Root Causes of Endometriosis
I was chatting with a follower last week who was amazed at the concept that there are root causes for endometriosis.
It made me think, wow, although there is so much more social awareness of the condition these days, there is clearly still so much confusion around the topic.
I think the fact that it takes so long to get a diagnosis of endometriosis (5-10 years on average), that people actually think that once they have a diagnosis, that they have found the root cause of their issues.
But let me explain something to you...
A diagnosis is only a label that we place on a set of signs and symptoms.
A diagnosis is not a root cause.
And that's where things get complicated.
Because your root cause is different to the girl next to you.
And root causes can be indirectly involved, which means that we have to dig really deep with case history taking AND functional pathology to reveal these 'driving factors'.
Here are some of the theories surrounding the 'root cause' of endometriosis...
Genetic factors - there may be a genetic predisposition for the condition, particularly if there is a strong familial link. It is important to note that it is our diet and lifestyle that keep those genes switched off, or turn them on to develop symptoms.
Retrograde menstrual flow - this is the age old original theory, that menstrual blood containing endometrial cells flows back through the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity instead of out of the body. This may be caused by a small cervical opening, but is also known to happen to some degree to most women, so is still a very controversial theory.
SIBO and Gut Overgrowths - most endo warriors have IBS, gut symptoms, or even SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). From intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut), these bacterial toxins can enter the pelvis area by gut microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles, leading to increased toxic load and an inflammatory response.
Vaginal microbiome disturbances - similarly to gut overgrowths and infections, the vaginal microbiome plays a role in either modulating the immune system, or contributing to chaos. Research has shown that particular bugs, including Gardnerella, Streptococcus, Escherichia, Shigella and Ureaplasma are associated with endometriotic women.
Immune dysfunction - whether endometriosis could actually be classified as an autoimmune condition is a question that is floating around. There is strong research to support dysfunction of immune cells in the development of endometrial lesions. This is probably also linked with genetic factors, but again - you weren't born with endometriosis, so why has it developed and what has triggered this immune dysfunction? Diet, lifestyle, toxins, stress???
Hormonal imbalance - it is a well known fact that endometriosis is driven or exacerbated by 'oestrogen dominance'. Oestrogen is a beautiful hormone that we should relish in our youth, because before we know it, it will start to decline in peri-menopause and menopause (which often opens up another can of worms with symptoms). The reason these oestrogen excess situations occur is down to a few different things, the bugs in your gut, your liver function, your bowel function, medications, and toxin exposure through foods and environmental contaminants.
Technological advances now allow us access to a variety of tests that can help find some of these root causes. The most common tests I request for my 'endo' clients include...
Comprehensive stool analysis (gut test)
Vaginal microbiome test
SIBO breath test
Heavy metal and mineral analysis (via hair or blood sample)
DUTCH hormone testing (sex and stress hormone metabolite testing via urine and saliva samples)
General blood tests
I honestly believe that there is generally more than one root cause for a condition, so it is complex.
However, you should know that there is hope because if we...
1. Test and find out what imbalances you have, we can then
2. Address this naturally, so that you
3. Have a reduction in your symptoms and can work towards regression or remission of the condition.
I look forward to meeting you soon!
Emily x