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Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where parts of the lining of the uterus travel and attached themselves to abnormal areas in the body such as other organs in the pelvic cavity. In many cases, it can be extremely painful as the tissue will still be responsive to the monthly flow of oestrogen which causes the uterine lining to swell and bleed wherever it may be. Even though the tissue islets are tiny, if they have attached themselves to an area where the blood has nowhere to go, the inflammation that causes the pain can be excruciating for several days of the month and sometimes much longer.

It has not yet been established what the exact cause of endometriosis is, but there has been much speculation in many different areas which mostly point to the environmental pollution associated with our modern way of living. Although researchers have also studied the effects of endometrial cells travelling backward through the fallopian tubes, which is known as retrograde bleeding, there is also much evidence to show the link to certain chemicals such as dioxins. These are mainly waste by-products of industrial processes, but can be found elsewhere such as natural fires. However, it has been shown that there is a high prevalence of women living near such industries developing endometriosis.

Although endometriosis is well known for the excruciating pain and inflammation it causes each menstrual cycle, there is also a link to other conditions which are associated with a progesterone deficiency. This is because researchers have found that dioxins act as a disrupter of progesterone actions which would leave women without the protection to negate the harmful effects of too much oestrogen. Unopposed oestrogen can cause a myriad of symptoms ranging from mild to very serious. Supplementing with progesterone at certain times of the month can be helpful particularly for controlling and balancing the surge in oestrogen which causes the thickening of the endometrium.