severe cramping during your period that stops you in your tracks for a few days? You know all the best spots to hide and curl up in a ball in work or maybe you have to take days off to curl up on the sofa at home. You’ve tried all of the pain killers but nothing seems to help. Sound familiar?
You’ve visited your doctor about the pain but so far all you’ve been offered is hormonal birth control to “manage your symptoms and pain”. Lol! Don’t even get me started on HBC, read more on my thoughts here.
Have you ever considered that your pain may be linked to endometriosis?
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a complex inflammatory disease in which tissue that is similar to the kind of tissue that grows in the uterus grows outside of the uterus (instead of just on the inside). Endometriosis is typically non-cancerous and can cause A LOT of pain throughout the menstrual cycle, not just at menstruation.
This tissue responds to the hormone fluctuations that govern the menstrual cycle in the same way it would if it were in the uterus, building up each month before the period (to prepare for possible implantation of a fertilized egg), and then breaking down when the body signals that it’s time to shed this lining.
How endometriosis goes undiagnosed…
Some shocking stats which help explain why your endo may be going undiagnosed:
Endometriosis is estimated to affect approximately one in ten women of reproductive age, which is approximately 176 million women & people who menstruate in the world.
Studies have shown a delay from 3 to 11 years between the onset of symptoms and the final diagnosis of endometriosis. With an average of 9.28 years before receiving a proper diagnosis!!This is just not okay.
One study found the prevalence of endometriosis in adolescent girls with pelvic pain to be close to 50%, whereas others estimate the number to be roughly 70%. This condition starts when we are young, and we have to intervene as early as possible.
So aside from pain, what are the other symptoms of endo?
Symptoms can vary quite a bit, and is dependent on the location and severity of the endometriosis tissue. Since the endometriosis tissue is oestrogen-responsive just like the endometrial lining of the uterus, symptoms often correlate with the menstrual cycles when oestrogen levels shift.
The most common symptoms include:
Pelvic pain, usually with menstruation, but some menstruators may experience pain throughout the entire month
Severe cramping during menstruation can disrupt life for 1 or more days, and don’t typically go away with anti-inflammatories
Periods that last longer than 7 days (this often correlates with also having adenomyosis)
Heavy to very heavy menstrual flow (this often correlates with also having adenomyosis)
Bowel and urinary disorders that include painful urination or IBS-like symptoms. These conditions include vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis and pelvic floor dysfunction
Nausea or vomiting, especially during menstruation
Bloating
Debilitating fatigue
Depression and anxiety
Pain or bleeding during sex
Spotting or irregular bleeding outside of your period, and
Infertility – it manifests in up to 40% of women with endometriosis.
What causes endo?
Currently, endometriosis is poorly understood by the western medical community. However, the latest research suggests:
Endometriosis has almost all the hallmarks of an autoimmune disease, and has been found to occur in conjunction with other autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases (including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis).
A definite connection between endometriosis, overall inflammation and immune system dysfunction. Inflammation is connected to your gut function and liver health (the liver’s ability to detox effectively), because gut and liver health play an important role in autoimmunity and the development of autoimmune disease.
That while hormonal imbalance is not at the root of this painful condition it massively exacerbates it, so oestrogen dominance can exacerbate endo symptoms . In other words, hormonal imbalance can make it worse, but doesn’t cause it.
Genetics also play a role as it’s been found that women who have a close relative with the condition are 7 to 10 times more likely to get endometriosis.
How can I cure/ treat endometriosis
There is currently no known cure for endometriosis, but there is a lot that can be done and I’ve created this handy guide to help you live with endo.
Within this guide find a 4 step plan to living with endo which includes getting a diagnosis, finding support and what supplements and lifestyle changes can help your symptoms better than any pain killers.
Download now!!
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Download now!! 〰️
I hope this guide helps. You may also like to connect with these endo positive accounts on Instagram:
Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch - Endo surgeon