Coping with Chronic Endometriosis Pain

While some women with endometriosis never experience any negative symptoms, many live with chronic pain associated with this incurable condition. From painful trips to the restroom to unpleasant experiences in the bedroom, endometriosis can wreak havoc on your life and lifestyle. 

Dr. Darin Swainston, one of the top OB/GYNs here in Las Vegas, specializes in diagnosing and treating your endometriosis, so you can decrease the severity of your symptoms. Depending on the nature of your condition, he can remove the rogue tissues that have implanted themselves where they don’t belong by using minimally invasive, robot-assisted surgical techniques or electrical energy. He can also get rid of any scar tissue that may have built up in the area. 

Meanwhile, if you’re dealing with chronic pain associated with endometriosis, here are a few tips Dr. Swainston recommends to help you calm your symptoms and live more comfortably with endometriosis.

Stress less

Naturally, when you feel pain, you become stressed. Stress, in turn, decreases your body’s ability to fight pain, so you feel pain more intensely. Consequently, you end up in a vortex of pain and stress that is tough to break. And if you have endometriosis, this relationship is especially important, because stress has been shown to directly impact pain levels in women with endometriosis. 

Dr. Swainston advises his patients with endometriosis to adopt various strategies to reduce stress in their lives, such as breathing exercises, visualization, yoga, meditation, prayer, etc. Try several approaches until you find the technique that works best for you. You may discover that a calmer mind means less pain.

Exercise more

The more you exercise, the more endorphins your body releases. Endorphins are the hormones that counteract pain and make you feel good. It may seem counterintuitive to exert your body when it’s in pain, but those who do exercise report significant reduction in their pain levels. In addition to those happy hormones, exercise increases your circulation, keeps your organs supplied with essential nutrients and oxygen, and lowers your estrogen production.

In fact, physical activity may even decrease your chances of getting endometriosis in the first place. Studies show that women who engage in vigorous exercise as a regular part of their lifestyle are 76% less likely to end up with endometriosis. 

Watch your diet

Like gas for your car, food is fuel for you body. If you feed it junk, it won’t run well. Endometriosis happens to be very sensitive to the food you ingest, so it benefits you to pay attention to what you’re eating. Research has shown that women who eat very few or no vegetables have a higher chance of developing endometriosis. 

Another dietary link is found in omega-3 fats. Science shows that if you eat more foods that contain these precious fats, the better your chances of beating endometrial pain.

Here are a few of the foods you should opt for if you’re trying to up your omega-3 fat intake:

• Fish, such as mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon, and sardines
• Oysters
• Flax and chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Soybeans
• Caviar

Use over-the-counter pain relievers

Many women find temporary relief from their endometrial pain on the shelf in their local drug store. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can decrease your pain significantly, especially during your menstrual cycle.

Most menstrual pain is caused by contractions of your uterus as it sheds its lining. During this time, your body produces prostaglandins, which enable your uterus to contract and do its job. If you have endometriosis, your body likely produces more than its fair share of prostaglandins and therefore, more than your fair share of pain. 

Ibuprofen can help block your production of prostaglandins, especially if taken before the pain begins. Take a dose the day before you expect to start your period to ward off the worst of your endometrial pain.

Dr. Swainston always recommends the most conservative approach to health care first. However, if you have tried these techniques and still can’t alleviate your endometriosis pain, he can offer you expert medical care and treatment beyond these preliminary approaches.

Call our office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Swainston. It could be the first step in finally ridding yourself of the pain associated with endometriosis.