“Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory, systemic disease characterised by cells resembling the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) growing in places outside the uterus. The causes are as of yet unknown with hormonal, genetic, and immune origins theorised.
People with endometriosis can experience a range of symptoms with the most predominant being pelvic pain, but can also include fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and infertility. The severity of these symptoms is unrelated to the severity of endometriosis lesions. To date the only definitive diagnosis is surgical and while there are many potential treatments, their efficacy is limited and variable. There is no cure for endometriosis.”
- Agarwal et al. (2019)
Endometriosis is not a life sentence and can be managed. It takes perseverance and effort, but the rewards are a pain-free and happy life. The key is catching it early because once the damage has been done, scarring can develop, which is difficult to remove and causes pain with every cycle.
What are symptoms of Endometriosis?
- Dysmenorrhea, which aggravates on day 2 and 3 of the cycle
- Non-specific pelvic pain
- Infertility
- Cramping
- Lower back pain
As the condition develops, symptoms spread across the cycle and pain can be a constant companion. Hormonally-based symptoms link with the physical symptoms and women often feel emotional, moody, irritable, lack energy and have poor sleep.
Causes of Endomoetriosis
- Idiopathic (unknown)
- Poor hormone metabolism via the liver and digestive tract
- Oestrogen sensitivity, Low Progesterone
- Toxaemia - Constipation and bowel waste resorption
- Heavy periods, Dysmenorrhoea, ovulation dysfunction, late ovulation, early menses
- Environmental Toxins
- Poor nutrient assimilation and nutrient deficiencies
- Synthetic Hormones
- Genetic predisposition
- Poor diet and lifestyle - especially linked to high sugar intake, alcohol intake and fatty food intake.
Every person has a unique constitutional type. This constitutional type has different strengths and weaknesses, which are in a way similar to your genetic strengths and weaknesses. When the body is in perfect balance, the weaknesses do not manifest; when your strengths are reduced, the weaknesses show.
Your symptoms of endometriosis represent a personal susceptibility to diseases of the female organs through a constitutional imbalance. Poor assimilation, elimination, poor dietary choices and environmental toxins also play a major role in the development of endometriosis, by increasing the circulating levels of the female hormone oestrogen in the blood. Excessive levels of circulating oestrogens cause female diseases like endometriosis.
Among the most important nutrients required for the proper metabolism of oestrogen in the body are essential fatty acids and vitamins. If, for some reason, the body does not get the nutrients from the diet - either because the food is poor quality, or because the body itself is not able to absorb the nutrients from the food - proper metabolism of oestrogen is hampered, and this may lead to an excess amount of circulating oestrogen in the body.
The circulating levels of oestrogen are also increased if the elimination of waste from the body is not effective. The excessive oestrogen in the body is usually metabolized by the liver and eliminated through the bowels. If the bowels are not working properly, then the levels of oestrogens in the blood go up, causing symptoms of oestrogen dominance.
Excessive levels of circulating oestrogens cause female diseases like endometriosis.
Addictions and poor dietary choices in the form of smoking, alcohol, red meat and too much saturated fat in the diet, affect proper oestrogen balance in the body through their effect on the liver. Since the liver is the organ which breaks down the excessive oestrogen in the body, if it's not working properly, the levels of circulating oestrogens go up, thereby creating a profile of oestrogen dominance in the system. Happy Greens has been designed to assist the body in clearing hormones more efficiently.
Environmental toxins and heavy metals also act very much in the same way by affecting the liver. Synthetic hormones from an external source are also responsible for symptoms of oestrogen dominance in the body in a major way. Perhaps the most common source of synthetic hormones is from oral contraceptive pills. Apart from this, synthetic hormones can also enter the body through the consumption of animal products. Red meat and chicken commonly contain growth-promoting factors GTF, even in well-regulated markets like Australia.
How to treat Endometriosis naturally
Step One - Improve digestion
- Cleansing the bowels
- Add some psyllium husks or natural fibres such as chia or basil seeds to your daily routine to ensure regular bowel movements.
- Start having fermented foods on a regular basis. Fermented foods rebalance the gut ecology which is critical for healthy digestion and metabolising hormones correctly. Happy Greens contain LIVE probiotics to improve microflora levels.
Step Two - Vitamin and mineral supplements
The following supplements may help:
- Vitamin B esp B6, 200 mg a day
- Essential fatty acids preferably as Evening Primrose oil 6-8 capsules /day (maximum dosage 14 capsules a day)
- Magnesium - relaxes and calms muscle tissue helping with pain.
- Amino acids taurine, methionine, cysteine, glutathione, glycine - improve hormone metabolism in the liver
- Check iron levels
- St Mary's thistle or Milk Thistle and dandelion can help to improve liver function as well
Step Three - Phytomedicines
Take an herbal blend with Wild Yam, Vitex, Paeonia, Red clover, Raspberry Leaf, Sage, and Black Cohosh are some of the common herbal medicines that assist in supporting a healthy menstrual cycle.
Step Four - Homeopathic medicines
A good homeopath may recommend some of the following Homoeopathic remedies:
- Bryonia
- Crotalus horridus
- Digitalis
- Hamamelis virg
- Phosphorus
- Sanguinaria
- Senecio Aureus
Step Five - Track your hormone cycle
Use a fertility app to track your cycle and understand when you ovulate and the average duration of your cycle.Step Six - Reduce Stress
Stress management is critical. Stress increases cortisol levels which contribute to inflammation and reduce the correct production of progesterone. Managing stress by dealing with triggers and releasing stress with regular exercise, meditation and yoga. If you need extra assistance to help with you stress, check out our Happy Calm supplements.Step Seven - 8-Week Guided program
Follow the 8-Week Happy Hormones dietary guidelines which will cleanse your system, remove reactive and processed foods, alkalise your system and provide sufficient antioxidants to start the healing process. You can download the program by completing your profile here.
Step Eight - Plyocentric Exercises
General exercise is great for overall health, however, when you can do specific exercises that will assist with endometriosis, it's much better.
We developed this set of plyocentric exercises, which improve blood flow to the pelvic region and encourage the removal of wastes. If you can practice these exercises daily then it will make a big difference to your symptoms. Start slowly and build up to 20 minutes a day.
Check out these exercises in the video below:
Step Nine - Tips to control endometriosis:
Avoid saturated fats
Saturated fats are big contributors to inflammation in the body. It is best to stay away from all saturated fats and especially red meat since it contains high levels of saturated fats and growth-promoting factors.
Stay away from smoking and alcohol
Alcohol is a big stress on the liver. This is because the liver metabolises alcohol in preference to other substances in the body. In women, the level of estrogen in the blood has been found to go up by as much as 200% after a drink. Smoking, on the other hand, leaches important nutrients from the body, causing a deficiency of those nutrients. So it's important for women suffering from endometriosis to stay away from both alcohol and smoking.
Include more coriander in your diet
Coriander is one of the best detoxifiers of heavy metals in the body. Since heavy metal toxicity is a major concern in female hormonal diseases, a generous use of fresh coriander in the food is strongly recommended.
Summary
The protocol above is a standard Naturopathic approach to treating endometriosis.
The most important and effective elements of the protocol are the herbal medicines, diet and essential fatty acids. For the homeopathic remedies, you'll need to find a good practitioner to assist.
Please share this information to help women find a solution because current medical models offer only pain relief and surgery - which should be final solutions only.
