5 Things I'm Looking At Alongside Your Endometriosis
Endometriosis Doesn't Exist in Isolation
I sit across from a lot of women who've just been handed the word "endometriosis" like it's supposed to explain everything. The bloating. The migraines. The food reactions. The fatigue. The constipation. The pain. All filed under one diagnosis, as if that's the whole story.
I completely disagree.
The thing is, I'm never just looking at the endometriosis. I'm looking at the whole body, because endometriosis doesn't happen in one isolated part of it. Hormones influence the immune system. The immune system influences inflammation. The gut influences immune function. Pain influences the nervous system. And every one of these systems is talking to the others, all the time.
So when a client sits down with me, here are five other things I'm paying attention to alongside their endo.
1. Histamine intolerance
Oestrogen can activate mast cells and increase histamine release, and histamine can, in turn, influence oestrogen activity. In endometriosis, that back-and-forth matters, because both mast cells and histamine can contribute to inflammation and pain.
Histamine isn't causing your endometriosis. But if your histamine levels are already high, or you're particularly sensitive to it, it can add another layer to what you're feeling.
2. LPS-producing gut bacteria
Research has found up to six times higher levels of LPS (a type of endotoxin) in women with endometriosis. LPS is a toxic component produced by certain gut bacteria, and when it enters circulation it can trigger a strong inflammatory and immune response.
This is where gut health becomes about a lot more than "you have endo, so eat more fibre." What we're actually talking about is a chain reaction: bacterial toxin → immune activation → inflammation.
3. Gluten sensitivity
Gluten can wreak havoc on an immune system that's already dysregulated. If you have a gluten sensitivity, exposure can increase intestinal permeability, activate immune cells, and shift the gut microbiome.
And the gut plays a major role in oestrogen metabolism, immune regulation, and inflammatory signalling, three areas that are already under a lot of pressure in endometriosis.
4. Pelvic floor dysfunction
Ongoing pain can cause the pelvic floor to guard and stay chronically tense. So you can end up with scar tissue and restricted tissue movement, pain leading to guarding leading to more tension, or often, both at once.
This is exactly why a pelvic floor physiotherapist should be part of your endo healthcare team. Endometriosis, inflammation, scar tissue, and adhesions can all affect how the tissues through the pelvis move and function.
Why a Naturopath Belongs on Your Endo Team
Two people can walk in with the exact same diagnosis and have completely different things driving their symptoms. That's the part that gets missed when endometriosis is treated as one single, self-explanatory condition. It isn't. It's a starting point, not an answer.
My job is to look at the fuller picture alongside your diagnosis, not instead of it, so we can work out what's actually going on for your body, not just what's going on for endometriosis in general.
If you're ready to stop guessing and start understanding what's actually driving your symptoms, book a free 20min chat and let's see where to start.
For those who want in-person support, appointments are available in person - Newcastle.