The Top 24 Things That Will Cause A Flare In What You Thought Was Endometriosis & Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t (13-24)

Posted on October 25, 2020October 25, 2020 by Andrew Orr

In the second part of my posts about the top 24 things that will cause a flare in what you thought was endometriosis and adenomyosis symptoms, but may isn’t, I continue with the next 12 causes of what you think is endometriosis, or adenomyosis symptoms, may just be caused by something else?

In this post I continue to bring awareness to the fact that sometimes it is not always Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis causing your current symptoms. It may be one of the following facts only, or in combination. What we need to remember is that many women with endometriosis, and adenomyosis, often have other issues that are flaring their current symptoms, and often present the same as endometriosis and adenomyosis, in their symptomology.

We also know that many other causes of flares of symptoms are often overlooked, and even dismissed, just as endometriosis and adenomyosis is often missed and dismissed.

Many women may have other issues going on at the same time as having endometriosis, or adenomyosis, and it is possible to have both endometriosis and adenomyosis combined and well as having other health issues in combination as well. Just remember that not all your symptoms may be endometriosis, or adenomyosis, and why it is so important to see and expert in these conditions.

If you do need and expert and need help with endometriosis and adenomyosis, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Let’s have a look at the next 12 causes of “What You Thought Was Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t”

Causes of a Flare of What You Thought Was Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t ( 13-24)

13.Tight pelvic floor muscles – Pelvic floor hypertonus occurs when the muscles in the pelvic floor become too tight and are unable to relax. Many women with an overly tight and non-relaxing pelvic floor experience pelvic health issues such as constipation, painful sex, urinary urgency, bladder issues and pelvic pain. Women with pelvic floor hypertonus may also have musculoskeletal issues that cause tightness and tension in surrounding hip, sacrum and pelvic muscles. Have a read on my previous post about this. (Click here to read)

14.Interstitial cystitis– Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory bladder condition in which there is persisting chronic pelvic pain, urinary frequency and urgency, bladder pain or pressure, and it can also resemble the symptoms of a urinary tract infection, but there will be no infection present. The pain can range from being mild to severe. Women with interstitial cystitis may experience many of the same symptoms as those with endometriosis. Women can have both Interstitial Cystitis and endometriosis at the same time. Some people with IC may also have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes. This is why proper differential diagnosis is very important as this can be missed very often, or completely overlooked. Have a read of my previous post about IC (Click here to read)

15.Pelvic Congestion Syndrome– Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is a chronic condition that occurs in women when varicose veins form below the abdomen within the pelvic region. Pelvic congestion is just like the varicose veins that some women have in their legs, but it affects the veins of the pelvis. Blood backs up in the veins, making them become enlarged and engorged. Pelvic congestion can also cause chronic pelvic pain in some women. Pelvic congestion syndrome does share many of the same symptoms of endometriosis and adenomyosis and it important to have proper differential diagnosis and rule other causes of pelvic pain out first. Sometimes the varicose veins that cause pelvic congestion syndrome can be present alongside endometriosis and adenomyosis, or other pelvic issues. Have a read of my previous post about PCS (Click here to read)

16.Constipation and full bowel- A common cause of pelvic pain and abdominal pain and bloating and caused by constipation and a full bowel that is slowly backing up and starting to compact. In serious cases, the bowel can compact and even perforate if not addressed soon enough. When the bowel is not fully voided, it can lead to backing up of the bowel. Many people are still moving their bowel each day, but just do not realise, it is not being voided properly. This can lead to pain, gastrointestinal issues and also feeling unwell, due to not voiding waste from the body. It is a very commonly overlooked issue. This is why women need look at restoring the microbiome properly and also drinking enough water, eating enough fibre and also creating good bowel habits and not holding on too long at work.

17.Lack of sleep – Lack of quality sleep is a major issue for many women and is a common cause of their fatigue, increased pain, and exacerbation of symptoms, interference of moods, and a whole range of health issues physically and mentally. Sleep deprivation leads to reduction in hormones such as melatonin, which is a precursor to serotonin and then affect the moods etc. Lack of sleep also interferes with the other hormones in our body too. Lack of sleep also stops the body from repairing and can lead to increased inflammation within the body. We know that shift works do have a lot more disturbances with their menstrual cycles and also have lower fertility rates.

18.Over-exercising– Over-exercise can lead to tight pelvic floor muscles and hypertonus, but it can also lead to decrease body fats as well. Body fat plays a regulatory process with hormones and fertility. A significant decrease in body fact (10-15%) can lead to decreased hormone production and actually stop the menses and interfere with fertility. Over exercise can also cause stress and inflammation in the body and can also lead to adrenal exhaustion and fatigue. It is all about balance.

19.Lack of exercise– Lack of exercise if a big factor in a lot of people’s health issues. Lack of blood flow and lack of circulation to muscles and tissues, especially the uterus and vagina, can have some serious consequences for women’s health and gynaecological conditions. Without proper microcirculation into the uterus, and vagina and reproductive organs, these areas can become highly stressed, lack vital nutrients and then leads to inflammation, pain and other irregularities. It is a catch 22 situation. Too much exercise is not good, but similarly, not enough exercise is just as bad for us. While sometimes we may not feel like exercising, the fact is, research has shown that regular exercise can, and does help with pain, and other symptoms of endometriosis and adenomyosis.

20.Environmental Estrogens– According to a landmark US study published by the US department of environmental health, there are 87,000 plus environmental estrogens we are exposed to in all countries around the world, some being worse than others. These can be anything from plastics, detergents, petroleum products, chemicals and even the contraceptive pill ending up in our water ways. These endocrine disruptors (AKA as environmental estrogens) can interfere with hormones within our body and also lead to inflammation and many health issues. They have also been linked to the increase in lower fertility rates and the increase in expression of genetic mutations within the body. Endometriosis and adenomyosis is driven by estrogen and this may be a big factor in the increase in women with endometriosis and adenomyosis.

21.Lack of blood/increase of blood circulation– The microcirculation of the uterus, vagina and reproductive organs is a very important one and one of the reasons getting proper blood flow and improving microcirculation into these areas is important. I talked about this in the lack of exercise part. It is also important to check women for hereditary blood clotting and also bleeding disorders. All women with gynaecological and fertility issues should be screened for blood clotting disorders via prothrombotic studies and also bleeding disorders such as Von Willebrands Disease, when suspected.

22.Musculoskeletal issues– Women with postural issues, or their spine out of alignment can also experience referral pain, and pelvic pain due. It is important to have musculoskeletal causes of pain assessed by a qualified healthcare professional (physio/chiropractor/osteopath). When muscles are too tight, it can cause sublaxations, which can then impinge on nerves and also cause referral pain and other health issues within the body. Damage to nerves and tissue, such as pudendal nerve neuralgia can also cause pain and referral pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis and vagina.

23.Excess weight and body fat– At present up to 70% (or more) of Australians, and Americans, are either overweight, or obese, so we can no longer ignore what the consequences of these statistics mean. We know that excess weight and excess body fat is linked to serious health consequences. Excess body fat in men and women leads to higher levels of the hormone leptin. Excess body fat is also now referred to as obestrogens, as they cause the same health consequences as environmental estrogens (known as endocrine disruptors). These excess body fats and higher levels of leptin do impair production of sex hormones and also reduces fertility. It can also lead to poorer sperm quality, poorer egg quality and can also increase the risk of miscarriage. Excess body fat, especially excess abdominal fat, is also linked to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and other health issues. It also interferes with the regulation of sex hormones and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). This can then increase the risk of irregular cycles, PCOS, endometriosis, adenomyosis, miscarriage and other factors affecting fertility. Excess body fat can also be a major driving factor of endometriosis and adenomyosis, due to the estrogenic effects it has. This is why reduction in body fat and a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle is imperative in the management of women’s health and fertility.

24. Iron Deficiency– Iron deficiency can be a very serious issues, and many women do not realise the health risk associated with it, and how often it goes undiagnosed. It can lead to disruption of hormones, and can lead to fatigue and exacerbation of pain and emotionally generated symptoms. Let’s face it, without iron, you aren’t going to be transporting oxygen around your body and then your muscles, brain, hormones and circulation suffer as a result of this. Women with endometriosis and adenomyosis are nearly always iron deficient from the heavy blood losses they suffer, or the internal bleeds they get from flares of endometriosis lesions. Have a look at my previous past on the serious consequences of low iron and why managing iron levels is so important (Click here to read)

The Top 24 Things That Will Cause A Flare In What You Thought Was Endometriosis & Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t (1-12)

Posted on October 24, 2020October 24, 2020 by Andrew Orr

Many people often talk about how they get flares of their endometriosis and adenomyosis symptoms often. While in some cases it may actually be the endometriosis, or adenomyosis causing their flare, in truth, many times it is other things actually causing their flare and it is so important to understand this. Maybe what you think is endometriosis, or adenomyosis symptoms, may just be caused by something else?

In this post I want to bring awareness to the fact that sometimes it is not always Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis causing your current symptoms. It may be one of the following facts only, or in combination. What we need to remember is that many women with endometriosis, and adenomyosis, often have other issues that are flaring their current symptoms, and often present the same as endometriosis and adenomyosis, in their symptomology.

We also know that many other causes of flares of symptoms are often overlooked, and even dismissed, just as endometriosis and adenomyosis is often missed and dismissed.

If you do need and expert and need help with endometriosis and adenomyosis, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Let’s have a look at the first 12 cause of “What You Thought Was Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t”

Causes of a Flare of What You Thought Was Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Symptoms, But Maybe Isn’t ( 1-12)

1.Stress – Stress is the one of the biggest causes of ill health, or in exacerbating current health issues and their symptoms. Stress also heightens pain pathways, it increases inflammation, interferes with moods, disrupts hormone pathways and also increases acidity in the body. This then leads to increase in symptoms such as pain, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, and increase in emotionally generated symptoms. Have a read of my previous article of this (Click here to read)

2.Anxiety– Anxiety is also a big cause in aggravating and exacerbating symptoms of endometriosis/adenomyosis. When control issues are heightened, the body spirals out of control and anxiety kicks in and exacerbates symptoms. This also heightens pain pathways like stress does, and also disrupts hormone pathways as well. This then drives pain pathways, upsets the gastrointestinal system, disrupts sleep and also creates fatigue. I have done a previous post of anxiety and pain pathways previously (Click here to read)

3.Busyness– Busyness is one of the number one drivers of stress and anxiety issues. Lack of time out and on the go, pushes the body to exhaustion, and also activates adrenalin and cortisol levels, which in turn interfere with hormone pathways. Busyness is really stress under another name, and can produce all the same symptoms as stress does. Busyness can also be a big factor with fertility and pregnancy too. See previous post (Click here to read)

4.Alcohol– One of the number one things to flare endometriosis/adenomyosis symptoms and any gynaecological issue is alcohol, especially excess alcohol. Alcohol can also be a big factor in period pain and also irregular cycles. It can also exacerbate heavy bleeding, especially with adenomyosis. Alcohol is full of sugars and it really is a drug and a toxin, especially in higher doses. Alcohol is also inflammatory and will exacerbate inflammatory conditions in the body. Alcohol also adds to fluid retention and body fat, and can interfere with moods.

5.Smoking – Smoking not only adds to inflammation in the body, but it also increases the risk of certain cancers, including gynaecological The byproducts of cigarette smoke have been found in the cervical mucus of women and these toxins are literally leaching into your uterus, your vagina, and surrounding tissues and organs. Ewwwww. Smoking definitely increases inflammatory processes in the body and leads to increases symptoms.

6.Refined foods– Highly refined foods increase blood sugar levels, which then makes the body store fat, and stops the burning of fat.
Excess body fat also drives inflammation, and is also estrogenic. Estrogen drives endometriosis/adenomyosis.
Excess refined carbs also cause increase insulin, which in turn causes inflammation in the body too. This increase inflammation exacerbates pain pathways and other symptomatic responses in the body.
A lot of refined foods are from grains, which also contain gluten. Gluten causes gut irritation and inflammation – a lot of people won’t even realise that their problems are caused by gluten. Have a listen to my video blog about a proper diet (Click here to read)

7.Too much sugar– Excess sugars and things such as chocolate (big one) is a big driver of inflammation in the body. The excess sugars also make the body store fat, and they also increase pain and exacerbate pain pathways. The excess sugars also disrupt the gut microbiome and increase bad bacteria, which also drive inflammation and increase gastrointestinal issues such as bloating and abdominal pain. It can also affect bowel function. Have a read of my post about the toxic consequences of sugar ( Click here to read)

8.Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, soy etc)- Lentils, beans (i.e. kidney, pinto, broad etc),peanuts (they aren’t nuts, despite the name), soy beans, garbanzos and chickpeas are alllegumes. Like grains, legumes too contain harmful substances such as lectins and phytates, inhibiting nutrient absorption and causing inflammation. They also cause gas and bloating and many people do not realise the reactions they can cause in the body.
Raw legumes are toxic, so they need to be prepared (by soaking,rising, cooking, sprouting or fermenting) – however, preparation doesn’t entirely negate the harmful effects of the lectins. Despite soaking and activating, many people still react badly .
Soy is particularly bad, since the phytoestrogens content acts like the female sex hormone estrogen. This has been shown to have some damaging effects with healthy hormone functions. Endometriosis and adenomyosis is estrogen driven and women should stay away from soy and soy based products where possible.

9.Excess bad bacteria – Buildup of bad bacteria, called dysbiotic bacteria can cause inflammation and ill-health, physically and emotionally. A buildup of bad bacteria is a common cause of abdominal pain and bloating in women with endometriosis and adenomyosis. I have discussed dysbiotic bacteria is a previous post (Click here to read)

10.Acidic foods– Acidic foods may cause or aggravate certain digestive disorders, such as acid reflux gastroesophageal reflux disease, otherwise known as GERD. Acidic foods can also add to inflammatory processes in the body and why there is now mounting evidence to use a more alkaline diet for those with chronic inflammatory disease states. Common acidic foods are alcohol, certain citrus fruits, soft drinks, processed foods, refined foods, junk foods, and tomato based products.

11.Junk foods – Junk foods contain all sorts of nasty things, from trans fats(carcinogenic fats), additives, preservatives, saturated fats, acid, gluten, soy, refined grains, processed foods, environmental estrogens, high sugar and a whole lot of others things that can create inflammation in the body and add to exacerbating someone’s symptoms. This one goes without saying, yet some many people do not realise that just one serving of junk food could exacerbate symptoms for days, or longer.

12.Certain medications– Medications can be both friend and foe, depending on the length of time someone has taken them, and also the side effect profile of a certain medication. Certain medications can also cause withdrawal effects each day, and they can exacerbate symptoms of your health issue, including pain. This can also go for natural medicines taken wrongly, or taken for too long a period. This is why it is always important to be properly managed and monitored by a qualified healthcare professional. Have a read about this issue in a previous post (click here to read)

The facts you need to know about surgery, and everything that should happen afterwards- Part 2

Posted on October 21, 2020October 21, 2020 by Andrew Orr

The second part to “The facts you need to know about surgery, and everything that should happen afterwards”

In this new video blog I talk about the most important part of helping a chronic health issues, and that is the management of an issue post surgery.

All too often people have surgical intervention, but then do nothing as part of the follow up, and this is where many go wrong, and end up back at where they started from

Have a listen to my latest post of this very important subject.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-The Experts Program

The facts you need to know about surgery, and everything that should happen afterwards- Part 1

Posted on October 17, 2020October 18, 2020 by Andrew Orr

After my 8th operation, and just having had extensive 3 hour surgery for a disease process in my sinuses, which is very similar to endometriosis actually, I thought it was important to talk about this much needed subject.

Sometimes, surgery is very much needed and will be the only thing that will help your current symptoms and health issues.

I also want to talk about the importance of proper ongoing management, following surgery, and why this is actually the most important component, that many just do not end up doing. This then just creates another vicious cycle of needing more surgery later on, or sooner that should be needed.

Are you the biggest roadblock with your health issue?

Posted on September 13, 2020September 13, 2020 by Andrew Orr

One of the hardest things for people to admit is that they may be in fact the biggest roadblock when it comes to their health issue.

I know I have been, and it actually took me a while to admit it and be accountable for it too.

First… Let’s take the personal out of it

So before I begin talking about this issue, that will probably trigger people, I will again, as usual, ask you to take the personal out of this. This is not an attack on anyone, and it is purely to help those that need help in this area. At the end of the day, we are all accountable for our own health.

Finding your team

Now, before I really start, let’s not forget that there are so many people who have been missed and dismissed over the years, and the impact that has on ones physical and mental wellbeing.

I know with my own health issues, how long it took to find “my team” of people that could help me. Yes, I said team. I said team, because that is quite often what it takes to help many health issues, and why I now promote a multimodality/integrative medicine approach to any health issue.

Many have been missed and dismissed

I truly feel sorry for those who have had so many things missed and been dismissed along the way. It should never happen, but unfortunately it does. As I always say, there is good and bad in every profession, and not everyone is good at their job either.

Yes, there needs to be more education and awareness of certain health conditions, but at the same time, some people are part of their own issues too. We do need to face the facts that some people are really their own biggest roadblock to recovery. This is why I am focussing in on this issue for this post. Again, it is to help people, not about blaming.

Everyone is fighting a battle others do not know

Over my many years in practice, I have just about seen it all. I am sure there is more to see, but boy oh boy have I seen lots of things, and lots of people. Everybody is fighting a battle that nobody else knows about, and there are some who will always think they are worse than anyone else, when in fact, they are exactly the same, or not even near the worst. Some people do want to buy into the label of their disease, and be known to be the worst case anyone has ever seen.

Buying into the label that you are the worst case

I remember recently one of my patients telling me that there she was waiting for surgery in the hospital, and waiting in the pre-theatre waiting area. She explained that there was this one lady who was loud and was telling anyone who would listen how bad she was, and how the hospital file on her was so large. Well, so she thought.

So this patient of mine remained quiet as this other lady proclaimed about her large file the nurse was carrying and how often she had been in there. It was 1 folder and it was about half full. Then the nurse bought over my patients file, which was much larger, and then said to that she had to go and get the other folder that was already full. The loud lady almost stopped in her tracks.

Then she looked and my patient and said to her “ You have 2 folders?”… “no” she said…. “I have three” and then went back to minding her own business. Not a peep out of the loud lady again. But the point was, some people like to be known as being the worst, yet I always say to everyone, there is always someone far worse, but it is all relative at the end of the day.

But I have seen many practitioners

I’ve also seen many patients, that see multiple practitioners over the years and sometimes they are in the position they are in, because they actually never listen to the advice given too. Again, this is not to discredit anyone, but as someone who sees both sides, it does happen… and often.

When I do see someone whom has seen many practitioners over the years, and then goes on to say that nothing has helped them, I do always air on the side of caution. Of course, it could be possibly be true too.

Assessing someone properly

When I see a patient for a first time, there are many things that they have to do before I see them face-to-face. I get them to fill out lots of paper work on their health history and also do a psychological profile on them too. It is important to know where they are at emotionally. I then go over it all and then write up a 20-page report for them and give them all the recommendations and health management outlines too. They are also given a pack of information and resources on everything that they need to do.

It isn’t about just getting the health advice

I know with some of my own patients, many of them come and get the advice, and that is it. I know every so often I get mothers coming into a consult, or joining in on a zoom consult, on behalf of adult children mind you, and saying how their daughter is still in pain, or still has this, or that going on, and they want to know why. Often the actual patient is sitting there at the same time, alongside mum, explaining how bad everything is, and how nothing has changed. I usually let them have their rant, and then wait for the right time.

This is where I often sit back and smile and nod politely and then get out the 20-page report and their clinical notes. Then I have a look to see what they have or have not done, or taken and then just wait.

This is also where I calm the patient, and mother down, and empathise with their pain and symptoms and then it is my turn to speak.

“So … Mrs XYZ, I know you are concerned about your daughter, so let’s look through your daughters file and all the notes and report she was given”

“So…. Patient XYZ, remember when you first came in and we went over what you need to do, and everything was written out step by step?”

“So… Patient XYZ… I can see here you haven’t had any of your medicines yet?”

“So… Patient XYZ… I can see that you haven’t booked in any of the treatments yet?”

“So … Patient XYZ… I can see that you haven’t gone and had those investigations yet”

Then I usually let that digest and then go on to explain that nothing is going to change, if you don’t actually take your medicines, do the necessary changes, see the psychologist, get the tests and investigations and do what is needed to start improving.

I then explain that if you don’t actually do anything, how is something ever going to change?

This is usually where mum goes quiet, and then starts giving the daughter dagger eyes, and I have to then bring it all back in about being proactive, and today we are going to start doing what is needed.

I then tell them both I will check up and make sure the patient has started everything, and that they need to come back in a few weeks time and let’s start monitoring the progress. I always explain that how sometimes knowingly, or unknowingly, we can be our own worst enemy, and our own biggest roadblock.

It isn’t always someone else’s fault that you aren’t getting better

It isn’t the other practitioner’s fault they hadn’t got better; it was actually themselves not doing what was asked of them, thus hindering their own progress. Once this has been identified, and we do some work around this and the light bulb goes off, these people then get great progress.

I think I have heard every excuse on why someone has not done what he or she is meant to do, or has been advised to do. I’ve heard everything from “I’ve been too busy”… right through to “I have done that before and it didn’t work”

The thing is, we are all busy, and we may have done something similar before, but did you actually do it properly and consistently?

When I was my own roadblock

I remember years ago I had a niggling injury and my chiropractor said to me that I needed to do some stretches in between to help it heal quicker. I went home and did the stretches and it was staying pretty much the same. So when I went back he said to me “You mustn’t be doing the stretches I showed you?”

I said I was, and he was scratching his head. “Are you sure you are doing them everyday?”

The truth was I started out doing them everyday, but then I got busy, and it was sporadic, and when I really was honest with myself, I wasn’t doing what he had asked. So after that appointment I went home and I did the stretches everyday and guess what? … Yep it improved.

It is about going home and doing the recommendations

I think people often forget that when we see a healthcare practitioner, we are only seeing them for a short period of time, and it is really up to you to go home and then do the work in between. It is about being consistent with treatments, taking your medicines, doing the homework asked of you, getting the testing and investigations, changing your diet and other habits, and working on the emotional side too.

It is about doing everything that is asked of you and doing it 100%. We don’t just take 1 tablet of an antibiotic and expect it to magically help an infection. It is about doing and finishing the prescribed course. Sometimes several courses may be needed. But you get my point. It is about being honest with oneself and actually doing it. You can’t do things half hearted, or sporadic, because you just won’t get the results.

If after doing the prescribed treatment and not getting any better, then it is time to sit down and look at other treatments and bring in other things. But more often that not, if you stick to what you have been told to do, and be consistent, it will work.

If you change nothing, nothing changes

Just remember, that if you change nothing, nothing changes. Managing a health condition is like preparing and training for a marathon. You need to put in the work, do the training, eat the right foods, have the right mental outlook, get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water, take your supplements, and do what ever is asked of you by the coach to get you over the line. Who knows, you may even win the race if you do it all properly.

Change requires you to step up and be the change

The same goes for your health, and health conditions. Do what your healthcare practitioner asks, take your medicines, change what needs to be changed, work on your emotions, change your diet, do that exercise and do whatever it is that is asked of you. Who knows, you might just win the race to help your health get better too.

Final Word

If you are having trouble with a health condition, and feel like nobody is helping you, or you aren’t getting any better, you can always call my friendly staff and find out how I may be able to help you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-The Experts Program

Why It Is Crucial Not To Buy Into Becoming Your Health Label

Posted on August 30, 2020September 28, 2020 by Andrew Orr

One of the things I always talk about with my patients who have a chronic disease state, or women’s health issue, or any health issue, is that it is crucial not to buy into becoming your health label.

The more we focus on a disease state, the harder it is to manage, and the worse all our symptoms become. Then the vicious cycle, and merry go round begins and never seems to end. The more we feed something, the bigger it grows.

There are now lots of research to back this up and why when treating disease states, pain, and other associated symptoms there needs a multimodality approach. You cannot separate the physical and mental aspects of a disease, and the impact that the mind can also have on a disease and its symptoms.

As per usual, when we talk about a difficult subject, which will probably trigger some, I always ask everyone to try and take the personal out of things. This subject is being discussed with the intent to help people, because it is a very important topic that needs to be talked about. This is seen very often in practice, and is often hindering people in them getting better, so it needs to be discussed.

The difference between Research and a Google Search

When someone is first diagnosed with a disease state, it is often understandable that someone would want to try and find a way to help their health issue. This is actually something I encourage all my patients to do. Part of what I do is educating patients how they can best manage their disease and also the importance and difference between good research, compared to someone’s google search.

Research, and a google search, are two totally different things and many people get this confused. I have talked about this often in many of my articles, and also explained why Dr Google is not a good place to get your health information from. Despite that, any free to the public research papers that may be out there are many years old, and now out of date. The other things is, unless you have done study in how to quantify good research, you could be taking some very bad research data and believing it to be true, when in fact it is complete rubbish. Research data analysis and terminology takes years to understand fully, and no google search is going to help anyone learn that.

That does not mean that one should not be educated and stop trying to find out about their disease state. But, there is a point when someone is constantly looking for answers, or then becomes obsessed with their disease and symptoms, that this can become very unhealthy. It can also lead to exacerbation of symptoms, increased mental health issues, lack of quality treatments and management, and over analysing even the smallest of symptoms.

Finding the right support

I know I am a big advocate of people getting support, but often we see people getting their health advice from the wrong areas, such as social media groups, who say they are support groups. The hard thing with many of this groups is that they are often run by untrained people, have no qualified health professionals to give proper advice, and many times they are focussed on the negative aspects of a health issue. This then leads to more negative thoughts, and can actually be a source of toxicity and holding you back from real professional help. It is a catch 22 situation and why people need to be careful which groups they join.

This is why people should only join professional support groups facilitated and mediated by health professionals, and people trained in a certain health issues. These groups are also moderated properly, and are kept to factual discussion and centred around positive solutions, rather than negative talk that we see in a great deal of groups.

Focussing on health issue can intensify symptoms

There is so much credible research about how focussing on our symptoms can have the negative consequence of increasing the intensity of the symptoms and also pain. This, in turn, can create more worry about the symptoms, which brings on more anxiety sensations, and increases our desire to focus on our symptoms even more. This is why it is important to work with health professionals to explore ways that you can start to decrease the amount of time spent focussed on health symptoms and worries, reduce reliance on addictive medications, and thus start to break this vicious cycle.

People who experience health anxiety will often find themselves scanning their bodies for signs of ill health and then worrying about bodily sensations. This is not to take away from people actually having very real symptoms from their disease state and health issues. To a certain extent, it is normal to be aware of bodily sensations and changes, and to pay some attention to potential health problems.

Identifying things that can trigger flares

People will have flares of symptoms from time to time, and often there can be no reason for the flare. But in practice, healthcare professionals are trained to ask the right questions and will identify things that cause flares too. Most times, a flare is causes by blowouts in diet, increased alcohol intake (binges), increased stress and anxiety, lack of quality sleep, dehydration, and over doing it. People can also get flare from withdrawal and rebound effects of some medications too. Stress and anxiety are some of the biggest triggers for people and why it is some important to look at the mental and emotion aspects of healthcare management too.

There may be many things that cause a flare and it is important to get help to identify what these are, and to help avoid these triggers in the future.

Retraining your thoughts to be more positive

If you are spending too much time focussing on your symptoms, or you find it difficult to stop thinking about these symptoms, you may need to start working on retraining your thoughts and attentions onto more proactive and positive things. This is where seeing a psychologist as well can help with reduction of symptoms and pain management too.

Unfortunately when we focus on our disease state, or health issue and its associated symptoms, this can actually amplify the intensity of the symptoms, and thus bring on more worry and anxiety symptoms. It can also amplify pain levels and decrease someone’s ability to cope. Chronic pain clearly affects the body, but it also affects emotions, relationships, and the mind. It can cause anxiety and depression, which in turn, can make pain worse. It is that vicious cycle again that need to be broken.

Coping skills to help you have a normal life

When we are focussed on our symptoms, it can take our attention away from everyday activities and even from important tasks. It can also affect their job and also their intimate relationships. It also takes away from actually seeking proper help and management of a disease state, or health issue, from a qualified health professional.

For example, have you ever found it hard to focus on a household chore, or focus on your work, because your attention kept wandering back to a particular area of your body, back to health worries, or back to a particular symptom?

Learning to retrain your attention is therefore an important step in overcoming your health anxiety. It will not only reduce the amount you focus on your symptoms and your disease, but it will also free up your attention to focus on other activities and experiences. It is about helping you have the coping skills you need to have a normal and productive life, rather than constantly focussing on your health issue, and then creating the vicious cycles around that.

Changing behaviours to help manage your health

Once you work with healthcare professionals to help you with coping skills, to assist you in not focussing on symptoms, and your health issue, you will then be in a better position to decide if you would like to change that behaviour. You are also in a better position to be able to deal with flares if they happen and also look at things that can help you better manage your health issue and symptoms. It will also help you with the constant reliance on medications, and painkillers etc, and help you to use them when you really need to.

Never try to manage your health issue on your own

This is why it is so important not to try and manage a health issue on your own, and seek the help of professionals who can help you with multimodality approaches to health management, and look at all the aspects of a health issue. This includes the physical and emotional aspects too.

You are not your disease and not your health label

You are not your disease and your disease does not define who you are. This is why it is so important not to buy into the label of your particular health issue. You need to not let your health issue control you and with the proper help, you can live a normal life, like so many others who have sort the right help already do. You can get your life back with the right help and right health management. Once you do the work, and experience the benefits, you will know it can be done and how much it can change your way of life.

Final Word

If you need help with a women’s health issue, or a particular health issue, you can always contact my friendly staff about how I may be able to assist you. There are also practitioners that are part of The Experts Program, whom we can refer you to and work in with as well.

Regards

Andrew Orr

No Stone Left Unturned

Master of Women’s Health Medicine

The Experts Program

References

Bushnell MC, Ceko M, Low LA. Cognitive and emotional control of pain and its disruption in chronic pain. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2013;14:502–11.[PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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Breivik H, Collett B, Ventafridda V, Cohen R, Gallacher D. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. Eur J Pain. 2006;10(4):287–333. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Scott KM, Bruffaerts R, Tsang A, et al. Depression-anxiety relationships with chronic physical conditions: results from the World Mental Health Surveys. J Affect Disord. 2007;103(1–3):113–120. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Closs SJ, Staples V, Reid I, Bennett MI, Briggs M. The impact of neuropathic pain on relationships. J Adv Nurs. 2009;65(2):402–411. [PubMed

Surgical Intervention- “But what if they don’t find anything?”

Posted on August 17, 2020August 17, 2020 by Andrew Orr

One of the things I often gets asked is “If I have surgery, what if they don’t find anything?”

All sorts of things go around in people head, and rightfully so, but may think that if nothing is found that that their symptoms are all in their head. Not so.

Just because there is nothing found via surgical intervention, does not mean that there is nothing there, or there is no disease state. It just means it cannot be visually seen.

Here in this video I explain all this and more.

Busyness, Stress and Anxiety Affecting Fertility & Pregnancy Outcomes

Posted on July 29, 2020July 29, 2020 by Andrew Orr

It is now known that modern day busyness, stress, anxiety and depression can significantly impact a couples chances of conceiving. When helping couples with fertility and achieving a pregnancy, one of the biggest issues I see overlooked is a couple’s emotional health. During the assessment of anyone’s fertility, depression, anxiety and stress scores (DASS) should be taken into consideration. Other assessment methods to look at anxiety and heightened adrenalin should also be utilised. It is so important to touch base on the topic of emotional health and make couples (or those who are single) aware of emotional factors that may be affecting their chances of conceiving.

I always recommend seeing a counsellor/psychologist

I always recommend that everyone should check in regularly with a counsellor/psychologist, but less than 10% of people do. What many do not realise is that their underlying stress, anxiety and other emotional concerns are actually a big part of them not being able to conceive, and that looking after our emotional health is just as important as looking after our physical health. There is research to suggest that a parent’s emotional state can be passed onto a child via the sperm, eggs and the parental mode of inheritance. Everything we put in our body, physically and emotionally, can be passed on to the unborn child. This is crucial to understand before considering having children because at the end of the day, it could affect them greatly.

Identifying the impacts of busyness, stress and anxiety

Another common observation I see when people are trying to conceive is they are adamant that they are not stressed, yet their mood/stress scores say otherwise. Many people have normalised their busyness and running on high levels of adrenaline to the point where they do not equate their heightened emotional states as being stress or anxiety. From an outside perspective, I can physically see how anxious and stressed some people are, but it is often hard for people to self-reflect and understand their emotional state.

Control issues exacerbating anxiety and stress levels

Statistically speaking, women have a higher likelihood of being the driving force behind wanting a baby/family so it is easy to see why they may be more focussed or driven in this regard. This also means that they carry a lot of the stress that comes with that. Unfortunately it is becoming more common to see said people struggle with letting go of control and feeling out of control which leads to underlying stress and anxiety. Occasionally this too leads to stress and instability in their relationships, especially if their partner isn’t stepping up.

The one thing I try to explain to all couples is that when it comes to IVF or assisted reproduction, nobody is in control. Everything is timed and controlled by hormones and medications and nobody can control that. Trying to control everything leads to high stress levels, activated adrenalin, heightened anxiety, and a vicious cycle of feeling like more control is needed. The only thing people can control is what they put in their mouths (food, medications, and supplements), how much they exercise, and how well they care for their emotional health. That is it.

Making the changes you need to do now

So many people try to justify their actions and behaviours with statements such as, “I will slow down and make time for myself once I am pregnant, or once I have the baby.” Any parent will tell you that once a child is born, there is hardly any time for yourself and things get a lot busier. The reality is that you need to work on yourself now, while you have the chance. It is not only important for you, but also for your child.

One of the things I say to future parents is this: “If I gave you your baby right now, what would you have to do to ensure its survival and yours? What changes in your life would you have to make?”

I then let them sit and think carefully about it because in reality, it would mean many changes to one’s life. The honest truth is that despite change often being uncomfortable, changing your life is exactly what you have to do right now to create the baby as well. I also tell parents that if you don’t have time for yourself, to do self-care, or to work on yourself, then you really need to question if you have time to have a child too. I don’t mean this in a bad way. I say it with absolute care and understanding of how demanding life gets when one is a parent.

Counselling needs to be mandatory

This is why it is so important to do counselling whether you are going through IVF or trying to conceive naturally. It is my personal belief that for the benefit of the parent/s and the child, counselling should be mandatory as many issues of not falling pregnant actually stem from high stress levels, anxiety, adrenaline, and an inability to slow down. It all stems back to control, and then lack of control, which then creates anxiety and stress. There can also be relationship dynamic issues that need to be addressed prior to having a baby. All this and more is not a good recipe to make a baby, or achieve a successful pregnancy outcome.

Stress animals don’t conceive and it applies to humans as well

The one thing we know from basic biology is that stressed animals do not conceive or will not carry a pregnancy. Many of our breakthroughs in fertility medicine actually come from vet science, where animals have undergone IVF or forms of assisted reproduction. We often forget as humans, that we too really are just animals.

Numerous studies have indicated how anxiety, stress and heightened adrenaline (common states of existence for many people) have a detrimental effect on egg quality, sperm quality, embryo quality, implantation, and overall pregnancy rates.

How busyness, stress and anxiety affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes

Going through IVF, or just trying to fall pregnant, is often described as the most stressful event in the lives of some couples. This is even more heightened if there are difficulties in achieving a pregnancy. There is increasing evidence that psychological factors, such as busy lifestyle, stress, anxiety and depression, have a negative impact on IVF and pregnancy outcomes.

Research studies have shown that the high levels of stress, anxiety and depression are significantly related to the treatment outcome in IVF and also achieving a natural pregnancy (Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.2008- See diagram for how stress affects pregnancy outcomes).

The autonomic nervous system is affected by busyness, stress, anxiety and depression. This also leads to increased neuroepinephrine and increased epinephrine, which then leads to vasoconstriction and decreased blood flow into the uterus. It can also lead to increased stress within the uterus itself.

The immune system is also affected by increased Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF), which is a cell signalling protein (cytokine) involved in systemic inflammation. The immune system is also affected by increase in Natural Killer Cells and increased activated T cells, which then lead to reduced implantation and a stressed uterine environment.

The indirect effects of stress are that people will drink more alcohol, smoke, exercise less, sleep less, eat more junk foods and generally have a poor diet and lifestyle, all of which have a direct effect on fertility also.

In summary

In summary, lifestyle interventions and taking care of one’s emotional wellbeing can help reduce stress, anxiety and adrenaline. This should be a priority for all couples trying to conceive, or for those having difficulties conceiving. Body-Mind Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine have long understood that stress, diet, lifestyle and emotional factors are a huge cause of infertility. Modern medicine and research is now validating this and advocating for proper preconception care. By addressing the known possible emotional and lifestyle factors that affect fertility by utilising preconception care and a multimodality approach (including counselling and psychology), people can greatly improve their fertility, successful pregnancy outcomes, as well as improve their overall health.

Final Word

If you are having trouble conceiving please call our friendly staff and find out how our fertility program may assist you in having a baby. Our fertility program uses a multimodality, ‘no stone left unturned’ approach which looks at both the male and female aspects of fertility, is used alongside medical interventions, and also gives you access to counsellors and psychologists who have a special interest in fertility.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Reproductive Medicine

-The International Fertility Experts

-The Experts Program

References

Paulson JF, Bazemore SD. Prenatal and Postpartum Depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2010;303(19):1961-1969. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.605
Effects of caffeine, alcohol and smoking on fertility, http://yourfertility.org.au/resource/effects-of-caffeine-alcohol-and-smoking-on-fertility/
Evans J, Heron J, Francomb H, Oke S, Golding J. Cohort study of depressed mood during pregnancy and after childbirth. BMJ. 2001;323(7307):257-60.
Akioyamen LE, Minhas H, Holloway AC, Taylor VH, Akioyamen NO, Sherifali D. Effects of depression pharmacotherapy in fertility treatment on conception, birth, and neonatal health: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2016;84:69-80.
Cesta CE, Viktorin A, Olsson H, Johansson V, Sjolander A, Bergh C, et al. Depression, anxiety, and antidepressant treatment in women: association with in vitro fertilization outcome. Fertility and Sterility. 2016;105(6):1594-602 e3.
Sejbaek CS, Hageman I, Pinborg A, Hougaard CO, Schmidt L. Incidence of depression and influence of depression on the number of treatment cycles and births in a national cohort of 42,880 women treated with ART. Human Reproduction. 2013;28(4):1100-9.
Ververs T, Kaasenbrood H, Visser G, Schobben F, de Jong-van den Berg L, Egberts T. Prevalence and patterns of antidepressant drug use during pregnancy. Eurpean Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2006;62(10):863-70.
Grigoriadis S, VonderPorten EH, Mamisashvili L, Tomlinson G, Dennis CL, Koren G, et al. The impact of maternal depression during pregnancy on perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2013;74(4):e321-41.
Deave T, Heron J, Evans J, Emond A. The impact of maternal depression in pregnancy on early child development. BJOG. 2008;115(8):1043-51.
Ross LE, Grigoriadis S, Mamisashvili L, VonderPorten EH, Roerecke M, Rehm J, et al. Selected pregnancy and delivery outcomes after exposure to antidepressant medication. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Outcomes after antidepressant use in pregnancy. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013:1-8.
Rich-Edwards JW, Spiegelman D, Garland M, Hertzmark E, Hunter DJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Wand H, Manson JE. 2002. “Physical activity, body mass index, and ovulatory disorder infertility.” Epidemiology 13:184-190.
Palomba, S, Falbo A, Valli B, et al. 2014. “Physical activity before IVF and ICSI cycles in infertile obese women: an observational cohort study.” Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 29(1): p. 72-9.
Ferreira RC, Halpern G, Figueira Rde C, Braga DP, et al. 2010. “Physical activity, obesity and eating habits can influence assisted reproduction outcomes.” Womens Health [Lond Engl] 6:517-524.
Kucuk M, Doymaz F, Urman B. 2010. “Effect of energy expenditure and physical activity on the outcomes of assisted reproduction treatment.” Reproductive Biomedicine Online 20:274-279.
Morris SN, Missmer SA, Cramer DW, Powers RD, McShane PM, Hornstein MD. 2006. “Effects of lifetime exercise on the outcome of in vitro fertilization.” Obstetrics and Gynecology 108:938-945.
Green BB, Daling JR, Weiss NS, Liff JM, Koepsell T. 1986. “Exercise as a risk factor for infertility with ovulatory dysfunction.” American Journal of Public Health 76:1432-1436.
Gudmundsdottir SL, Flanders WD, Augestad LB. 2009. “Physical activity and fertility in women: the North-Trondelag Health Study ” Human Reproduction 24:3196-3204

Many Fertility & Women’s Health Issues Could Be Traced Back To Mismanagement At Around Age 13

Posted on July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 by Andrew Orr

Early this week, I was talking with a colleague about how I would love to be able to see all women before they head into IVF, or see them when they were a teenager to educate them and help the with a better future for their fertility and gynaecological health.

My colleague then said to me “The issue is that most women are mismanaged at around age 13 and this is why they end up having fertility issues and ongoing gynaecological and menstrual related issues later on.”

The truth is, if we really to trace back the cause, or start of a woman’s fertility, gynaecological, or menstrual related issues, it would most likely be due to mismanagement at around age 13 when she first got her period. In this video I bring light to this very introspective, and very interesting topic that many probably have not thought about. It isn’t always mismanaged by the people you think it is either.

Let’s bring better education and awareness to women’s health issues because we know that early intervention and early management if the key to better future outcomes. It all starts with education first. Have a listen to my video on this very important topic (click on the youtube video link to watch

If you, or your daughter needs help with a menstrual issue, or period pain etc, please give my friendly staff a call and ask how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-Master of Reproductive Medicine

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Experts Program

Let’s Talk About Endo Belly

Posted on July 13, 2020July 13, 2020 by Andrew Orr

Endo belly is a term used to describe the uncomfortable, often painful, swelling and severe bloating that’s associated with endometriosis. Many women with Endo Belly will look like they are pregnant, when in fact they are not.

All too often, Endo Belly is misdiagnosed as being something that it isn’t, and this is something we see with endometriosis in general. Too often women and missed and dismissed and misdiagnosed by those who do not have experience with endometriosis and those who are not really an endometriosis expert.

For this article I thought it was important to focus on the topic of Endo belly, as it is rarely talked about, but it’s often a very distressing symptom.

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that’s similar to the lining inside the uterus, called the endometrium, is found outside the uterus where it doesn’t belong. Endometriosis is really just normal tissue, growing in abnormal areas, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and affect the life of suffers in many ways. (see -The Facts about Period Pain and Endometriosis)

Endometriosis is more than just period pain

Endometriosis is often only talked about in terms of period pain and we need to start talking about all the other associated symptoms such as Endo Belly. Many women with endometriosis suffer extreme gastrointestinal symptoms, severe bloating, abdominal pain, pain on bowel movement, pelvic and rectal pressure feeling, IBS like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, UTI like symptoms, mood swings, anxiety, depression, and a whole range of symptoms that affect their daily life. Endometriosis is more than just period pain and we need to start getting this information out there.

The interesting fact is that a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic and do not have any symptoms at all. Many of these women are diagnosed by accident, or may not even be diagnosed at all. Even then it often takes up to 10 years, or more, for many women to be diagnosed and so many are missed and dismissed along the way. The only way to definitely diagnose endometriosis is via surgical intervention, and usually by a laparoscopy.

Endo belly is often missed and dismissed

Every day I see pictures of women with swollen belly’s posted in social media as many are just trying to get an answer to the swollen belly and other associated gastrointestinal symptoms that they experience often, or even daily. I also see many of them then misdiagnosed and given wrong advice, when as an expert in endometriosis, it is plain to see that these poor women are suffering an endometriosis flare and that they have endo belly.

So often women are misdiagnosed as having the following:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Gluten intolerance/ and or Coeliac disease
SIBO (Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth)
Food intolerances
PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
Pregnancy

While some women may in fact have some of these issues in conjunction with endometriosis, or some of these conditions may be exacerbating their symptoms, the real cause of their swollen belly is endometriosis. If this is overlooked, which is often the case, and their symptoms are never addressed properly and they will continue to have flares not matter what they do. Women with endometriosis could have the best diet in the world and still have endo belly and flare, if the endometriosis implants are not properly excised and regrowth of microscopic endometriotic implants suppressed from growing again. It is all about having a proper multimodality treatment and management approach when it comes to endometriosis and why it is important to see an endometriosis expert.

Women with Endometriosis need to see an Endometriosis Expert

The problem for many women with endometriosis is that they are not seeing a healthcare practitioner who has the appropriate post graduate training in women’s health medicine, and who is not an expert in endometriosis. Many are also taking advice of people in social media groups too, which also leads to wrong diagnosis, or misdiagnosis. It is a big issue and why so many women suffer for years, all because of the wrong advice, seeing the wrong person and not being managed properly by an endometriosis expert.

What are the main symptoms of Endo Belly?

The main symptom of endo belly is severe bloating, and swelling of the abdomen. This may also be associated with severe pain. Some women with endo belly may even need to be admitted into hospital to control their endometriosis flare and pain.

Endo Belly can be worse during, or right before your period, but flares can happen at any time in the cycle and by triggered by multiple factors.
Endo Belly is when the abdomen fills with air or gas, making it looks larger. It may also feel tight, or hard to the touch through the bloating of the belly. As mentioned previously many women with endo belly can in fact look like they are pregnant.
Endo belly can cause discomfort, pain, and pressure in your abdomen and refer into a woman’s back and pelvis. Endo belly can cause the stomach to swell for hours, days, or even weeks on end if not managed properly.
Endo belly is just one gastrointestinal symptoms of endometriosis. As previously mentioned, many women who experience endo belly often have other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting and pain on bowel movement. Some women even get severe bleeding from the bowel as well.

What causes Endo Belly?

Endo Belly is caused by inflammation in the intestines, caused by endometriosis, and build-up of dysbiotic bacteria that cause gas and the swelling of the intestines and abdomen. These dysbiotic bacteria also add to further inflammation in the gut/microbiome and why they need to be cleared and replaced with good strain specific probiotic bacteria. There is now good research to show the role of the microbiome with inflammation, weight gain and even mood disorders. This is why I recommend women with endometriosis and endo belly should be doing a proper microbiome restore, to address the dysbiotic bacteria and also increase the growth and colonisation of the good bacteria.

What Things Can Trigger an Endo Belly Flare?

Inflammatory based refined foods and foods that cause gas in the gastrointestinal tract and intestines lead to bloating and abdominal pain. Foods and drinks that are known to exacerbate endometriosis, cause gas and inflammation, and cause endo belly are the following:

Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc)
Refined Grains (such as wheat, cereals, pasta, oats etc)
Some vegetable (such as cabbage and Brussel sprouts)
Products containing yeast (bread, beer, vegemite etc)
Soft drinks and sodas
Some fruits
Alcohol
Some forms of dairy

To help and assist endo belly as part of a multimodality approach it also usually require looking at a woman’s diet and making dietary changes. Fad diets have been shown to be of little benefit to women with endometriosis. Women with endometriosis and endo benefit from and individualised, low inflammatory based diet with lot of whole foods and cutting out pro-inflammatory refined foods. I recommend the PACE diet (Primal, Ancestral, Clean-Eating Diet) to all my patients with endometriosis, as they comment that it the most helpful in assisting their symptoms and overall health.

What can help Endo Belly

Endometriosis and endo belly need to be properly managed by an endometriosis expert and via a multimodality approach. This can involve surgical interventions, hormones, pain medications, complementary medicines, diet and lifestyle changes, counselling, pelvic floor therapy, exercise, meditation and mindfulness. All treatments and management of endometriosis and endo belly require an individualised care approach as women with endometriosis all have similar, but differing symptoms. Again, for proper care management an endometriosis expert with experience with endometriosis should be consulted to help you and assist you properly.

Final word

Endo belly refers to the painful abdominal bloating that’s associated with endometriosis.

Women can manage the symptoms of endo belly with a multimodality treatments mentioned above alongside dietary and lifestyle changes. It is important that endo belly is managed proper, by management of endometriosis, the underlying condition and underlying. This needs to be done by seeing an endometriosis expert, and working in with them to assist you manage endometriosis properly.

If you have abdominal bloating that’s painful, frequent, or lasts longer than a few days, be sure to see your healthcare specialist and see about getting a referral to an endometriosis expert, or women’s health specialist.

It’s also important to keep in mind that other conditions can cause a bloated or swollen belly. Your healthcare practitioner will be able to properly diagnose the cause and prescribe the right type of treatment plan. Please do not google your symptoms or take the advice of friends on social media. That can be dangerous and even be fatal if a serious health issues is missed.

If you do need help with endo belly and the associated symptoms of endometriosis, then please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I can assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Experts Program