We arrived at the beautiful month of March, 2023!
March is International Endometriosis Awareness Month and in this article we are going to talk about this chronic disease, which affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. (In Portugal, the National Day of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis is celebrated on March 1).
Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue - tissue that lines the inside of the uterus - outside the uterine cavity. That is, in this pathology, fragments (small or large) of this tissue, which are normally only found in the uterine lining, appear in other parts of the body, such as the ovaries, intestines, bladder or fallopian tubes.
This condition can affect women during their reproductive years and usually occurs during or after puberty. It is still not known how and what causes this disease.
From the moment the first symptoms appear until the diagnosis, several years often elapse, with a great impact on the woman's quality of life.
The most common symptoms of endometriosis are: abdominal pain, hip pain, back pain, pain in the lower abdomen, pelvic pain, excessive bleeding during menstruation, pain during or right after sexual intercourse. The pain is usually severe and cyclical, coinciding with menstruation and occasionally associated with heavy menstruation.
Symptoms can start days before menstruation and end days later. In addition, endometriosis can lead to other symptoms such as pain during defecation, nausea and vomiting, mood swings, excessive tiredness, bladder pain, difficulty getting pregnant, feeling of abdominal swelling. Some of the symptoms of endometriosis are similar to the symptoms of other conditions such as appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease, cystitis, among others.
It is important to see a doctor for the diagnosis. Endometriosis is usually diagnosed through imaging tests, such as ultrasound, MRI or CT (computed tomography). A surgical investigation (laparoscopy) may be indicated, depending on the situation.
Endometriosis treatments are based on the severity of the symptoms, ranging from the use of medication to surgery, and are aimed at resolving pain and infertility problems, as well as eliminating endometriosis masses. Being a chronic disease, the physical treatment consists, above all, in controlling the pain. It is unfortunately not proven that a medicine or remedy prevents the progression of the disease, nor is there any type of natural treatment proven to be effective.
The treatment must be perfectly aligned with the woman's needs, taking into account the complaints, age group, whether or not she has children, etc. In this way, psychological follow-up should be included, helping to overcome the emotional challenges associated with the pathology.
Science has evolved and studies point to new theories, with new hopes. According to the article +Saúde by CUF: two recent articles, from 2021, are changing the paradigm of endometriosis. If until now it has been considered an organic pelvic or extrapelvic disease, these studies argue that it is a systemic disease, says Doctor Miguel Brito (Physician Gynecologist - CUF), explaining that "this will be very important for us to understand endometriosis in the coming years''.
We follow together! Hoping that each spring that comes brings more health and joy.
At Flow you can find some products to help relieve the symptoms of
endometriosis:
thermal pad (to relieve menstrual cramps naturally)
Pack BE RELAX (relief of stress and menstrual pain).:
Pink Croissant da Ouity (new generation food supplement):
For menstrual cycle collection, Flow has several sustainable and
reusable:
Flow is a brand of intimate hygiene products, an educational brand and we want to help transform the way we operate in the world!
Are you coming with us?
Margarida L. for Flow
