Endometriosis

Home » Conditions » Endometriosis

Endometriosis, where the tissue forming the lining of the womb grows outside the womb, around other organs, is the most common cause of chronic pain in women of child-bearing age. The pain nearly always coincides with the menstrual period, and may also be experienced at the time of ovulation, approximately mid-cycle. The pain can also be triggered by sexual intercourse, a bowel motion or emptying the bladder, and sometimes causes spotting between periods. The extraneous endometrial cells (womb lining) not only grow outside the uterus, but they also mimic the function of the endometrium, in that they have a monthly bleed. In mild cases the blood is reabsorbed by the body, but in more severe cases cysts form, which then weep and cause pelvic irritation. The length of time a woman suffers varies from person to person. Some women only suffer for a few months, whilst others suffer

all their menstruating lives. It is often better during pregnancy, which is why becoming pregnant may be offered as the solution. Endometriosis can be very painful, restricting your lifestyle and physical abilities. It is associated with infertility, but it seems that many sufferers do manage to conceive without too much difficulty. Reports of just how common this condition are varied probably because it is difficult to assess precisely. The diagnosis has to be made during a laporoscopy, a telescopic look into the abdominal cavity, which is not something most well women would undergo just to pass the time of day! Therefore, it is impossible to assess how many women without symptoms may or may not be suffering to some degree. The current medical view is that some women are born with a predisposition to endometriosis.

The symptoms are:

• period-like cramp pains which may be quite severe
• heavy bleeding
• inability to conceive
• painful intercourse.

To some degree the cause of endometriosis is still somewhat of a mystery, and the choices doctors have at their disposal are limited to drugs and surgery.

• Eliminate the possibility that anything other than endometriosis could be causing the pain, by taking a careful history, examining you and doing routine blood screening. Infection causing PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) must be excluded.

• Drugs such as progestogens and Danazol are able to cause the endometrial tissue to shrink. They work by blocking the action of oestrogen, which seems to be an important factor in the multiplication of endometrial cells. The treatment would need to be continued over several months, and would only mask symptoms. Most of the drugs used do have a list of side-effects, so it is often a question of making a choice between existing symptoms or the drug-induced symptoms. The success rate using drug therapy is in the region of 40 per cent.

• More powerful drugs called gonadotrophic releasing hormone agonists. These hormone suppressing agents switch off the whole menstrual cycle, producing an artificial menopause. They are very effective, but can only be used in severe cases and for a limited period of time. Hot flushes and osteoporosis are inevitable side effects.

• A skilled surgeon may be able to remove the endometrial cells and cysts from the unwanted places in the pelvic cavity by laporoscopy. Laser treatment seems to be equally good at destroying these unwanted 364 THE NATURAL HEALTH BIBLE cells as the scalpel. The success rate following surgery is in the region of 80 per cent, double that for drug therapy, but surgery is not without risks.

There is no clear benefit from the many branches of complementary therapy, although it is always worth trying new options as research evolves. The nutritional guidelines are very similar to those for fibroids.

• Try following a diet high in fibre and low in animal fat, as this may prevent oestrogen surges

• Eating unsalted nuts and seeds contain beneficial essential fatty acids to relieve the pain and inflammation.

• Take supplements of multi-vitamins and minerals, with extra magnesium (300 mg) and evening primrose oil with marine fish oil, for their hormone-regulating and anti-inflammatory potential. Efamol marine fish oil is the purest form, containing no trace of heavy metals. Efamol is one of the only brands authorised by Greenpeace for its purity.

• Take a supplement of zinc, a mineral necessary for correct metabolism of essential fatty acids and conversion into hormone-like prostaglandins. Three types of prostaglandin exist – series one, two and three. Series one and three have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, while series two, derived from arachidonic acid potentiate inflammation. Zinc deficiency results in impaired prostaglandin one and three synthesis, therefore increasing inflammation and pain associated with endometriosis.

• Reduce consumption of wheat and bran which contain phytic acid. Phytic acid binds with zinc, inhibiting its absorption.

• Take the amino acid DLPA which is thought to relieve the pain associated with endometriosis. DLPA works by inhibiting the enzymes which normally rapidly inactivate the natural pain-killing endorphins produced by the brain.

• Eat organic foods where possible. Some research has shown a link between pesticides such as dioxin and PCBs which are toxic to the immune system and interfere with hormones.

• Limit meat and dairy products unless they are low fat and preferably organic. These foods contain an abundance of synthetic hormones and antibiotics. Dairy products are also a primary source of arachidonic acid – the precursor to the pro-inflammatory series 2 prostaglandins. The high saturated fat content of many dairy products is a risk factor for excess oestrogen levels in the body.