About Health & Medicine

Pain is a message which tells us that a part of the body has been damaged or injured in some way. The message is transmitted by a network of nerves from the site of the damage or injury to the brain — where it is perceived as pain.

Pain is the dominant symptom for many women with endometriosis. Until recently the management of pain was largely ignored by the medical profession, and even now there is little written about which pain management techniques are the most beneficial for the relief of the pain associated with endometriosis.

It is thought that much of the pain of endometriosis, especially that experienced during menstruation, occurs when the implants bleed on to the tissues surrounding them, causing inflammation and the release of chemicals known as prostaglandins which in turn causes pain.

The endometrial implants and cysts may also cause pain as they grow and swell during the second half of the menstrual cycle, particularly if they are embedded in the ovary.

Adhesions can cause pain because they pull and stretch the organs in the pelvic cavity into abnormal positions.

The rupture of an endometrioma may also cause pain because the spillage of its contents severely irritates the surrounding tissues, causing inflammation and the release of prostaglandins.

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Sampson’s theory of retrograde menstruation is by far the most popular theory of the development of endometriosis and it probably explains the vast majority of cases. According to this theory endometriosis develops when menstrual fluid from the uterus flows backwards through the fallopian tubes and out into die pelvic cavity during the menstrual period. This process of backward flow is known as retrograde menstruation which is a normal process that occurs in the majority of women. When the menstrual fluid flows out of the ends of the fallopian tubes it is deposited onto the surrounding organs and tissues. The menstrual fluid contains blood and fragments of endometrium. Some of these fragments of endometrium are still living and they implant themselves on the surface of the tissue and begin to grow and function. These patches of implanted endometrium are known as endometrial implants, deposits or cysts. Although it is known that most women have retrograde menstruation, it is not known why only a small percentage actually develop endometriosis.

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We live in a society where we are bombarded with chemicals and toxins. All the time we are exposed to chemicals in our food, in the packaging around it, in pesticides, additives and preservatives. In our houses, we can be in contact with chemicals through household cleaners, aerosols, new carpets treated with moth-proofing, and anti-woodworm and wood preservation treatments.

Outside, the environment is equally laden with toxins – traffic fumes, factory pollution, pesticides sprayed on parks and railways. Dangerous chemicals seep out from landfill sites. The list goes on …

All this affects your fertility. Logic tells us that toxins must be one of the main reasons why an increasing number of couples face difficulties conceiving. The fact is that we are living in a ’sea’ of hormones.

Of course it’s difficult to link a specific chemical to a particular medical problem or illness. So much else in our lives may affect our health that it’s often impossible to isolate the real culprits.

But we can learn a lot from the animal world. Infertility in wildlife is known to be linked to substances called xenoestrogens, oestrogen-like chemicals in the environment caused by pollution from pesticides and the manufacturing of plastics.

The power of these xenoestrogens was demonstrated when a group of scientists discovered that alligators which had hatched in Lake Apopka, Florida, had abnormally small penises and altered hormonal levels. In 1980 there had been a massive spill of Kelthane pesticide into the lake – the xenoestrogens from the pesticide were feminizing the alligators and stopping reproduction.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Department for the Environment found hermaphrodite fish in one river. The fish were part male and part female.

In view of all this it seems very likely that chemicals in regular use are having a damaging impact on our fertility.

Genetically Modified Foods

Fortunately the issue of genetically modified foods has provoked a groundswell of opposition amongst the British public. We were just recovering from the BSE crisis when suddenly our food faced another threat. If the commercial production of GM foods goes ahead in Britain, we could find ourselves sitting on yet another health time-bomb – possibly the most devastating of all.

GM foods are already affecting the fertility of insects that feed on them. For example, ladybirds that ate greenfly fed on genetically modified potatoes had a drastic reduction in fertility, with fewer eggs being produced.

Likewise, when a gene to produce redness was put into a petunia, it produced plants with more roots, hairier leaves and a reduction in fertility. Scientists should know by now that they cannot manipulate nature without consequences.

Household Chemicals

Think about the number of chemicals we have in our houses – all those cleaners and aerosols. There is plenty of evidence that the chemicals they contain can be harmful.

In an American study, published in 1991, women with a history of unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriages were found to have high levels of two chemicals commonly found in carpets, leather upholstery and wood preservatives.

Leading UK fertility expert Lord Professor Robert Winston believes that chemicals in emulsion paint being used in a closed laboratory over 100 meters away from his clinic affected embryo growth at a vital stage of treatment. No one is allowed to wear perfume or aftershave in Lord Winston’s clinic because he believes it is important to avoid chemicals when trying to maximize fertility. Some chemicals can stop women conceiving, or the egg may fertilise naturally but not be able to grow or develop.

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