Endometriosis is a painful chronic condition that affects 5.5 million women in North America. It occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus, is found in locations outside the uterus. It may be found on ovaries, the outside of the uterus, the bowel, bladder, the ligaments that hold the bladder in place or the peritoneum (the lining of the pelvis and abdominal cavity). In rare cases, it can be found in far distant sites, such as scar tissue on an arm or leg.
The misplaced tissue develops into growths that respond to the menstrual cycle the same way the tissue of the lining of the uterus does. Each month, the tissue builds up and sheds. While menstrual blood flows out of the body from the uterus through the cervix and vagina, the endometriosis tissue and cells it sheds have no way of leaving the body, so they can cause inflammation, scar tissue formation, adhesions and bowel problems.
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| Overgrowth Of Candida Symptoms |
SYMPTOMS
The Endometriosis Association website (www.endometriosisassn.org) cites the following symptoms of endometriosis:
- pain before and during periods
- pain with sex
- infertility
- fatigue
- painful urination during periods
- painful bowel movements during periods
- other gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea, constipation and nausea
- chemical sensitivities
- chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
- asthma and eczema
- infections
- food intolerances
- mononucleosis
- mitral valve prolapse
- fibromyalgia
- autoimmune disorders, including lupus and Hashimoto's thyroiditis
While no one knows the exact cause of endometriosis, the most popular theory is called "retrograde menstruation," in which endometrial cells from the uterus somehow travel through the fallopian tubes and into the abdominal cavity. That theory is currently being questioned. But there are other theories that indicate there may be genetic predispositions to endometriosis, or that it can be caused by an immune system malfunction and even by environmental toxins, especially dioxin.
In fact, one animal study shows that 79% of monkeys exposed to dioxin in their food developed endometriosis within 10 years.
Of course, the possibility of environmental influences will probably make you perk up your ears, since we're talking here about yeast overgrowth and we already know there is a remarkable connection between environmental toxins, food sensitivities and yeast overgrowth.
In addition, says the EA, many women with endometriosis suffer from allergies, chemical sensitivities and frequent yeast infections.
In many ways, the discovery of the depth of the candida problem has been a challenge for me, much like unraveling a mystery. Each part seems to lead to another part. And so endometriosis and candida yeast infections have a connection, at least some of the time.
In the early 1980s, John Curlin, M.D., a Tennessee gynecologist, began using nystatin to treat some of his patients with menstrual irregularities, pelvic pain and endometriosis. His prognosis: "Although this program doesn't relieve all of the symptoms in women with these problems, the response in many of my patients has been gratifying."
I'm not alone in my suspicion that there is a strong link between candidiasis and endometriosis. The Endometriosis Association's book, Overcoming Endometriosis, has an entire chapter on the connection with candida. It quotes Dr. Truss as follows:
I think it is unquestionable that there's a very high association of endometriosis with chronic candidiasis. Naturally, we cannot at this time be sure whether the yeast is causing the endometriosis, or whether some common factor predisposes to both. Many doctors have shared this theory with me.
Tucson, Arizona gynecologist Pamela Morford, has another interesting viewpoint on the connection between candida and allergies in women with endometriosis.
She says, "I've found that people with endometriosis and pelvic pain frequently have a problem with yeast and allergies. And if I treat a patient with endometriosis using anti-candida therapy, she will more than likely lose her pelvic pain ... I won't say that the endometriosis goes away, yet I will say that the pain and the symptoms go away ... Endometriosis is an autoimmune disease of the pelvis and in those people who are genetically predisposed to developing it, candida may interfere with the immune system functioning and allow the disease to become manifest. At least, that's my theory."
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Dr. Wayne Konetzki, M.D., a Waukesha, Wisconsin allergist, has done some research of his own on the immune system problem that suggests some women may be allergic to their own hormones. In a study of his patients, he found that women with endometriosis are most likely to be allergic or sensitive to luteinizing hormone and estrogen, as well as Candida albicans, chemicals and foods, but any combination of sensitivities is possible. Interestingly, he found that women with PMS were most likely to be allergic or sensitive to progesterone.
Other scientists have confirmed the idea that a woman's immune system, in building antibodies to Candida albicans, may be building antibodies against her own ovarian tissue. To find out more, you can check out Overgrowth Of Candida Symptoms.