Endometriosis is a chronic disorder that affects about one in every 10 women, and yet it can take up to seven a half years to be properly diagnosed. That can mean years of quiet suffering for women so afflicted with a condition in which the endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus and can spread to beyond the pelvic area, in the process affecting the reproductive system.
What Does Endometriosis Involve?
Per healthline.com, endometriosis typically arises on the outer surface of the uterus as well as on the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or the tissues that keep the uterus properly positioned. The tissues that develop beyond the uterus are known as “endometrial implants,” which grow and bleed in response to hormones, per medicalnewstoday.com.
The primary symptom of endometriosis is a localized pain that ranges from what could be described as a modest irritation to severe pelvic pain. Other symptoms can include heavy periods, pain during sex, back pain, and nausea, among other attendant conditions.
Endometriosis Awareness Month recognizes that this debilitating disorder is a worldwide phenomenon in which it is estimated that more than 170 million women worldwide are victimized by the condition, per awarenessdays.com. Although there is no known cure for endometriosis, the attendant pain can be mitigated with an assortment of traditional treatments that include pain remedies, hormone therapy, and medications that block the body’s manufacture of estrogen.
7 Herbs & Supplements That Target Endometriosis Symptoms
Even though assorted pain relievers and hormonal drugs comprise the bulk of standard initial treatment for endometriosis, many such traditional remedies are accompanied by side effects. Many patients thus turn to natural remedies such as herbs and supplements that can provide many of the same benefits as the traditional treatments, but without the undesirable and inconvenient side effects.
As always, we are not offering medical advice, only a list and summaries of herbs and supplements that have reportedly shown beneficial traits in trials and actual cases. Usage of any of these products should be discussed with your healthcare provider before you incorporate any as part of a treatment program.
- Milk thistle. Milk thistle is a plant-based substance that contains silymarin, which is found in the plant’s seeds and is anti-inflammatory in nature. As such, per endometriosis.net, silymarin is supportive of proper functioning of the liver, which, in turn is primarily responsible for ridding the body of toxins to include excess hormones such as estrogen. Painful endometriosis lesions rely on such estrogen for their production and growth.
- Omega 3’s. These fatty acids might help in thwarting inflammation while also bolstering the body’s immune system. Both of these characteristics, working in tandem, could help in providing relief for a woman from endometriosis-associated symptoms, per endometriosis.net.
- Turmeric. The key ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which has among its many health benefits a propensity to regulate a woman’s hormones, thus inhibiting the growth of endometrial adhesions, per medicalnewstoday.com. A recent study conducted in a laboratory setting also found that curcumin can suppress a type of estrogen known as estradiol, in the process curtailing endometrial cell growth.
- Vitamin B6. A water-soluble vitamin also known as pyridoxine, vitamin B6 is believed to be able to decrease the amount of estrogen in the body. That makes B6 a potential agent to alleviate endometriosis-related symptoms, per endometriosis.net.
- Ashwagandha. A 2006 study cited at healthline.com found another vastly annoying symptom in women with advanced endometriosis, that being a heightened level of the hormone cortisol, known to be involved in a person’s stress response. Multiple studies have shown a potential role for ashwagandha to tamp down the stress levels of women with endometriosis.
- Pine bark. Per medicalnewstoday.com, citing a 2014 study published in the International Journal of Women’s Health, pine bark has shown anti-inflammatory properties, with inflammation being an important component of endometriosis. Reference is made to Pycnogenol, the registered brand name of a French maritime pine bark extract that, when administered in tandem with certain other substances, such as oral contraceptives, can reportedly reduce the pain of endometriosis.
- Ginger. Because ginger has been shown to diminish menstruation-related pain, scientists have posited that it could likewise have the same type of effect on the pain linked to endometriosis, per healthline.com.