Getting to Know Endometriosis: A Much More Thorough Understanding of Causative Factors and Symptoms
For too many years, women have been led to believe that agonising period pain is ‘just what women have to put up with. We have come to expect it, to accept it, to endure it with the simple solution of taking some painkillers and getting on with our lives. But when your period stops you from going to work, makes it impossible to enjoy your life, or leaves you doubled up on the bed. Then it is not just a period. It is a health condition. It can be endometriosis.
If you need facts, you‘re certainly not the only one. It would be nice to know what your body is doing, why it‘s doing it, and what you can do about it.
Here‘s a complete guide to facts about endometriosis, what causes it, and what to do to get your health back with functional medicine.
Dr. Menka Gupta*, MBBS, MSc, FMCP-M
IFM-Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner • 25+ Years Experience
✓ Evidence Based
- June 5, 2026
- 5:40 pm
What is Endometriosis?
To better understand the meaning of endometriosis, we need to appreciate how the uterine lining behaves. The endometrium is the lining of the inside of your uterus. Every month, it thickens and then sheds as a period.
So, what is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of your womb grows in places it‘s not meant to grow. This tissue can grow on your ovaries, fallopian tubes or the outer surface of your womb, and sometimes on your bowels or bladder. This tissue still responds to your monthly hormones, and it thickens and bleeds each cycle. However, unlike the uterine lining, blood and inflammatory byproducts have no easy way out of the body; this ultimately triggers chronic inflammation, and over time may also lead to scar tissue formation and adhesions, which cause organs to stick together and lead to pain, cramps, and other symptoms.
Furthermore, endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory condition in which both hormone imbalance, gut health, and chronic inflammation play an important role.
What Causes Endometriosis?
While scientists are still working out all of the actual causes of endometriosis, there are a few common theories on why the tissue ends up growing in the wrong parts of the body:
- Retrograde Menstruation: This is the most common theory. It theorises that, during a period, some blood passes back through the fallopian tubes into the pelvis instead of leaving the body.
- Immune System Failure: A normal body recognises and destroys aberrant endometrial cells. If the immune system fails, these cells have a chance to implant and develop
- Cellular Metaplasia: A process by which cells in other parts of the body will change into endometrial tissue, usually due to high amounts of estrogen or endocrine disrupters.
- Genetics: The risk rises considerably if your mother or sister already has the condition. There is clearly a hereditary factor involved, making some women more susceptible to this growth.
- Others: Higher lifetime exposure to estrogen, environmental disruptors such as BPA, and ovulatory cycles, which may influence hormonal balance. and contribute to the condition.
What are the Symptoms of Endometriosis?
Symptoms of endometriosis are different for each woman. Some women suffer from intense pain, while others experience minimal symptoms. Nonetheless, the common endometriosis symptoms are
- Pain in the pelvis is the most consistent feature. It often begins before the period and can last for days.
- Painful Periods (Dysmenorrhea): Pain so bad that it causes nausea or prevents your usual routine.
- Pain During/After Sex: A very common sign, but often unspoken. Pain during or after sex, especially deep pelvic pain.
- Discomfort during Bowel Movements or during Urination – Sharp pain might be experienced in these areas, particularly when you are menstruating.
- Digestive Symptoms: Bloating and altered bowel movement
- Fatigue
- Heavy Bleeding: Some women have abnormally heavy periods or abnormal bleeding between periods.
- Infertility: The first indication of a problem for some couples is the failure to conceive following a period of trying.
What kinds of Complications can Endometriosis lead to?
If left unmanaged, the chronic inflammation can lead to serious long-term complications:
- Infertility: The most prevalent complication. Between 30% and 50% of women with endometriosis are infertile, owing to the possibility that endometrial scar tissue blocks the tubes or affects egg quality.
- Adhesions: Chronic inflammation can cause your organs to “stick” together, and this can now be the cause of other problems and pain, even when it’s not your period.
- Ovarian Cysts: Sometimes called ‘chocolate cysts.’ These are sacs filled with fluid that form on the ovaries. They can be extremely painful and may require an operation.
- Mental Health Impact: Constant, hidden pain is draining, leading to psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety.
How is Endometriosis addressed?
Standard endometriosis treatments usually fall into three categories:
- Pain Control: Use of anti-inflammatories to control the physical pain associated with cramping.
- Hormone Therapy: Using birth control or other hormones to inhibit the growth of the tissue by lowering the estrogen level.
- Surgery: Laparoscopy is used to excise or laser the lesions. This can be effective, but the tissue usually regrows.
These tools help, but by treating the symptoms, not the problem! This is where a functional doctor can help. A functional doctor will look at the ‘why’ and explore your gut health, how effectively your liver is clearing hormones, and your body‘s overall inflammatory load.
Functional Medicine Lab Tests for Endometriosis
When digging deeper into what is really going on, a functional medical practitioner will order specific labs:
- DUTCH Hormone test: This urine test goes into detail about what your body is doing to process and excrete several hormones. This test evaluates levels of hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and androgen. Additionally, this test includes markers related to cortisol and certain organic acids, which offer additional insight into inflammation and other factors relevant to endometriosis.
- Advanced gut microbiome Stool Analysis: A comprehensive test that evaluates gut microbiome imbalances, digestive functions, and inflammation markers. Dysbiosis or poor microbiome health can alter your estrogen detoxification and increase inflammation, both of which are relevant in endometriosis.
- Food sensitivities test: This test detects triggering food items that may be causing chronic inflammation in the body. This test is important as these triggering food items can worsen inflammation and thus cause hormonal imbalances and symptoms of endometriosis.
- Toxicity test: A simple yet powerful test that identifies environmental toxins like BPA, parabens, pesticides, phthalates, etc., which mimic estrogen in the body, causing hormonal imbalance and thus endometriosis progression.
- Inflammatory Markers: Measuring markers such as your CRP and hsCRP helps assess your body‘s overall state of systemic inflammation.
- Nutrient Levels: Checking for nutrient levels is necessary for the management of endometriosis. As vitamin D is responsible for healthy immune function, while magnesium helps in hormonal balance, reducing inflammation, ultimately helping in the management of endometriosis.
Functional Medicine Program for Endometriosis
Managing this condition naturally involves calming the immune system and balancing your chemistry. A functional medicine expert will first understand the root cause of your problem through testing, through history, and then advise a functional medicine protocol along with targeted supplements.
Here’s a short breakdown:
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet: By cutting out sugar, gluten, and dairy, you may reduce your pain levels dramatically by taking the “fire” from your body.
- Short-term Gluten-Free Approach: It may help improve inflammatory conditions and pain perception.
- Estrogen Detox: Increasing your intake of broccoli, kale, and cauliflower encourages your liver to process excess estrogen so it exits your body safely.
- Gut Health: Restoring your microbiome allows your body to excrete excess estrogen, preventing it from being reabsorbed into your blood.
- Targeted Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, Magnesium, and Zinc will help reduce the prostaglandins that cause painful cramping. At Nutra Nourish, we have a set of supplements specifically designed to manage it, such as GLA 240, that help in improving hormonal response and reducing inflammation. Additionally, FemGuard + Balance is a comprehensive formulation with ingredients rich in chaste tree, resveratrol, green tea extract, and black cohosh, to support overall hormonal health. In some cases, OmegAvailTM Hi-Po is a high-potency omega-3 supplement to support hormones and to regulate inflammation.
- Lifestyle Modifications: Regular exercise, consistent sleep cycle, and stress management are important factors for healthy living. Also incorporate yoga and stress-reduction techniques to regulate the gut-brain-hormone axis and improve pain perception.
- Reduce Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Limit the use of environmental toxins such as BPA
Conclusion
You don’t have to face this journey alone or accept that living with the pain of a chronic condition is the ultimate reality of your life. With a functional doctor who will probe a little deeper, you will be able to design an achievable but sustainable plan to truly be healthy for the long run. It is time to take back your life and fight for the care that you deserve.
If you are looking to take a root-cause approach to better understand your body, working with a functional medicine practitioner and using targeted supplement support, then you can book your consultation with us here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does functional medicine have the power to heal endometriosis?
Functional medicine can help with endometriosis
Which lack of vitamins triggers endometriosis?
From the perspective of a functional medicine expert, no single vitamin deficiency directly causes endometriosis. Although a low vitamin D level contributes to increased inflammation and immune dysregulation, there are chances that may worsen the symptoms of endometriosis. So, it’s important to support a nutritional status while managing endometriosis.
What supplements shrink endometriosis?
Studies have indicated that N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) and Omega-3s may be able to decrease the activity and volume of the lesions.
What are the early symptoms of endometriosis?
The initial symptoms tend to be cramping and bloating while you‘re on your period.
Can you have endometriosis without abnormal bleeding?
Yes. Some women can have a light period and still have a huge amount of tissue present and a high level of pain.
What is the distinction between PCOS and Endometriosis?
PCOS is a metabolic problem with increased levels of testosterone, causing irregular ovulation, whereas endometriosis is an inflammatory problem where endometrial tissue develops in the wrong location.
Is there a permanent cure for endometriosis?
Not at present. Even surgery or a hysterectomy is not always permanent, as the tissue can still grow.
Can menopause get rid of endometriosis symptoms?
Typically, yes. As your estrogen declines with menopause, your lesions will generally get smaller, and the pain will diminish.
What should you eat as a diet for endometriosis?
The most effective diet in reducing inflammation and exerting control over estrogen is a diet high in fibre, healthy fat, and vegetables.
Will supplements help reduce endometriosis pain?
Yes. Magnesium and Zinc do a good job of relaxing the uterine muscles and thus easing the pain of cramps.
📚 References (4 sources)
- 1.Agnieszka Mazur-Bialy, Tim S, Pępek A, Kamila Skotniczna, Naprawa G. Holistic Approaches in Endometriosis – as an Effective Method of Supporting Traditional Treatment: A Systematic Search and Narrative Review. Reproductive Sciences. 2024 Jul 23;31(11). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11527925/
- 2. Endometriosis: Root Causes & Lifestyle Interventions | The Institute for Functional Medicine [Internet]. Ifm.org. 2023. Available from: https://www.ifm.org/articles/endometriosis-root-causes-lifestyle-interventions
- 3.Mercier Des Rochettes L, Serboli G, Nelva Stellio L, Manzoni E, Agostini A. Complementary therapies for endometriosis associated pain: An extensive survey. Journal of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders. 2025 Dec;12:100126. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838425000210
- 4.Saunders PTK, Horne AW. Endometriosis: new insights and opportunities for relief of symptoms. Biology of Reproduction [Internet]. 2025 Jul 24; Available from: https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biolre/ioaf164/8211700https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biolre/ioaf164/8211700