Endometriosis in Women

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition which is very common and affects about 15% of all women in the world. Most of the women suffering from endometriosis hormone imbalance are rendered infertile.
This disorder is observed more commonly in women who are above 30 and childless. In this disorder, the endometrium, which is the lining of a woman’s womb, begins to outgrow the womb and starts spreading in the pelvic region bladder, ovaries and even the fallopian tube. If the condition is severe, it can even spread to the lungs, eyes, knees and armpits.

Since endometrium is sensitive to female hormones, it bleeds every time the woman is menstruating. Normally, the blood flows out of the vagina but when the endometrium has spread so much, there is no outlet for the blood and it begins to get trapped in the woman’s body. The trapped blood causes inflammation and ultimately a lot of pain. Sometimes, if the endometrium has reached the upper portions of the body, a woman can experience nose bleeds too.

Causes of Endometriosis:

The endometrium or the lining of the womb is sensitive to the hormone estrogen. The body needs a break from estrogen and that can only happen when a woman is pregnant. When a woman delays pregnancy and has too many cycles with giving the endometrium a break, it begins to outgrow the womb, causing endometriosis.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

Different women respond differently to this condition. Many women do not experience any symptoms and life goes on normally, whereas there are many who experience excruciating pain during menstruation and sexual intercourse. The symptoms do not have a fixed time to appear. They can in fact appear any time. The pain can start anytime and persist for several days at an end. For most women who suffer from this condition, painful sex is the commonest symptom and therefore doctors consider this symptom important to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Back pain, nausea, pain in the pelvic region, heavy and painful periods and general fatigue are also some symptoms of endometriosis. The symptoms do improve a lot if a pregnancy occurs.
Since endometriosis is chiefly caused because of hormonal imbalance, it is important to improve your diet so that the hormones flow normally. To get relief from your symptoms, it is advised that you take a multi vitamin and mineral diet. Vitamin B particularly helps in relieving the condition. It has properties that break down estrogen into forms which are weaker and therefore less dangerous. There is significant evidence to show that Vitamin B6 significantly reduces the period pains. Vitamin E also helps in reducing menstrual cramps and therefore is a great addition to your diet. To boost up your immunity, vitamin C and bioflavonoids are important. So make sure that you add those to your diet as well.