People, especially women, should never downplay the emotional impact of endometriosis-related infertility. In Canada, this excruciating condition affects between 1 to 2 million Canadian women of the total female population.

Without proper treatment, women with endometriosis can face various challenges including unsuccessful attempts at conception, which often results in feelings of frustration, sadness, anxiety and even depression.

In this blog, we will look at the impact of endometriosis and what you can do to promote or protect your fertility.

Understanding Endometriosis and Infertility

Endometriosis is a long-term chronic condition characterized by the growth of tissues similar to the uterine lining in other parts of the body, such as in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, bowel, and even in the area between the vagina and the rectum. Occasionally, it can also grow outside the pelvis.

While women of any age can be at risk of endometriosis, your risk factor increases if you have the following:

Never given birth
Menstruation at an early age
Menopausal at an older age
Short menstrual cycles, typically less than 27 days
Low BMI (especially in if considered medically obese)
Higher estrogen levels or greater lifetime exposure to estrogen
Heavy menstrual period lasting more than 7 days
Genetic factors (having a mother, sister, and aunt with endometriosis)
Medical conditions that affect the normal passage of blood from the body during menstruation
Reproductive tract disorders

Women with endometriosis can experience the following symptoms:

Chronic pelvic pain
Infertility issues
Long, heavy, and painful periods
Urinary and bowel problems
Painful intercourse

Does Endometriosis Cause Infertility?

While endometriosis does not have a direct impact on a woman’s fertility, it can make getting pregnant difficult. The overgrowth of tissue on the fallopian tubes or ovaries can interfere with conception since these growths can prevent the eggs from reaching the uterus. Another factor linked to endometriosis affecting a woman’s fertility rate is that it triggers inflammation that harms either the sperm or eggs, keeping them from moving freely.

Woman and anyone wishing to conceive can still conceive a baby and carry their conception to term even if there have mild to moderate endometriosis. However, doctors recommend not to delay pregnancy since the condition can potentially get worse with time and cause delayed conception.

How Does Endometriosis Affect Fertility Rate?

Endometriosis can be a cause of infertility in some women since it can cause uterine inflammation and scar tissue. In some cases, endometrial tissue can develop into the uterine muscle, resulting in another form of endometriosis known as adenomyosis. It can also impact the immune system, alter the hormonal environment around the eggs, hinder embryo implantation, and change the egg quality.

To achieve pregnancy, an egg must be released from the ovary, flow freely through the fallopian tube, be fertilized by the sperm, and attach itself to the uterine wall to develop. The endometrial tissue can cause obstruction in the tube, which prevents the sperm and egg from uniting. In a less direct way, the tissue growth along the uterine lining can cause damage to the sperm and the egg. Both factors can make pregnancy less achievable.

How Can You Prevent Endometriosis?

Unfortunately, endometriosis is uupreventable. However, the risk of infertility due to endometriosis can be reduced by lowering your estrogen levels. This is because estrogen can thicken the uterine lining during your period.

Here are a few things you can do to lower your estrogen levels:

Consult your OB-GYN about using hormonal birth control methods, such as patches, pills, or rings with reduced estrogen dosage.
Engage in regular exercise (4+ hours a week) to maintain a low body fat percentage. Both exercise and lower body fat can help reduce the amount of estrogen circulating through your body. (And exercise lowers general inflammation in your body)
Avoid consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverages as it increase the levels of estrogen. Health professionals recommended no more than 1 alcoholic drink for women, although recent revised guidelines even suggest avoiding alcohol altogether.
Avoid drinking beverages high in caffeine. Consuming more than 1 caffeinated drink a day can boost your estrogen levels.

Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture for Endometriosis and Infertility Treatment

The teatment of endometriosis with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plays an effective clinical role in alleviating the pain of the disease, slowing down the progression of the disease, preventing the recurrence of the disease after surgery, and improving your fertility. TCM has clinical advantages over other treatments. For example, TCM is non-invasive with few risks.

Chinese medicine categorizes endometrial lesions as static blood or blood that is not flowing as it should. The dominant pathology, however, is kidney Yang deficiency accompanied by qi stagnation and qi deficiency. Chinese herbal formulas and Acupuncture can help:

Stabilize and inhibit the advancement of endometriosis

While laparoscopic surgery is commonly used to remove endometrial tissues, some women prefer a natural and safe approach to improving their condition—fertility acupuncture.

This treatment approach for endometriosis and infertility uses thin, specialized needles that are gently inserted into certain points in the body to stimulate the nerves, connective tissues, and muscles.

Reduce Pain

TCM and Acupuncture reduces the blood viscosity of the patient's whole body, avoids local organ tissue adhesions, ischemia, hypoxia, poor blood circulation, and more. As a result, it relieves the spasm of the uterine artery, and reduces the patient's pain caused by endometriosis. Acupuncture is also known to be a natural pain killer.

Acupuncture effectively treats not only the symptoms of endometriosis, but it treats the route cause.

Lower Levels of Cellular Estrogen

A recent study claims using acupuncture as an endometriosis treatment helps suppress a type of estrogen known as serum estradiol. Endometrial cells produce high levels of this hormone since they create their own estradiol supply. Since estrogen sparks the growth of endometrial tissue, the suppression or natural reduction of estrogen supply helps reduce lesion size and pain.

Improve Immune Function

A variety of studies show that acupuncture supports the immune system by producing more white blood cells to help combat cancerous cells and abnormal tissue growth. In the case of endometriosis, increased immune function can be applied to endometrial lesions

Decrease Inflammation

A study conducted in 2017 discovered that acupuncture treatment for endometriosis can lower the levels of serum CA-125, a blood marker associated with high levels of inflammation, which increases in women with endometriosis.

How Often Should Acupuncture Be Used to Improve Fertility?

The frequency of treatment recommended by your healthcare provider may depend on the cause of infertility. Your fertility acupuncturist will perform a thorough assessment of your health and recommend a treatment protocol that is ideal for you.

If you are planning to get pregnant via IVF, an established treatment protocol requires you to undergo acupuncture treatment 3 months prior to the procedure. Research shows that the average number of acupuncture treatments associated with successful pregnancy is 13 to 14 sessions.

What to Expect During the Treatment

The method of health assessments performed by the acupuncturist is different from your physician. During the evaluation, the acupuncturist will check your pulse, and tongue, and make other observations.

Verbal assessment may include asking questions about your history and symptoms. This is because TCM and acupuncture treats not only your condition but your body as a whole, cause the initial session run a little longer, usually from an hour to an hour and a half. However, your subsequent acupuncture sessions will last around 30 to 45 minutes.

Endometriosis and Infertility: Final Thoughts

Endometriosis can potentially increase your risk of infertility in several ways. Inflammation and scar tissue can affect the natural anatomy of the pelvis, causing blockages and other health problems. Inflammation can have an adverse effect on egg quality and maturation. Additionally, it can also lower the success rate of fertilization and implantation. Several treatment options are available for endometriosis. You should consult a professional healthcare provider about your symptoms and fertility goals.

If you are considering Chinese herbal formulas andacupuncture as a treatment for endometriosis, count on Total Wellness Centre. We provide endometriosis treatments in Toronto. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of fertility acupuncture, we provide our patients with a personalized treatment plan that is ideal for their health needs. Give us a call today at 416-532-9094 to learn more about our endometriosis treatments in Toronto.

Endometriosis: How Does It Affect Fertility