What is Endometrisosis?
Endometriosis involves the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus which induces a chronic, inflammatory reaction that may cause health complications and increase a woman’s risk of infertility. The endometrial cells or tissue can spread out to different organs of the body including the pelvic peritoneum, ovaries, bladder and bowel. Risk factors include early onset of menstruation, allergies, genetics, exposure to toxins in the environment (e.g. xenoestrogens), lower body weight, excessive alcohol consumption and heavy, prolonged menstrual cycles.
What are the Signs and Symptoms?
The most commonly known symptoms of endometriosis are:
- Pain is the biggest symptom follow by fertility implications. Sometimes women experience excruciating period or pelvic pain just before and/or during their period cycle.
- Sometimes women can experience heavy bleeding during periods
- Irregular spotting or bleeding outside the period cycle
- Other symptoms are fatigue, lower back pain, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, or nausea and Irritable bowel syndrome like symptoms and sometimes women are incorrectly diagnosed with IBS when they actually have endometriosis.
- This disease has no age boundary. As long as woman has her periods, she’s at risk of developing this disease.
- This disease can be genetic, so if a mother has it or had it, the daughter is more likely to develop this condition. On the flip side this disease can be a result of your epi-genetics, so things like your environment, your lifestyle and your health habits.
What are the Conventional treatments?
Currently there is NO known cure for Endometriosis. Conventional medical treatments include pain killers, anti-inflammatories drugs and surgery. It is important to understand that these treatments do not cure Endometriosis. They can provide temporary relief and mask the symptoms rather than treat the root cause of the disease. Hormone therapy may also be prescribed to women such as the oral contraceptive pill, but this has side effects (depending on the type of hormone therapy)
What are the Alternative treatments?
There are quite a few different health professionals whose advice and guidance women can seek.
- A physiotherapist who specialises in pelvic pain can help with the symptoms.
- The health coach who can help with taking the supplements, nutrition and making the health and lifestyle changes that can help to reduce the symptoms during Endometriosis and after the removal of it via surgery.
- There are gynaecologists who specialise in endometriosis who can give the right guidance.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & Acupuncture treat range of illnesses and can help with Endometriosis (results vary on case by case basis). It is an ancient traditional medicine that encompasses acupuncture, herbs, cupping, lifestyle, and diet etc. It is important that you have the mindset and perseverance to implement healthy diet and lifestyle changes to get the best outcome for your individual circumstances and that someone is there to help you eat the right food according to your unique body type. Also the number of acupuncture treatments and for how long you will need to take TCM will depend on your individual circumstance and your endometriosis symptoms.
What is my message?
- Excruciating period pain is not ok. Even experiencing moderate to high period pain during every period cycle is not ok.
- Heavy bleeding is not ok
- Just putting up with it and being told to just take couple of pain killers is not OK.
- Doing something about your symptoms is BETTER than doing NOTHING about it.
How I can help as Health Coach?
I’ve coached a lot of women who have suffered with endometriosis. My own journey of suffering with Endometriosis, going through a massive surgery last year and being on a journey of recovery has taught me a lot. I wish I knew things 2 years ago that I know now that have helped me so much with my recovery process after the surgery. My mission as a health coach is to be there for women who suffer with endometriosis and/or have had a surgery to remove endometriosis and looking for help to ensure they are taking the right steps in their health, diet and fitness that lead to a healthy and above all HAPPY lifestyle.
Women who suffer with endometriosis and/or have had a surgery often feel alone and helpless. This disease is not just a health issue. Its implications are far greater and much more server. It impacts not only health of a women, but it impacts social life, home life and work life. On average women take 1.5 to 2 days off work as sick leave every month because of the excruciating period pain and heavy bleeding. Women often feel embarrassed to talk about it because talking about periods and period pain has been such a taboo subject. And it is often linked to the mental health issues such as depression because often women feel alone and helpless and go through the pain without knowing what to do.
And I am here to tell you that I am here to help you because you are NOT alone!
Stay healthy and happy you magnificent creature.
Much Love
Asima