Adenomyosis – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, And Diet + Prevention Tips
Has your period become heavier and longer than usual? And is this accompanied by frequent cramps and bloating? Beware! You may have developed adenomyosis. Many factors, including advacing age, can trigger this condition. To know about natural cures for adenomyosis and tips to deal with it, keep reading.
Table Of Contents
- What Is Adenomyosis?
- Signs And Symptoms Of Adenomyosis
- Causes And Risk Factors For Adenomyosis
- Natural Remedies To Cure Adenomyosis
- Best Diet For Adenomyosis
- Prevention Tips
What Is Adenomyosis?
The inner lining of the uterus is called the endometrium, and the muscle wall of the uterus is called the myometrium. Adenomyosis is a medical condition in which the endometrium breaks through the myometrium of your uterus. This may result in an enlarged uterus.
This condition can be classified into different types. They are:
- Diffuse Adenomyosis: This type involves the extension of the endometrium throughout the lining of the uterus.
- Focal Adenomyosis: Some individuals may develop a localized collection of the endometrial tissues within the myometrium – leading to the formation of a nodule or tumor called adenomyoma.
Those suffering from adenomyosis are most likely to exhibit the following signs and symptoms.
Signs And Symptoms Of Adenomyosis
- Heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding
- Spotting between periods
- Tenderness in the abdominal area
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Blood clots during menstrual bleeding
- Severe cramps during menstruation
- Abdominal pressure
- Bloating
Although the exact cause of adenomyosis is unknown, some factors are believed to trigger it. Let’s take a look at them.
Causes And Risk Factors For Adenomyosis
The probable causes of adenomyosis are:
- Termination of pregnancy.
- Endometriosis – abnormal growth of endometrial tissues outside the uterus.
- Estrogen dominance – A condition characterized by excessive production of estrogen but little or no progesterone.
- Swelling of the uterine lining.
Moving on to the risk factors for adenomyosis, they include:
- If you are in your 40s and 50s
- Childbirth
- A history of surgeries on the uterus
The above factors could be the probable triggers of adenomyosis. Irrespective of what is causing it, adenomyosis needs to be treated. Here are some of the best natural treatment options to help you combat adenomyosis.
Home Remedies To Treat Adenomyosis
- Heating Pads
- Massage With Essential Oils
- Castor Oil
- Shepherd’s Purse
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Calcium And Magnesium
- Aloe Vera
- Vitamins
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Natural Remedies To Cure Adenomyosis
1. Heating Pads
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You Will Need
A heating pad or a hot compress
What You Have To Do
- Take a heating pad and place it over your lower abdomen.
- Leave it on for 5 minutes.
- Remove and repeat thrice.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 2 to 3 times daily or whenever the pain strikes.
Why This Works
The heat from the heating pad can help enhance the blood flow to your pelvic area. This helps relieve the building pressure and pain in the uterus (1).
2. Massage
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You Will Need
- 6 drops of lavender or clary sage essential oil
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
What You Have To Do
- Mix six drops of lavender/clary sage oil with a teaspoon of coconut oil.
- Massage the mixture onto your abdomen for about 2 minutes.
- Leave it on overnight or for at least 30 to 40 minutes before rinsing it off.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this 1 to 2 times daily, especially when you are menstruating.
Why This Works
Massaging stimulates blood flow to your uterus and can help relieve pain and inflammation. Massaging with essential oils like clary sage and lavender helps even more because these oils offer anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic benefits, which help reduce pain and cramps in the uterus (2), (3).
3. Castor Oil
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You Will Need
- Castor oil (as required)
- Hot water bottle
What You Have To Do
- Apply a little castor oil all over your lower abdomen.
- Place a hot water bottle on your abdomen and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent (4). Using a castor oil pack on your abdomen can help reduce the swelling and pain in your uterus.
4. Shepherd’s Purse
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You Will Need
- ½ teaspoon of shepherd’s purse
- 1 cup of water
What You Have To Do
- Add half a teaspoon of shepherd’s purse to a cup of water.
- Bring it to a boil in a saucepan.
- Simmer and strain.
- Consume the tea.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink this 3 to 4 times daily, especially right before and during your period.
Why This Works
Shepherd’s purse enhances the blood circulation within your body and alleviates the symptoms of inflammation that accompany adenomyosis. It can help with heavy and irregular periods by providing relief from heavy bleeding (5).
5. Ginger
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You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
- 1 cup of water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add a teaspoon of minced ginger to a cup of water and bring it to a boil in a saucepan.
- Simmer and strain.
- Allow the tea to cool a little and add some honey to it.
- Drink immediately.
How Often You Should Do This
You can drink ginger tea 3 to 4 times daily for optimum benefits.
Why This Works
The active components like gingerol in ginger impart anti-inflammatory properties to it (6). This makes it a wonderful remedy that offers relief from inflammation and pain associated with adenomyosis.
6. Turmeric
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You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 glass of hot milk
What You Have To Do
- Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a glass of hot milk and mix well.
- Consume this mixture daily.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this at least once daily for the desired results.
Why This Works
Turmeric is one of the best options to treat adenomyosis – given the presence of curcumin in it. The anti-inflammatory and healing properties of curcumin can help in reducing inflammation within your body caused by adenomyosis (7). Turmeric can also alleviate pain and swelling.
7. Calcium And Magnesium
You Will Need
- 1000-2000 mg calcium
- 300-320 mg magnesium
What You Have To Do
- Consume calcium and magnesium-rich foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, salmon, sardine, almonds, spinach, quinoa, and cashew nuts.
- You can also take supplements for these nutrients after consulting your doctor.
How Often You Should Do This
It is best to include small amounts of these nutrients in your daily diet.
Why This Works
Both calcium and magnesium can help in relieving the symptoms of adenomyosis by regulating your menstrual cycle (8).
8. Aloe Vera
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You Will Need
1 cup of fresh aloe vera juice
What You Have To Do
Consume a glass of fresh aloe vera juice daily.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this twice daily for optimum benefits.
Why This Works
Aloe vera possesses soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that can help with adenomyosis and its symptoms like pain, swelling, and inflammation (9).
9. Vitamins
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Vitamin B complex and vitamin E play a significant role in the treatment of conditions like adenomyosis (10). While vitamin B complex is ideal for relieving the painful symptoms associated with menstruation, vitamin E can provide the much-required antioxidants to fight free radical damage.
You can get the required amounts of these vitamins by consuming eggs, milk, cheese, fish, poultry, almonds, spinach, and kale. If you wish to take supplements for these vitamins, you can do so after consulting your doctor.
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
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You Will Need
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 glass of warm water
What You Have To Do
- Add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and mix well.
- Drink this mixture.
- You can also soak a gauze in some apple cider vinegar solution and apply it to your lower abdomen for relief.
How Often You Should Do This
You must do this 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Apple cider vinegar is being widely used for its multiple benefits, including its anti-inflammatory activities. It is a perfect solution for treating adenomyosis as well as other menstrual woes like bloating and cramps (11).
This is not it. If you want to recover from adenomyosis completely, you must pay extra attention to your diet as well. Given below is a diet chart that you must follow for quicker recovery.
Best Diet For Adenomyosis
Certain foods that can help you combat adenomyosis are:
- Grains like bran cereal, brown rice, oats, and wheat pasta.
- Fruits like apples, berries, grapes, papaya, and pears.
- Vegetables like cabbage, spinach, cucumber, carrots, celery, beans, peas, and potatoes.
- Spices like mint, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fennel.
- Other foods like wheatgrass, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, sesame, and aloe vera.
Following a well-balanced diet is extremely important to obtain relief from the symptoms of adenomyosis. There are a few additional tips that you can follow to steer clear of adenomyosis in the near future. They are discussed below.
Prevention Tips
- Practicing yoga asanas like Adho Mukha Asana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Bhujangasana, Utthita Anguli Sukhasana, and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can help you manage the symptoms of adenomyosis.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid processed foods.
- Reduce your intake of sugar and meat.
- Avoid caffeine.
Adenomyosis can be quite a struggle for women who are planning to conceive soon. However, the right diet, exercise, as well as natural remedies (like the ones mentioned in this post) can help in coping with most of the symptoms associated with this condition.
Do you have more doubts regarding this condition? Please get in touch with us via the comments section.
Expert’s Answers For Readers’ Questions
Is it dangerous to have an enlarged uterus?
An enlarged uterus is not of much concern if its cause is determined. However, if the sudden increase in the size of your uterus is because of a critical medical condition, it may have dangerous consequences on your health.
Is adenomyosis cancerous?
There is as less as 1% chance for adenomyosis to turn out to be cancerous. In about 99% of cases, adenomyosis is non-cancerous.
Can adenomyosis cause infertility?
Some studies do hint at adenomyosis being a cause of infertility. However, we need more research to arrive at a conclusion.
Can you get pregnant if you have adenomyosis?
Although the risk of miscarriage doubles in women suffering from adenomyosis, managing the symptoms can help with conception.
Shaheen Naser
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