How to Cope with Endometriosis Symptoms
Know your tolerance., Use pain relievers., Try alternative treatments., Ask your doctor about hormone therapy., Your doctor might recommend another form of hormone therapy, such as an injection., Consider surgical options.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your tolerance.
Unfortunately, endometriosis typically comes with chronic pain.
One of your most important coping methods is learning not only to control the pain, but understanding it.
Keep track of your physical symptoms and how they make you feel.
If you know that you are having a particularly bad day, try to stay home from work or school so that you can treat your pain effectively.Track your pain and symptoms by keeping a journal.
With time, you may be able to predict which days of the month will be your most painful.
You can try to avoid scheduling important meetings or social events on those days.
There are also apps you can download to help you track your pain.
Pay attention to how pain affects you.
By becoming aware of the impact of your pain on your daily life, you will be able to find more effective ways of dealing with it. -
Step 2: Use pain relievers.
Medication can be very helpful when reducing the pain caused by endometriosis.
There are several over-the-counter pills that you can take.
If your pain is severe, you can also ask your doctor to prescribe a medication that you can take on your worst days.A good over-the-counter alternative is using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
NSAIDS are usually the first line of treatment for women with endometriosis.
Common NSAIDs include Advil, Motrin, and Aleve.
Make sure to follow the correct dosage — chronic use can lead to gastritis, ulcers in the stomach, and GI bleeding.
Discuss prescription pain medications with your doctor.
Be aware that many of these medications come with side effects such as drowsiness and possible nausea. , Some people report that acupuncture has been successful in helping to ease their chronic pain.
This technique uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body.
Acupuncture is not an exact science, but can be very helpful when done by a skillful technician.
Make sure to read reviews of the business before trying acupuncture.
Shiatsu is a Japanese technique that is similar to massage.
This therapy can be very helpful in relieving pain.
Ask friends and family if they know of a local practitioner.
Use heat therapy.
Heat therapy is a pain relieving technique that you can try at home.
Invest in a heating pad, or make your own.
You can fill a cloth bag (or a sock) with rice and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Then place on your abdomen or low back to relieve pain. , Your doctor may prescribe hormones to help regulate your period, therefore easing your symptoms.
Popular methods of hormone therapy include oral contraceptives.
When taken continuously, these pills can reduce or even stop your periods from occurring.Combined estrogen and progesterone hormonal therapy is often used to treat endometriosis.
They can be used for the long-term, are relatively inexpensive, and are well tolerated.
Benefits from estrogen-progesterone therapy include decreasing the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Combined estrogen-progesterone therapy includes oral contraceptive pills, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings. , Depo-Provera is one option you could ask your doctor to discuss. , If you have a particularly severe case of endometriosis and other lines of treatment have not worked, your doctor might discuss a surgical procedure.
One procedure, called excision, involves a surgeon cutting away the endometrial tissue.
The success of this procedure depends on the severity of the endometriosis.
Make sure to find a surgeon who has a lot of experience performing this operation.Sometimes, doctors recommend a hysterectomy.
This procedure removes the uterus and the ovaries.
Before deciding on this procedure, you will want to think carefully about how this will affect you if you have plans for having children in the future. -
Step 3: Try alternative treatments.
-
Step 4: Ask your doctor about hormone therapy.
-
Step 5: Your doctor might recommend another form of hormone therapy
-
Step 6: such as an injection.
-
Step 7: Consider surgical options.
Detailed Guide
Unfortunately, endometriosis typically comes with chronic pain.
One of your most important coping methods is learning not only to control the pain, but understanding it.
Keep track of your physical symptoms and how they make you feel.
If you know that you are having a particularly bad day, try to stay home from work or school so that you can treat your pain effectively.Track your pain and symptoms by keeping a journal.
With time, you may be able to predict which days of the month will be your most painful.
You can try to avoid scheduling important meetings or social events on those days.
There are also apps you can download to help you track your pain.
Pay attention to how pain affects you.
By becoming aware of the impact of your pain on your daily life, you will be able to find more effective ways of dealing with it.
Medication can be very helpful when reducing the pain caused by endometriosis.
There are several over-the-counter pills that you can take.
If your pain is severe, you can also ask your doctor to prescribe a medication that you can take on your worst days.A good over-the-counter alternative is using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
NSAIDS are usually the first line of treatment for women with endometriosis.
Common NSAIDs include Advil, Motrin, and Aleve.
Make sure to follow the correct dosage — chronic use can lead to gastritis, ulcers in the stomach, and GI bleeding.
Discuss prescription pain medications with your doctor.
Be aware that many of these medications come with side effects such as drowsiness and possible nausea. , Some people report that acupuncture has been successful in helping to ease their chronic pain.
This technique uses thin needles inserted at specific points in the body.
Acupuncture is not an exact science, but can be very helpful when done by a skillful technician.
Make sure to read reviews of the business before trying acupuncture.
Shiatsu is a Japanese technique that is similar to massage.
This therapy can be very helpful in relieving pain.
Ask friends and family if they know of a local practitioner.
Use heat therapy.
Heat therapy is a pain relieving technique that you can try at home.
Invest in a heating pad, or make your own.
You can fill a cloth bag (or a sock) with rice and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Then place on your abdomen or low back to relieve pain. , Your doctor may prescribe hormones to help regulate your period, therefore easing your symptoms.
Popular methods of hormone therapy include oral contraceptives.
When taken continuously, these pills can reduce or even stop your periods from occurring.Combined estrogen and progesterone hormonal therapy is often used to treat endometriosis.
They can be used for the long-term, are relatively inexpensive, and are well tolerated.
Benefits from estrogen-progesterone therapy include decreasing the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Combined estrogen-progesterone therapy includes oral contraceptive pills, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings. , Depo-Provera is one option you could ask your doctor to discuss. , If you have a particularly severe case of endometriosis and other lines of treatment have not worked, your doctor might discuss a surgical procedure.
One procedure, called excision, involves a surgeon cutting away the endometrial tissue.
The success of this procedure depends on the severity of the endometriosis.
Make sure to find a surgeon who has a lot of experience performing this operation.Sometimes, doctors recommend a hysterectomy.
This procedure removes the uterus and the ovaries.
Before deciding on this procedure, you will want to think carefully about how this will affect you if you have plans for having children in the future.
About the Author
Natalie Flores
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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