For most women, the menstrual period is just a fact of life, a monthly occurrence as unremarkable as sending in a car payment. Not so for women with endometriosis. In endometriosis, the tissue that lines the uterus, called the endometrium, implants and grows in areas it shouldn’t. This wandering tissue sometimes bleeds and/or secretes an irritant into the surrounding tissue when a woman gets her period. So she is hit with cramps and pain wherever the tissue has implanted, which could be outside the uterus, the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, or bowel. But the pain is not necessarily associated with the menstrual cycle. It can occur at any time. Endometriosis pain affects women differently, depending on where the tissue has implanted. Symptoms may include the painful periods and bowel movements, lower back pain, and pain during sex. For some women endometriosis can be associated with infertility and heavy or irregular bleeding. Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to ease your discomfort.
1. Eat More Fish
Consume more fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, salmon, and tuna. A diet high in fish oil can help reduce the endometriosis pain. Fish oil is thought to stimulate the good type of prostaglandin, which does not cause pain, instead of the bad type, which causes inflammation. Or opt for fish oil capsules, taken according to the dosage on the label.
2. Modify Meat Eating
Limit your consumption of red meat to 6 ounces or less, three times per week. Red meat is high in arachidonic acid, which can lead to tissue inflammation. Instead, try to eat at least 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower a day, along with 20 to 50 grams of soy protein. In addition, have at least ½ cup of cooked whole grains such as barley or brown ice.
3. Soothe With Heat
Place a warm heating pad on your abdomen. Keep the temperature comfortably warm, and use the pad as long as you need to. As extra insurance against burns, you should put a cloth between the pad and your skin.
4. Try To Keep Moving
While there is no evidence that exercise will help cure endometriosis, however, there is evidence that women who exercise are less likely to have this condition. If you are in too much pain for vigorous exercise, try strength training, riding a stationary bike, or another activity that does not jostle you around too much. If the pain is severe, at least try to exercise before your period, it may help reduce your discomfort.
5. Get Your B Vitamins
It is recommended to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains 50 to 100 milligrams of each of the B vitamins. The B vitamins can help your liver process estrogen more effectively.
6. Try Oil Pack
Cover your abdomen with a castor-oil pack. Here is how. Soak a piece of flannel in cold-pressed castor oil and place it over your lower abdomen, directly on your skin. Cover the cloth with a hot water bottle and lie on your back for an hour. The castor oil gets into your lymph nodes and may help your immune system remove implanted endometriosis tissue. You can find cold-pressed castor oil at health food stores.
7. Skip The Moo Food
Cut back on processed dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. Non-organic dairy foods increase estrogen levels, and that increase can intensify the pain.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes Group specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.
