STAY HYDRATED Drinking enough water is another habit that has a multitude of health benefits. When properly hydrated, it reduces your risk of bloating, a common side effect of endometriosis. Proper hydration can also help alleviate cramping and improve your overall wellness.
The first habit that can really help you to thrive with endometriosis is drinking enough water. Yep, really! So many of us with endometriosis suffer from constipation, brain fog, fatigue, lack of focus and memory loss – yet these are also symptoms of every day dehydration.
If you struggle with endometriosis, it's also important to note that dehydration can cause similar side effects + therefore intensify your experience with your Endometriosis. Symptoms such as: fatigue. muscle cramps or spasms.
Limiting oestrogen can shrink endometriosis tissue in the body and reduce pain from endometriosis. But hormone treatment has no effect on adhesions ("sticky" areas of tissue that can cause organs to fuse together) and cannot improve fertility.
Hormones come in the form of a pill, a shot or injection, or a nasal spray. Hormone treatments stop the ovaries from producing hormones, including estrogen, and usually prevent ovulation. This may help slow the growth and local activity of both the endometrium and the endometrial lesions.
Stress, a lack of sleep, drinking alcohol, and eating inflammatory foods can all be the triggers for endometriosis flare up.
If you have endometriosis, one of the best ways to sleep is on your side.
Endometriosis flare-ups can vary in length. For many, hormonal changes trigger flare-ups that occur during the menstrual cycle and can last a few days from the start to the end of menstruation. For others, other factors that cause increased inflammation and last up to several weeks can trigger flare-ups.
The pain that some people with endometriosis experience is not cyclic. Instead, some people with endometriosis have constant pain, regardless of where they are in their menstrual cycle. People can have endometriosis pain that is persistent and interrupts their ability to partake in their daily activities.
To feel better, eat more fruit, veggies, and fish. Women who eat a plant-based diet are less likely to get endometriosis. Also good: healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, tuna, and walnuts. Cut back on beef, pork, and other red meat.
The link between endometriosis and diet
A 2013 study suggested that women who ate more vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids were more protected from symptoms of endometriosis, while those who consumed red meat, trans fats, and coffee may have experienced the opposite effect.
Endometriosis can damage the reproductive organs and affect fertility. For example, adhesions and endometriosis tissue can damage the uterus, making it more difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. It may also damage the ovaries, affecting egg quality and making it harder for a person to become pregnant.
Vitamin Bs are commonly prescribed and self-prescribed for female hormonal conditions such as endometriosis. Vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine) in particular is often promoted for women's health generally and specifically for endometriosis.
Endometriosis has an inflammatory component, and as discussed above, magnesium is involved in inflammatory processes. Magnesium also has a role in relaxing smooth muscle [52] . Magnesium intake from food sources has been found to have an inverse relationship with endometriosis [53] .
While it can't be cured, treatment of endometriosis can include: pain relief medications, hormonal treatments such as the oral contraceptive pill, the IUD 'Mirena', artificial progesterone, and surgery involving laparoscopy.
While there isn't a lot of research on exercise's impact on endometriosis, some of the results are promising: A 2019 study found that rats with endometriosis that did moderate and intense exercise had a decrease in the size of endometriotic lesions.
- Exercise can be part of a multi-pronged strategy to treat endometriosis pain as it helps in loosening of variety of ligaments and muscles, which allows a person to move better despite their pain. - Additionally, exercise also increases serotonin levels, and increases opioids that help in managing the pain.