Natural Remedies for Endometriosis

More than half of all women experience cramps and discomfort when they first begin menstruating in their teens. There is often no physical abnormality involved (called primary dysmenorrhea.) So from an early age, many women get used to the idea that PMS and cramps are normal and harmless.

But menstrual cramps can also be caused by endometriosis, a women's health condition that affects 5.5 million women and children in the United States. It is estimated that half of all women with endometriosis have not been properly diagnosed. According to Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of the National Women's Health Resource Center, "The typical woman with endometriosis has visited at least four doctors over the course of five to seven years before getting a correct diagnosis." Getting a proper diagnosis is the first step. There are also natural remedies that may help.

Related Resources

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• Endometriosis a common cause of infertility