Your treatment options for endometriosis

 

As mentioned in the first post on endometriosis, there is no unifying theory regarding endometriosis' development in women. Endometriosis' origins are multi-factorial, meaning that it is unlikely that one aspect of your health has created this problem and, most likely, it is caused by several issues.

 

Although the exact cause of endometriosis is not certain, several possible explanations include:

It is also accepted that an underlying hormonal issue, possibly since puberty, has created the environment for endometriosis to develop. Thanks to Dr John Lee’s work in the 1990's, we now know how ‘Oestrogen Dominance’ can impact the reproductive cycle and create the environment for endometriosis to develop. This has shown that a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive oestrogen, but has little or no progesterone hormone to balance its effects. Even a woman with low oestrogen levels can have oestrogen dominance symptoms if she doesn’t have enough progesterone.

 

 

It is all about getting the right balance between our sex hormones. Symptoms of oestrogen dominance include:

Treatment options

 

Pain medications and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can be used for the treatment of painful menses and endometriosis. However, this option only masks the symptoms.

 

Hormonal treatment with hormonal therapies such as hormonal birth control, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone or an intrauterine device (IUD) may also be recommended. From my perspective, using bioidentical hormones has shown to have better results. Hormonal therapy can exacerbate the issue, as it is very likely that a hormonal imbalance created this problem.

 

With surgery, a conservative approach is initially taken, removing the areas of endometriosis. This can give instant relief, but make sure to prevent the lesions from re-occurring.

 

Reducing Xenoestrogens: Modern life surrounds us with fat-soluble, non-biodegradable chemicals called Xenoestrogens. These have been confirmed as a major cause for hormonal problems by the UN and the EU. Removing exposure to xenoestrogens is a vital aspect to aid hormonal balancing.

 

Stress: Progesterone, the partner hormone to oestrogen, is used by the body to create the stress hormone cortisol. If women are under a lot of stress, it is common that their progesterone stores are can be converted to cortisol to support the stressful period. Reducing stress will help balance progesterone/ oestrogen/ cortisol levels.

 

 

Balance blood sugars:High insulin levels can have a stress-like effect on the endocrine system. Cut out the processed sugar. Slow-release carbohydrates are a much better alternative. Explore the GI balancing system.

 

Liver health: One of the liver's many jobs is eliminating excess hormones. Supporting your liver by removing fatty processed foods from your diet, avoiding alcohol intake will help to free up the liver.

 

Nutrients, including magnesium, the B Complex family, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Boron are involved in the manufacturing, utilisation and removal of hormones in the body. In a recent clinical study using our nutritional supplement pre-Conceive, we improved the hormonal profiles of all women in the study. There are several very impressive nutritional products out there that can support the hormonal cycle; just ask your healthcare provider to recommend one based on your needs.

 

Improving your diet and lifestyle can be a major weapon for you in combating the symptoms of endometriosis. Supplementation, integrative therapies like acupuncture and orthodox medical approaches can all work in tandem to provide best results. Identify the treatment choice that works for you. In my experience, correcting the hormonal profile is the priority. This can at least stop the endometriosis from developing any further and even help to correct the problem itself.