Endometriosis is a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis most commonly involves ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. Rarely, endometrial tissue may spread beyond pelvic organs.
With endometriosis, displaced tissue continues to act as it normally would — it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. Because this displaced tissue has no way to exit your body, it becomes trapped. When endometriosis involves the ovaries, cysts called endometriomas may form. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, eventually developing scar tissue and adhesions — abnormal bands of fibrous tissue that can cause pelvic tissues and organs to stick to each other.
Endometriosis can cause pain — sometimes severe — especially during menstrual periods. Fertility problems also may develop.
How do you know when to seek ayurvedic treatment for endometriosis?
Typically, a woman with endometriosis may experience:
Painful periods (dysmenorrhea).
Pelvic pain and cramping may begin before and extend several days into a menstrual period.
Painful Intercourse
Pain with bowel movements or urination
Excessive bleeding
Infertility
Other symptoms include fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, bloating or nausea, especially during menstrual periods.
The severity of your pain isn’t necessarily a reliable indicator of the extent of the condition. You could have mild endometriosis with severe pain, or you could have advanced endometriosis with little or no pain.
See your ayurvedic doctor if you have signs and symptoms that may indicate endometriosis.
What causes endometriosis?
The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown. The possible cause for this condition could be:
Retrograde Menstruation – blood & tissues, flushed out during menstruation, travel backward into the abdominal cavity, through the fallopian tube.
Anatomical Abnormality – certain cells present in different parts of the body change into the type of cells that line the uterus.
Endometrial tissues have been found in various unlikely parts of the body, like the thumb or even the knee.
Surgery – It may spread due to surgery. Often endometrial cells get attached to the point of abdominal incision and form scar tissues.
The Ayurvedic View on Endometriosis
Apana vata obstruction causes retrograde menstruation & leads to the accumulation or movement of endometrial tissue to settle in the extra uterine surfaces like fallopian tubes and pelvic cavity. Often associated with severe pain and scanty menstruation are due to aggravated vata, bleeding and burning sensation due to associated pitta dosha and heaviness, lethargy and slimy mucus bleeding is due to associated aggravated Kapha dosha.
Dr. Rani Gupta, Ayurvedic Infertility Specialist, SKK Ayurveda & Panchakarma, says that although endometriosis can be a challenging condition to manage,early diagnosis along with effective ayurvedic treatment will result in relief and healing. Dr. Rani Gupta has successfully treated many patients suffering from the condition. According to her,
“People often consider Ayurveda as a last option, something they opt to ‘try’ when all else has failed. It is this approach that often denies people the correct and effective treatment for endometriosis and they suffer years before discovering that through ayurvedic medicines, panchakarma treatments and lifestyle changes, endometriosis can be cured.”
She offers a view of many case studies of her own patients, where endometriosis has been cured successfully, saving the patient from undergoing surgery or silent suffering.