Ever wonder if your endometriosis will spontaneously go away before you reach menopause?
“Without any medical intervention? It’s quite rare for endometriosis to go away on its own before menopause except during pregnancy,” says Mylaine Riobe, MD, founder of Riobe Institute of Integrative Medicine.
Dr. Riobe, board certified in OB/GYN and integrative medicine, is the author of “The Answer to Cancer.”
Unfortunately, women — at least ones who are not pregnant — can only wish that their endometriosis will resolve on its own.
This condition, sometimes referred to as uterine polyps or uterine overgrowth, begins during the reproductive years.
Endometriosis is one of those conditions — which can cause mild to very severe symptoms — that will never spontaneously resolve in a non-expectant woman.
However, pregnancy won’t cure it, either, because once the pregnancy is over, symptomatic endometriosis will be resurrected.
“The hormones secreted during pregnancy can cause endometriosis to become dormant,” explains Dr. Riobe. So this would only be a very transient relief.
“Some natural interventions may help with endometriosis such as Chinese herbal therapies, acupuncture, homeopathy and biofeedback,” says Dr. Riobe.
“Nutritional interventions include correcting nutrient deficits, a diet rich in vegetables and fruits to encourage healthy detoxification and improved metabolism, avoiding processed foods containing pesticides, artificial hormones and antibiotics.”
These natural approaches may relieve symptoms in some women, but this is not the same as spontaneous resolution of the condition – that is, the overgrowths suddenly receding and then vanishing so that the patient is actually free of this disease.
Medical intervention including surgery can successfully treat this condition.
An Overview on Surgery for Endometriosis
As mentioned, endometriosis will not resolve on its own prior to menopause.
Surgery is often considered when other treatment are not effective or when the condition significantly affects quality of life.
The main goal of surgery is to remove or destroy endometrial tissue while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
One common approach is laparoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure that uses small incisions and a laparoscope (a thin tube with a camera) to view and remove overgrowth.
This method is usually employed for diagnostic purposes and treating mild to moderate cases of endometriosis.
For more extensive cases, laparotomy may be used, which involves a larger abdominal incision.
This method is considered when laparoscopy is not suitable or when the endometriosis is widespread.
Excision surgery involves cutting out the excess uterine tissue and is particularly effective for severe cases.
It aims to remove the disease completely and reduce the risk of it coming back.
In extreme cases, a hysterectomy might be performed, which involves removing the uterus and sometimes the ovaries as well.
This option is generally considered when other treatments have failed and the patient does not wish to preserve fertility.
Dr. Riobe has helped thousands of patients overcome difficult illnesses by addressing root causes, not just masking symptoms. The Riobe Method focuses on the prevention of diseases, not the prevention of death from diseases. She has over 15 years’ experience using integrative techniques to treat diverse patients.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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