A Guide To Managing Symptoms

Self-care is important—especially if you have endometriosis. With endometriosis, tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. This leads to symptoms such as severe pain, infertility, painful sex, and difficulty making bowel movements (pooping) and urinating (peeing). Needless to say, endometriosis can affect your quality of life.

While there are treatments for endometriosis, such as medication and surgery, that can help manage symptoms, certain self-care techniques can give some extra relief.

The self-care practices below may not cure endometriosis but can make living with this painful condition more bearable.

The majority of people with endometriosis have medium to high amounts of stress. Endometriosis pain can affect your work and social life, as well as your fertility—all factors that can cause or add to your stress. Being stressed can also make pain worse.

One of the best things you can do for yourself if you have endometriosis is to work on managing your stress.

Consider the following ways to relieve stress:

• Yoga
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Regular exercise
• Participation in meaningful hobbies
• Conversations with friends and family

Exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, but keep in mind that not all types of exercise may feel comfortable if you have endometriosis. Some people with endometriosis report that high-intensity exercise like running can trigger symptoms.

You may find that gentle, low-impact forms of exercise are a more comfortable choice when you’re experiencing pain. You can try:

• Walking
• Yoga
• Strength training
• Swimming
• Tai chi
• Pilates

Endometriosis and its associated pain can affect the muscles in your pelvic floor, a group of muscles that form a sling of support beneath your uterus, bladder, and bowels. When these muscles don’t work properly, you can experience symptoms such as constipation, incontinence (loss of bladder control), or painful sex.

Pelvic floor therapy provides exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. A physical therapist trained in pelvic floor therapy can help you retrain those muscles, reduce pain, and ease bowel and bladder symptoms. The therapy doesn’t treat the endometriosis itself, but it can help address its symptoms.

 There’s no specific “endometriosis diet,” but certain dietary habits may help you feel better. 

Drinking enough water and eating foods high in fiber (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) can help ease constipation, which is a common endometriosis symptom.

Increasing fiber can also help reduce estrogen levels. Estrogen, a female sex hormone, likely has a role in the development and trajectory of endometriosis, so reducing your estrogen levels may help the condition.

You might also want to avoid large quantities of caffeine and alcohol, which can both raise estrogen levels.

Research has also found the Mediterranean diet can reduce pain-related endometriosis symptoms, perhaps due to the diet’s antioxidant effects. The Mediterranean diet limits sugary and processed foods, focusing on foods like:

• Fish
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Nuts
• Lean meat and chicken
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains and pulses
• Fermented dairy

You might consider boosting your nutritional intake by taking certain supplements. Supplementation of vitamins D, C, and E have been shown to reduce endometriosis symptoms in some people.

There is also ongoing research into how a supplement called curcumin—the bioactive compound in turmeric—can affect endometriosis. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties, so it could potentially help an inflammatory disease like endometriosis.

Other supplements that may be beneficial for endometriosis include:

• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Omega-3
• Propolis
• Quercetin
• N-acetylcysteine
• Probiotics
• Resveratrol
• Alpha-lipoic acid
• Selenium
• Epigallocatechin-3-gallate

Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement. Supplements can sometimes interact with medications you may be taking or affect other health conditions.

Due to the unpredictable nature of pelvic pain, some people find they isolate themselves from social settings. This can negatively affect your relationship with your partner, family, and friends. Doing your best to avoid isolation by actively reaching out to others can be part of your self-care plan.

Communicate with your family and friends about how endometriosis is affecting your life. You can also connect with other people who have endometriosis to help feel less alone. There are many online support groups.

Endometriosis can be painful, but self-care strategies can help manage the pain.

Heating pads may help. You can use an electric heating pad or a rice pack, which you can heat in the microwave. Warm baths can also help. Stick-on heating patches are a good option for long-term, stable heat. Be careful to avoid burns with any of these options.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines can also help with pelvic pain. They deliver electrical currents through adhesive pads placed on your abdomen or back. You can buy TENS machines online or in stores without a prescription. Make sure to follow instructions.

Some people with endometriosis use cannabidiol (CBD) lotions or food to help with pain, but there is limited research in humans on dosages or effectiveness.

Painful sex is a problem for many people with endometriosis. In one study, 67% of women said they avoid sex due to their endometriosis symptoms. This can negatively impact your relationship with your partner, as well as your self-esteem and happiness.

There are some things you can do to address painful sex, including:

• Train with a vaginal dilator
• Practice deep breathing
• Use lubrication
• Perform certain stretches, such as the happy baby pose
• Talk openly with your partner
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers

Endometriosis can cause bloating, which is when your abdomen increases in size, and distension, which is a feeling of uncomfortable fullness in your abdomen. A lot of people with endometriosis refer to this as endo belly.

Wearing loose-fitting clothing may help you feel better. Opt for gentle waistbands or flowy dresses, and avoid clothes that constrict your abdomen too much.

You might want to consider making an appointment with a mental health provider if you have endometriosis. While endometriosis is a physical disease, the burden of having it can affect your mental health, too. 

People with endometriosis are significantly more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and eating disorders than those who do not have endometriosis.

Attending therapy or counseling might help you cope with the feelings and stress you have surrounding the disease.

Self-care may sometimes feel like a buzzword, but it can be a lifeline for people with endometriosis, who tend to have an overall worse quality of life due to their symptoms. The physical and mental effects of the disease can affect your social, work, school, and home life.

It can take 4-6 years of back-and-forth with healthcare providers to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis. Even after diagnosis, people often feel that their chronic pelvic pain and other symptoms are dismissed or misunderstood. 

In the face of those challenges, it’s vital that people with endometriosis practice self-care. Slightly changing your diet, talking more openly about your symptoms, or requesting a referral to a pelvic floor therapist may seem like small steps, but they could make a big difference in your daily life.

It’s important to be under the care of a healthcare provider if you have endometriosis. Together, you can monitor your symptoms, manage your pain, work toward any fertility goals, and determine what treatment is right for you.

If you have any of the following symptoms, contact your healthcare provider:

• Significant bleeding
• Dizziness or lightheadedness from a heavy period
• Frequent bleeding or spotting between periods
• Back pain that occurs even after your endometriosis has been treated

Practicing self-care with endometriosis can give you back a sense of control as you take steps toward feeling better despite living with this painful condition.

Whether it’s reaching out to someone else with endometriosis, using a heating pad, or changing the type of exercise you do, there are many ways to care for yourself. Endometriosis self-care can help you feel better mentally and physically.