Endometriosis and natural treatment
By * Dr UME
Endometriosis is defined by the presence of foci of endometrium (tissue lining the uterus) outside the cavity. These focus can locate anywhere in the abdominal cavity and its location can be multiple. The most common sites are the pelvic peritoneum (tissue lining and surrounding the entire cavity of the small pelvis) and the ovaries.
The endometrium is the mucous membrane which lining the inside of the womb. During the menstrual cycle and under the effect of hormones (particularly estrogen), the endometrium thickens, to support possibly the fertilized egg and the foetus. When the egg is not fertilized, the endometrium disintegrates, thereby producing menstruation.
In women reached by endometriosis, some endometrial tissue is found in other parts of the body, most often in the pelvic and abdomen region, no one can explain why.
These endometrial tissue continue to react to hormonal fluctuations of menstrual cycle and, as the uterine mucous, grow, and then " bleed " each month. However, these bleedings have no exit to the outside of the body. This leads to irritation of the peritoneum and organs colonized or of cysts formation (of the size of a pin until a grapefruit), of scar tissue and adhesions that link between them the organs and cause pain.
We must distinguish between internal endometriosis or adenomyosis (where the endometrial cells have migrated inside the uterine muscle itself) and the external endometriosis.
Causal hypotheses summary
The cause of this disease remains unknown today, but there are several assumptions, including :
• The menstrual reflux retrograde constitutes the backflow of blood through the fallopian tubes into the abdominal cavity during menstruation. This phenomenon would result in fragments of endometrium then might spread outside of the uterus ;
• The metaplasia, phenomenon in which the peritoneal tissue (which lines the abdominal cavity and viscera it contains) would turn into endometrial tissue due to factors which remain to be determined (hormones, etc.) ;
• Transplantation of endometrial cells in regions where they should be absent. This transport could be made via lymphatics ways, vascular, tubular or after a gynecological surgery (curettage, cesarean section, episiotomyeur).
Evolution of peritoneal implants or towards the cure (way 1) or towards the endometriosis disease (way 2)
Researchers work to determine why only some women suffer.
According to them , there are cells of the immunity which would clean the peritoneal cavity déb. But for some, these "natural scavengers" would be "overwhelmed" by too many cells of the endometrium to eliminate.
The risk factors are thus multiple :
• A cervix uteri too much closed or too shrunk or too narrow because of congenital malformations. These phenomena causing a largest reflux
• A compromised immune system, genetic or environmental
• A genetic predisposition. Studies have generally reported a risk 14 times higher if the mother or sister are affected by endometriosis. However, when the disease is known in the family, the screening is more important, so these figures remain unreliable
• A coagulation of the cervix or a too obturating tampon
• Excessive menstrual bleeding.
The specific role of iron metabolism summary
Studies can provide information on the role of iron metabolism (Fe) in the context of endometriosis.
The erythrocyte are brought in the pelvic cavity by retrograde menstruation and hemorrhagic foci of ectopic endometrium.
Some of them are phagocytosed by peritoneal macrophages. These macrophages store some iron in the form of ferritin or hemosiderin, and released the other party which is bound to the transferrin.
Transferrin and hemoglobin increase the pelvic concentrations, which can be assimilated by ectopic endometrial cells, with formations of iron deposits, in overload. In response, inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress.
The epidemiological study of Houston in 1988 allowed to estimate the prevalence of the affection to about 3 % and especially to see a variation correlated positively with age until age 45. Currently, the accepted prevalence is located in a permitted range of 7 to 20 % of the female population.
We assist these last years in awakening of endometriosis in post-menopausal period, in relation with the distribution of hormone replacement therapy on one hand and of tamoxifen on the other hand.
The Prof. J. Add (UCL) has conducted an extensive epidemiologic study in Belgium. He noted from a series of 600 patients, the presence of a particular form of endometriosis called adenomyosis.
The incidence of the disease strongly increased during the last ten years and women currently reached, are often much younger than before. Prof. has noticed that the new cases of endometriosis are particularly common around sites of pollution such as waste incinerators, which raises the possibility of a causal role of dioxins and related compounds.
Household waste is of very heterogeneous composition. They contain a wide variety of materials and miscellaneous items (plastics, metals , batteries, toiletries, chemicals substances, electrical appliances, etc.), of which the incineration leads to the formation of thousands of molecules of which only a fraction is systematically searched in the fumes and clinkers.
It is now clear that many of these substances exert fatal effects on the body and constitute a threat to health. For this reason, the household waste can no longer be considered non-hazardous.
Now we are constantly exposed to chemical pollution, whether we like it or not. Many of these substances accumulate in living tissues and in the food chain, are little biodegradable and potentially toxic.
It is now scientifically proven that there is a link between these chemicals and the occurrence of diseases such as cancer, degenerative diseases that reach the central nervous system and allergies.
And some observations regarding their relationship to infertility, in increase for 50 years, are overwhelming. Greenpeace has recently published a report on this subject entitled "Caution Fragile : reproduction and chemical exposure". This report describes the unsettling current trends.
So, we discover that in most of the industrial nations, semen analysis revealed, in 50 years, a 50% decrease in the number of active sperm per unit volume, this means that sperm quality has decreased in half. The scientists also report a significant development of testicular cancer as well as development of endometriosis in women observed in the United States (1 in 10 women affected, 100,000 hysterectomies a year).
The team of Prof. Sinaii studied from 3 680 women who have endometriosis, the frequency of various affections in comparison with women of the general population
Among the diseases studied:
• Autoimmune diseases, i.e., resulting from a dysfunction of the immune system which attacks normal tissues of the body ;
• Endocrine diseases, disorders of the glandular tissues like the thyroid disorders ;
• Atopic diseases such as allergies or asthma ;
• The chronic fatigue syndrome, a strong feeling of tiredness which lasts at least six months without interruption ;
• The fibromyalgia, a recurring pain in muscles, tendons and ligaments.
By its scale, this study allows to know about it a little more about this disease.
Suspicions have almost all been confirmed by the figures :
• The victims of endometriosis have more risks of suffering from autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid polyarthritis, multiple sclerosis or lupus erythematosus.
• They are a hundred times more likely to suffer from chronic fatigue and twice more from fibromyalgia (which is also accompanied by fatigue lasting intense and is characterized by the presence of multiple diffuse pain on the body).
• The hypothyroidism (with slower mental and physical) is seven times more common in these women.
• There is also allergies (reported in 61% of patients against only 18% of the general population) and asthma (12% against 5%).
These figures allowed to identify common factors to all these diseases.
In the front row: an immune system disorder in which the cytokines could be the key.
These proteins are messengers between cells of our body. Synthesized by lymphocytes or macrophages, cytokines are involved in immunity but also in the growth and maturation of blood cells.
"These discoveries suggest a strong link between the endometriosis and the auto-immune diseases, the chronic fatigue syndrome and the fibromyalgia " says Pr. Sinaii. " The health professionals should suspect an endometriosis at the patients diagnosed for one of these diseases ".
Another significant point emphasized by this study, the very long delay between the initial pain and the diagnosis. On average, women have waited ten years before they know about what they were affected. It seems that this situation is not only in the United States.
The mechanisms behind the relationship between endometriosis and infertility still remained unknown. A team of researchers of London may well have solved this mystery.
They extracted peritoneal fluid from the abdomen of six women diagnosed with endometriosis and six unhurt women. This liquid is in contact with the fallopian tubes. These "tubes" contain on their surface epithelial cilia, which will gently bring the ovule through the fallopian tube, until it meets a sperm.
By observing the effect of liquid on the fallopian tubes taken from patients who underwent hysterectomy for fibroids, they found that the frequency of vibration of the ciliary epithelium of the fallopian tubes was lower (of 24%) with the liquid emanating from sick women.
This inhibition of motility of the epithelial cilia might explain the problems of infertility of the women reached by endometriosis. However, we don't know, if it's the only cause or merely one of them. This experience should nevertheless be confirmed in vivo. If inhibiting substances are identified, tomorrow we can hopefully a specific treatment.
All these facts seem to confirm the multifactorial origin and disruption of regulation systems, immune, hormonal, neurovegetative which we meet in chronic exposure in cocktails weakly measured by pollutants.
Treatment Strategy summary
Because of the multifactorial origin and complexity of the disorders observed in every case of endometriosis, the strategy of treatment must be global and extend beyond strictly the gynecology.
Outside and in addition to the two conventional therapy, various factors may influence the occurrence of endometriosis and its evolution, including an action on ...
• detoxification system disorders,
• disorders of the immune system,
• the hormonal balance,
• the intestinal activity,
• the digestion,
• and the psyche which also plays an important role.
Take EDM Action Program which groups together in a single conditioning and FOR TWO complete MONTHS of use the various products and substances necessary for the achievement of these various objectives, as ...
• Detoxification : ULTRA AO
• Support of the hepatic function and digestive fatigue : Fytobil
• Immune Support : Top Immunity
• Intestinal balance : Fytostin
• Hormonal Balance (without estrogen -like) and peri-menopausal symptoms : AGE supérieur
Avoid all products with activity of "estrogen-like" and prefer food without pesticides, which can act as endocrine disruptors.
The hormonal treatment consists in blocking ovulation, causing a temporary artificial menopause accompanied however with side effects as hot flashes, vaginal dryness ... The decrease of the menstruations goes in cooperation with a decrease of the endometriosis lesions. The available medicines include certain oral contraceptives, antigonadotrophines as danazol, progestin hormones and synthesis analogues Gn-RH, and recently, aromatase inhibitors ; The surgical treatment : allows to remove or destroy by electrocautery or laser the endometriosis implants. This intervention can be done by celioscopy the same day as the diagnostic laparoscopy (so without opening). But sometimes, the extent of the damage requires the opening of the abdomen, this is called laparotomy.In very severe cases, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be performed, but surgeons try at most to proceed to a conservative surgery, particularly among women under age 40.
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