Endometriosis: get to know the disease that affects actress Fernanda Machado –

Actress Fernanda Machado, interpreter of the villain Leila in Amor à Vida, recently underwent surgery to treat complications from endometriosis. Fernanda had been suffering severe cramps, caused by the disease, and returned to the soap opera recordings a few days after the surgery.

Endometriosis affects one in ten Brazilian women of childbearing age, something around 5 million women. Despite being so frequent, it is still an enigma for science. It is true that it usually causes a lot of pain: physical and emotional. Not infrequently, it leads to depression. And it is one of the most important causes of infertility – half of the young women who suffer from this condition are unable to get pregnant.

The endometrium is the tissue that lines the uterus. Almost as thin as the skin on your lips, it grows every 28 or 30 days, stimulated by hormones in your menstrual cycle. Its function is to prepare the organ to receive the embryo. If pregnancy does not happen, this mucous desquamates and drains through the vagina – it’s menstruation. However, for reasons that are still not fully understood, some of its cells, instead of following the normal flow, return through the tubes, lodging inside the abdominal cavity. From there, they spill over to other areas of the pelvis, implanting themselves in the tubes themselves, in the ovaries, intestine, ureter, peritoneum (membrane of the abdominal wall), in the bladder and vagina.

How it hurts!

Although not all women with endometriosis experience severe cramps, this is one of the most characteristic symptoms of the disease. Why does it hurt so much? “The piece of endometrium that was installed outside the uterus continues to function normally and behaves as if it were still there”, says Eduardo Schor, professor of the gynecology department and responsible for the Endometriosis Sector at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). With nowhere to go, the intrusive blood accumulates in the pelvis and, like a kind of glue, causes the organs that are closest to each other to adhere – bladder to uterus, ovary to intestine, vagina to rectum. Hence the pain (also during sexual intercourse), infertility, difficulty in defecating and urinating.

“Many women attribute colic to menstruation, think it’s normal and don’t go to the doctor.. This delays the diagnosis, which can take up to ten years, sometimes longer”, says Arnaldo Schizzi Cambiaghi, gynecologist and obstetrician specialist in human reproduction, author of the book Fertility and Food, published by the Instituto Paulista de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. But you can distinguish one colic from another. “Menstrual pain goes away with an antispasmodic, and endometriosis does not. It can occur before, during and after menstruation and prevents normal day-to-day activities”, says Eduardo Schor.

you can control

Difficulty getting pregnant also serves as a warning sign. In this case, clinical, laboratory blood tests (called markers), endovaginal ultrasound and pelvic magnetic resonance help in the diagnosis. Detected early, endometriosis is curable, but it can come back. Therefore, it needs permanent control.

High estrogen levels can trigger endometriosis. This hormone works like gasoline that feeds the fire. Progesterone, on the other hand, acts like a firefighter fighting a fire. Thus, continuous use contraceptive pills based on progestogens, a synthetic medicine similar to progesterone, are a treatment option. Last year, Anvisa released the sale of the first drug based on dienogest, a specific substance to treat endometriosis that simulates the action of progesterone and inhibits estrogenic activity. For the most serious conditions, only surgery remains. by videolaparoscopy to remove tissue that has grown outside the uterus and adhesions.

Risk factors

Not all the causes of endometriosis are known yet, but there are suspicions that genetic inheritance be behind this story. That is, if your mother or sister has the disease, you are also at risk of developing it. Anyway, the Brazilian Association of Endometriosis and Gynecology classifies endometriosis as a disorder typical of modern women. The one who, in the fight for a place in the sun, needs to be competitive in her career, constantly submitting herself to a high degree of efficiency.stress – emotional state identified as a facilitator of the disease. “The body, weakened by everyday tensions, leaves the millions of cells responsible for expelling foreign substances out of combat”, says Sérgio Conti Ribeiro, gynecologist at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz and Hospital das Clínicas in São Paulo. And endometrial tissue, which penetrates where it shouldn’t, is one of them.

Also for professional reasons, many women postpone pregnancy beyond age 35, considered another risk factor. “The delay in getting pregnant causes estrogen, which is the main trigger for endometriosis, to act for a long time”, explains Sérgio. “The more times you menstruate,¬ which means that the woman has gone longer without getting pregnant, the greater the possibility of developing the disease.” This is because menstruation contributes to the travel of endometrial cells to areas outside the uterus. Our grandmothers did not experience endometriosis precisely because they got pregnant earlier and had more children. Throughout their lives, they went through 50 menstruations, while today that number has jumped to 400.

seven allied measures

Regularly visiting your gynecologist is essential to dribble endometriosis. Also bet on healthy habits. They can help you turn the tables.

1. Avoid stress. A recent study carried out by the Department of Psychology and Pharmacology at the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico established, for the first time, the relationship between stress, the immune system and the progression of endometriosis.

two. Practice physical activity. Another study, this time from the University of Washington and the National Cancer Institute, reveals that exercising frequently releases endorphins, natural pain relievers, and reduces estrogen levels.

3. Bet on protective nutrients. Among them is omega 3, good fat capable of reducing estrogen in the blood. According to researchers from the British Nutrition Foundation, it is found in chia, flaxseed and fish such as tuna, sardines and salmon. Present in dark green leaves (cabbage, arugula, spinach), in fruits (mango, melon, tomato), tubers (sweet potato) and vegetables (pumpkin, carrot), vitamin A is another protective nutrient, as well as vitamin C, found in acerola, orange and lemon.

4. Consume antioxidant minerals. As endometriosis is an inflammatory disease, antioxidants with anti-inflammatory action are mandatory in the diet. This is the case of magnesium and zinc, which are present in whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa and amaranth, and in tofu (soy cheese).

5. Strengthen immunity. To upgrade your defenses, consume yogurt, shiitake, oregano and selenium-rich foods like chestnuts.

6. Increase your consumption of vegetables. According to an article published in the English scientific journal Human Reproduction, written by Italian gynecologist and researcher Fábio Prazzini, from the University of Milan, fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of endometriosis by up to 40%.

7. Cut down on red meat. This food, according to Fábio Prazzini, stimulates the production of prostaglandins, substances responsible for inflammatory processes and pain. In a study of 1,000 women, those who ate red meat every day had between 80% and 100% more risk of developing the disease compared to those who prioritized vegetables.