Many women tend to think that painful periods are normal, without any prior knowledge of what’s happening in their bodies. Around 10% of the female human population worldwide suffers from endometriosis without their knowledge, which raises the question, what is Endometriosis and why does it affect so many women?
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is an agonizing disorder where the tissue that’s similar to the endometrium–a mucous membrane found in the uterus that thickens for possible embryo implantation during the menstrual cycle–develops on the outside of the uterus.
It’s a complication that mainly involves the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and tissue linings in the pelvis. Therefore, it affects women who are undergoing or have undergone puberty, which is the larger female population. It affects so many women since it takes a very long time to diagnose the ones who suffer from it.
Even when diagnosed, there’s no established root cause or treatment of endometriosis. However, the good news is that there are some ways to manage the pain caused by endometriosis.
Here are some of these methods:
- Use Heat
The use of heat is a humble home remedy that involves heating a hot pad or a bottle of water and placing it on the lower abdomen, helping the pelvic muscles relax and reduce cramping. Another alternative is taking a hot bath to relax all the affected muscles in one go.
- Pain Medication
Depending on the amount of pain, over-the-counter medication always aids in relieving even endometriosis-related pain. However, if the pain persists or gets worse, you should opt for strong prescription drugs, such as acetaminophen, naproxen, or ibuprofen, which specifically fight inflammation. Cubbing inflammation helps reduce the pain associated with endometriosis.
Take note that a doctor should access the condition before subscribing to any medication. Prescribed pain killers can also lead to addiction.
- Utilizing A Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
TENS is an over-the-counter alternative for pain killers that has electrodes attached to the skin and sends a ticklish electric pulse down the body. By inducing the production of endorphins, which is a natural pain fighter, the pulses can either block the pain messages from reaching the nerve system, helping fight the pain away.
Pregnant mothers should avoid this method since the pulses might be too strong for the mother and the unborn child.
- Hormone Therapy
Hormones affect premenstrual syndrome, and they can be manipulated to aid regulate endometriosis pain. Hormones such as Progestin (slows down the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus), GnRH (stops or minimizes production of estrogen and progesterone during menopause), and Agonist and oral contraceptive pills (limit the numbers of cycles a female undergoes) are all in the quest to manage pain caused by endometriosis.
- Pelvic Massage Therapy
The relaxing effect of massage is also a vital remedy for pain associated with endometriosis. Massaging the pelvic area shortly before the pain start helps minimizes endometriosis-related pain by making the body comfortable and preparing it for the pain.
Soft music, scented smell, and massage oil often aid with massage therapy since it’ll set the mood.
- Regular Light Exercise
Exercise is both an indulging and a therapeutic method of treating endometriosis symptoms at home. This is because it keeps your mind off the pain by indulging your body in different activities, easing the discomfort. It also induces the production of endorphins, which helps minimize stress and anxiety, and lowers the level of estrogen produced, thus minimizing the pain.
After exercising, it’s important to stretch and rest properly, helping you manage the pain caused by endometriosis and to have your body in the best shape.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids contain an inflammatory property, which soothes the pain caused by the menstrual cycle. They also help set your mood and stabilize hormonal fluctuations. These factors play a big role in minimizing pain.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be sourced in nuts, plant oils, fish, and other kinds of seafood.
- CBD Oil
CBD oil is an all-natural way to relieve pain caused by endometriosis because it has an anti-inflammatory property that helps reduce the level of prostaglandin produced during menstruation. This aspect aids in minimizing inflammation, which eventually regulates endometriosis-related pain.
- Surgical Treatment
If all the remedies on how to cope with endometriosis symptoms don’t work for you, surgery is the last option. Depending on the severity of the endometriosis, a surgeon may manually remove the endometrial tissue attached to the uterus.
Conclusion
Pain caused by endometriosis can be devitalizing, deranging your daily activities. For some women, this pain can occur during ovulation or menstruation, while other women also experience this constantly, depending on the body’s response.
It’s important for women who go through endometriosis to have more information about it at their fingertips and learn how to cope and manage it.
