Endometriosis is a very prevalent medical condition among women in the USA. According to the Office on Women’s Health, an official website of the United Nations states that 11% of American women between 15 to 44 are affected with endometriosis. Thereby, endometriosis self care is your only way out.
It is a chronic condition where the tissue “endometrium” which is generally found inside the womb or lines of the uterus starts growing outside of the uterus or in the other parts of the body where it doesn’t belong for instance ovaries, fallopian tubes, or outer surface of uterus. Endometriosis growths are benign which means non cancerous but they can cause many problems such as blocking your fallopian tubes, inflammation, and formation of scar tissue that binds your organs together and makes it difficult for you to conceive.
If you are experiencing painful menstrual cramps, chronic pelvic pain, hurtful intercourse, or discomfort in bowel movements then you should consider seeing a medical expert, a gynaecologist or reproductive endocrinologist, or a specialized doctor in complex cases of endometriosis. The treatment of endometriosis comes under two categories, which are either medication or surgery. But it hasn’t had to be this way as with some tailored endometriosis self care strategies you can manage endometriosis. However consulting a healthcare provider is essential to starting any kind of treatment.
In this article
7 Ideal Ways for Endometriosis Self Care
Your body tells you what it needs, especially if it’s in distress. There are certain signs and symptoms that we usually ignore, that lead right to a bigger problem (as they keep getting ignored through). As a woman, you know you need to take care of yourself a bit more. Understand and manage your stress levels, diet, or activity that impacts your health even more when you keep an eye on your menstrual cycle. Along with that, start tracking all the repetitive patterns & symptoms that your body shows.
For the last few years, I have been using an app called Flo, to keep track of my periods, and understand if there are any uncommon symptoms associated to my cycles (that I may ignore otherwise). You may try it too, even the free version helps quite a bit.
Other than tracking your symptoms via an app, you may also start journalling the same (if you’re not a technology buff).
This will help your medical professional to make a more informed decision about your condition. Another important enemy who we tend to ignore is stress. Stress can exacerbate your endometriosis symptoms, and using stress reduction techniques helps in alleviating symptoms. Exercises like mindful meditation, deep breathing, and yoga help in relieving stress.
Pain management:
Pain management helps in coping and alleviating the pain during endometriosis. It is a crucial part of your endometriosis self care. The strategy may include over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen that are easily available to druggists. It also includes hormonal therapies and nerve blockers. In hormonal therapies, patients are given contraceptive pills or progestins to reduce the estrogen or to block its effects. What you need to understand is that endometriosis is driven by estrogen, which means your hormones play a major role in the progression of this disease.
Dietary Modifications:
Nothing will be effective externally if you don’t treat your body internally. So, to manage symptoms and improve your overall health, make changes in your diet. Some common recommendations include reducing the consumption of inflammatory foods like processed meats, refined sugars, and saturated fats. You may want to increase your intake of fruits, raw vegetables, and flax seeds that contain mild estrogenic effects helping in balancing hormones. Avoid dairy if it leads to inflammation.
Sleep Quality:
Good sleep quality helps in reducing the severity of symptoms. Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system other than that sleep quality plays a crucial role in regulating hormones as individuals with endometriosis often have disrupted hormones. You can improve your sleep quality by maintaining a proper sleep schedule, limiting screen time, investing in comfortable bedding, and keeping an eye on what you consume. You also need to make sure that the quality of your sleep is not compromises, as part of your endometriosis self care.
Acupuncture:
A traditional Chinese way to alleviate symptoms and heal the body by inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. Acupuncture is an alternative approach to managing pain and improving the quality of life for individuals with this condition.
Therapies:
Heat and physical therapies are non-pharmacological approaches commonly used to manage pain and discomfort associated with endometriosis.
Heat therapy consists of applying heat to the affected area, typically the lower abdomen in the case of endometriosis, to help alleviate pain and muscle tension. It helps increase blood flow to the area, relax muscles, and reduce cramping sensations also providing relief from pelvic pain.
Physical therapy focuses on exercises that aim to strengthen core muscles (including pelvic floor muscles), improve flexibility, posture correction techniques as well as relaxation methods. It helps in improving overall physical function while addressing specific issues related to endometriosis.
While every endometriosis self care tip is tried and approved by many women but still before adding anything new to your regime you must consult your healthcare provider especially if it involves taking anything.
Takeaway
To conclude, we can say to improve the quality of life it is essential to maintain a daily regime and add a self-care routine while combating endometriosis. Incorporating therapies, a well-balanced diet, stress, and pain management, along with regular monitoring of your medical condition can help you to take proactive steps towards health and well-being.
If you are someone who is suffering from endometriosis then some support groups can also help while organizations like the Endometriosis Foundation of America or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists can also assist you in reliable information regarding endometriosis.
