This Mysterious Disease Affects 1 in 10 Women
In many cases, misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or simply obscure, hidden diseases seem to be off the radar of established medical science. Yet, the figures are telling in themselves: from a monetary view, women lose their jobs to the tune of $80.4 billion a year in the U.S. alone where an estimated 7.6 million women are sufferers.
However, that’s not the only way this hidden disease plagues women: broken relationships due to painful $exual experiences; untold reports of infertility; and an almost total disinterest by many researchers as to finding the cause of this disease is prevalent.
What Is Endometriosis?
In this disease, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, the endometrium, grows outside of the uterus and spreads to the ovaries, bowel or the pelvic tissue lining; however, it normally does not expand beyond the pelvic region.
Related Link: Eating Changes She Made to Cure Endometriosis
Common Symptoms:
While many women may not display any symptoms at all, below are listed some of the most common manifestations of the disease.
Painful periods
Pelvic pain and cramps
Lower back and abdominal pain
Painful love making and painful bowel movements
Excessive bleeding and bleeding between periods
Infertility
Diarrhea
Constipation
Nausea
Systemic yeast overgrowth
Inability to deal with prolonged emotional stress conditions
Conventional Medical Treatment:
Surgery, drugs, and laparoscopic laser treatments are commonly used, in addition to hysterectomies. While anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives, and hormone-suppressing drugs are used, admittedly, there is no cure for the disease and efforts concentrate instead on relieving the symptoms.
Dietary Guidelines For Endometriosis:
After one recent study, medical researchers concluded that a high consumption of green vegetables and fruit may lower the risk of developing endometriosis; however, eating red meats was not encouraged nor the drinking of alcohol, milk or coffee. There was no reason given for this determination.
Natural Alternative Treatments:
Some Doctors of Osteopathic(DO) medicine who practice holistic treatments maintain that DOs see consistent positive results when combining dietary changes, nutrient support, emotional healing and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and phytotherapy.
In order to minimize xenoestrogen exposure, it’s advised to eliminate non-organic dairy products, beef, and chicken while increasing foods such as low-carb organic broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage and cold-water fish. In essence, these foods help support good insulin metabolism, overall hormonal balance and help reduce extra estrogen from the body.
As such, a comprehensive, integrative approach seems the way to go for many women: mild exercise, good nutrition and an avoidance of extreme emotional stress.
If you are a sufferer of this illness, how well does your dietary intake align with the above holistic dietary suggestions?