What is Endometriosis and How do I know I have it?
I first heard about endometriosis when I was in college. My mom had to have her right ovary removed because of her endometriosis, but I didn’t really know what that meant at the time. I just knew that it was what caused her to have such horrid periods. I was on the pill at the time so I didn’t really think about whether it was something that could affect me too. Little did I know that during all those years on the pill endometriosis was laying in wait to let me know that it was indeed there and growing strong.
Before I get into how I finally discovered I have endo let’s take a look at what it really is and what it isn’t. Endometriosis is when endometrium-like growths are found outside of the uterus. I say endometrium-like because research has found that these growths are very similar to endometrium but they are also distinctly different. So how did these growths end up where they aren’t supposed to be? It used to be thought that the actual endometrium ended up in the pelvic cavity through something called retrograde menstruation, where menstrual fluid flows up and out of the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity. However, recent research and theories suggest that these growths actually begin in utero.
So, if we are born with endometriosis why does it take so long to manifest symptoms? I believe there are a couple of reasons for this. First, while endometriosis isn’t caused by hormonal imbalance it is affected by it. It is particularly affected by estrogen. This means that with each menstrual cycle we add more estrogen fuel to its fire and this is why some women do find symptomatic relief from being on hormonal birth control or other hormone suppressing drugs. As we get older, we are also more stressed which often leads to estrogen dominance and adds even more estrogen to the mix. Second, recent research is finding that there seems to be an immune system component with endometriosis leading them to think that it may be autoimmune in nature. Many, if not all, autoimmune disorders stem from issues in the intestinal barrier (as this is where most of our immune system is actually located). So, it’s my belief that while we may be born with endometriosis, we don’t really seem to be affected by it until later in life when hormonal issues and intestinal permeability have had a chance to set in.
This brings me to how I found out that I too have endometriosis. It wasn’t until I had been off the pill for several years that I started to have symptoms that could possibly mean that I had endometriosis. My periods over the last few years just seemed to be getting worse and worse. They were heavy, I had awful diarrhea, and it seemed that with every cycle my cramps would become more intense. At its worst I ended up going to the ER begging for anything to make the pain stop because I was throwing up from the pain and ibuprofen just wasn’t helping. After seeing several ob/gyn’s about my many period and fertility issues I finally found one that would listen to me and believed that the pain and other menstrual issues meant that something was wrong. I tried some different treatments like progesterone supplementation and other supplements but the pain didn’t seem to be going away. So, my doctor suggested that I may have endometriosis.
| Common symptoms are: pelvic pain and cramping during and between periods, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements or urination,occasional heavy menstrual periods or bleeding between periods, infertility, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods. |
Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if you have endometriosis is to have surgery. There is actually some research going on right now that is working on finding a way to test for endometriosis via menstrual blood. If you would like to know more about this visit: The ROSE study.
I have Endometriosis Now What?
I did end up getting the surgery where the doctor found endometriosis on the back of my uterus and both ovaries. The best treatment for endometriosis is surgery and removal of the adhesions. It is important to find a doctor who is skilled in the removal of endometriosis. A great resource for finding such doctors is the Nancy’s Nook facebook page. Unfortunately, I did not want to wait to find a different doctor so I went with my current Ob/gyn. However, if I do ever suspect that the endometriosis has grown back (which it can do if not properly and fully removed) I will be seeing a specialist recommended by her page.
If surgery is not an option or you want to do what you can to make sure that your endometriosis symptoms don’t return there are some things you can do. I try to do as many of the following things as possible (we can’t do it all, all the time). First, I combat pain with natural means. For example, I take warm baths with magnesium flakes to make sure I get plenty of magnesium. I try to include inflammation reducing turmeric in my diet as much as possible (you can also take curcumin pills). I also make sure to take my daily dose of fish oil. Omega-3’s are the fats used in your body to create anti-inflammatory fighters called prostaglandins. Second, I am healing my gut starting with slowing down my eating and increasing my stomach acid and then working down the system to adding in gut healing supplements like L-glutamine and probiotics. This also means that at different times I followed different healing diets like gluten and dairy free, low-histamine, and AIP. Finally, I have sought the help of acupuncture. It has been an amazing addition to my healing process. Since, implementing these changes over the last few years (yes it takes years to really begin to heal your body naturally) my periods have become almost pain free.
Let me know if you have any further questions about endometriosis or you can check out the links below to find out more information.
References:
http://endopaedia.info/diagnosis2.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656
https://www.larabriden.com/endometriosis-and-the-microbiome/