Eight top tips for managing endometriosis pain at home
A quick search online about managing endometriosis will bring up an overwhelming amount of results. It can be hard to distinguish the current expert advice from outdated medical advice. Then, there is the homeopathic treatments and patients' personal experiences to sort through. What I'm sharing here comes from a pelvic pain expert who works closely with Endometriosis UK, a charity that I consider to be a knowledgeable and trusted resource.
Although the content had a particular focus on the effect of the pandemic on treatment availability, lots of the advice on self-management of symptoms will be useful for sufferers long term.
Here are my eight top tips that I learned from Dr Vincent.
1. Watch your stress levels
Stress makes symptoms worse, this is a scientific fact. If you read this heading and rolled your eyes - I get it. It's impossible to completely remove the stresses of modern life. What you can do is be mindful of them. Notice what things in your life are causing you stress - is there anything you can change? If you can't change them, how can you counteract them?
If you've had a really stressful day, try doing something calming in the evening. This could be mindfulness, yoga, a bubble bath, colouring, baking or a workout. Do whatever brings you joy.
Mind has a really useful resource on managing stress, plus lots of other information on managing your mental health.
2. Pace yourself, even on 'good' days
It's really common to get into a cycle of having a good day, trying to 'make the most of it' or catching up on jobs you've fallen behind on, overdoing it then ending up in another flare up. It's a trap I often fall into, to be honest, and I know it's something I need to work on.
3. Pace yourself even more on 'bad' days
It's really tough feeling like you're missing out on things because of your chronic illness. There will be times where there's a real temptation to push yourself through the pain just to try and keep a sense of a normal life.
At these times you need to carefully consider if it's worth ending up in bed with a flare up of epic proportions. If it's a once in a lifetime event, maybe. If it's a night out with friends that you could rearrange for when you're feeling better, maybe not. If it's cleaning your house top to bottom just because you have a child-free day for a change, definitely not! (Yes, that last one was aimed at myself...)
4. Plan activities that make you happy (but won't make you ill)
It's so important to keep those happy hormones flowing - they are really helpful in lowering stress levels, reducing pain and improving your mood. If you aren't up to going out dancing with your friends right now (and in the UK it doesn't look that will be an option for some months yet) then can you arrange a video call with them? You might not be able to go for a run, but maybe you could do some yoga or a little kitchen dancing. Instead of taking up hammer throwing as a hobby, try knitting! You get the drift.
5. Fight for contraception if that's your chosen method of symptom management
Dr Vincent advocated heavily for using hormonal birth control as a way to manage symptoms, saying you should have the aim of having none or very little bleeding throughout your cycle.
However, I believe this is a very personal choice in endometriosis management and not everybody wants to take contraception, for many different reasons. What I will say is, if you want to take them and your GP is refusing to supply them because they aren't seen as essential, make sure you advocate for yourself. For endometriosis sufferers they are a medical treatment, rather than a lifestyle choice.
6. Look after your bowel and bladder
Many endometriosis patients also have bladder and bowel troubles - and the conditions and symptoms often interact with each other.
If you're experiencing increased bowel or bladder symptoms, it's a good idea to consider:
- whether your diet might have changed due to the pandemic
- if you're drinking enough water
- whether your alcohol intake has increased
- if stress and anxiety levels are having a negative effect
7. Exercise every day
Yes, I'm afraid it's that old chestnut. I'm not talking intensive workouts, though. Think gentle movement - restorative yoga, pilates, a slow walk. Endometriosis UK also has a Pelvic Exercise Programme on their website that is designed for endometriosis sufferers.
Exercise has proven benefits for both physical and mental health, so it's one of the best ways that you can look after yourself.
8. Practice good sleep hygiene
Chronic fatigue is a common symptom of endometriosis, so getting enough restful sleep is very important. Being well rested can also reduce stress and pain levels. I really like this article on sleep hygiene from The Sleep Charity - it has some great tips on how to get more deep and restful sleep.
If your surgery has been cancelled/postponed due to COVID-19
I just wanted to acknowledge that I know this will have happened to many patients, in the UK particularly, and I'm so sorry. I remember the agony of waiting for that surgery. It sucks.
Dr Vincent's advice on this subject was to try not to worry. Getting yourself stressed will likely result in a worsening of symptoms. I know, it's easier said than done. However, trying the self-help methods mentioned here will help you to be in a better place before your surgery, which in turn will make recovery easier and reduce the chances of new post-op pain.
I hope you find this helpful. The full webinar (1 hour 27 minutes long) from Dr Katy Vincent is available here on the Endometriosis UK website.
For more about me, and how I manage life & parenting with chronic illness, please like my Facebook page and follow me on Instagram.
Resources:
Endometriosis UK
Resources:
Endometriosis UK
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