Is There Hope for Endometriosis Sufferers?

Written by The Blue Heron Clinic

Women who suffer from endometriosis now have another drug to turn to in their struggle to manage the condition. A new pill, Visanne, has been designed to tackle the problem differently from conventional hormonal medicine. Whereas the latter prevents the ovaries from producing estrogen - and gives women menopausal side effects as a result - the new drug does not block the production of estrogen.

'This new medicine takes a completely different approach. It blocks ovulation, thus lowering the chances of endometriosis, but it does not block estrogen,' explains Thomas Strowitzki, director of the Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Conventional GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone) analogue drugs put women in a menopausal state for the duration of the treatment. They block the pituitary gland, which stops estrogen production, thus relieving the pain associated with endometriosis.

Women are put on this treatment for up to a maximum 12-month course.

Side effects from the resulting low levels of estrogen, however, are common, and most women will experience at least one or two symptoms commonly associated with the menopause. These include insomnia, headaches, mood swings, acne, dizziness, depression, decreased libido and vaginal dryness, although they usually disappear soon after conventional GnRH treatment ends.

Endometriosis is a condition in which the cells of the womb lining (the endometrium) are found outside the womb, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Unlike endometrial cells that are normally found in the uterus and which are shed during menstruation, those that grow outside the uterus remain in place and are stimulated during each menstrual cycle. Over the long term, this process gives rise to pain and can also result in scars or lesions on the tubes, ovaries, and surrounding structures in the pelvis.

Left undiagnosed or untreated, endometriosis can be a frustrating condition. Painful periods can cause a woman to miss work or school, strain sexual relationships, and affect the overall quality of her life. Besides irregular bleeding, endometriosis can also be a cause of infertility.

Dr Strowitzki says that doctors don't know why 15 per cent of fertile women develop endometriosis. 'To be honest, we don't know the risk factors and we don't know which group of women is at risk. We also don't know how to avoid the disease as it's not like cancer,' he adds.

Can Alternative Medicine Help Endometriosis?

Certain holistic or alternative therapies such as acupuncture have shown to be effective in alleviating symptoms of endometriosis for some women. However a through TCM diagnosis and regular acupuncture treatment would be needed alongside diet and lifestyle changes which may relieve some of the painful symptoms associated with Endometriosis while cultivating a healthier more fertile environment for women trying to get pregnant.

Combining acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine would be another option for women with endometriosis - especially if they have been trying to conceive unsuccessfully for several months or years. Chinese herbs may be particularly effective as they treat the internal condition of the body associated with this disease, namely blood and Chi (vital energy). In many cases of endometriosis the TCM diagnosis is blood stasis (blood not moving) or Chi stasis (energy not moving) in the lower abdomen which would account for the painful symptoms and excessive growth of the endometrial lining outside the uterus.

 The Blue Heron Galway Fertility Clinic provides natural fertility treatment for women suffering from infertility

Original story from - http://health.asiaone.com