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Endometriosis during pregnancy preparation, is it okay? Wise ways to deal with anxiety.

For a woman eagerly waiting for pregnancy, a diagnosis of 'endometriosis' can feel like a bolt from the blue. Many people spend sleepless nights in anxiety, wondering, "Is it difficult to get pregnant if I have endometriosis?" or "Should I have surgery?" Endometriosis is a common disease occurring in about 10-15% of women of childbearing age, but its symptoms range from severe menstrual pain to infertility, making it a major concern especially for those planning a pregnancy. This condition, where endometrial tissue that should be inside the uterus grows elsewhere, causing inflammation and adhesions, can degrade the function of the ovaries and fallopian tubes and interfere with normal implantation, thereby reducing the chances of pregnancy.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of questions about endometriosis during pregnancy preparation: ① Stagnant Blood (瘀血) and Circulation Disorders: Waste products accumulate because blood circulation in the uterus and pelvis is not smooth. ② Abnormal Immune System and Inflammatory Response: Endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus causes inflammation and disrupts immune responses. ③ Weakened Uterine Environment: General decline in uterine function makes implantation of the fertilized egg difficult. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic restores a healthy uterine environment through constitutional improvement and increases the possibility of pregnancy.

Endometriosis causes inflammatory reactions and forms adhesions as endometrial tissue exists outside the uterus, such as in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic peritoneum. These ectopic endometrial tissues proliferate and shed according to the menstrual cycle but cannot be discharged from the body, irritating surrounding tissues and causing inflammation. This degrades ovarian function, hinders the motility of the fallopian tubes, and makes the process of fertilized egg movement and implantation in the uterus difficult, becoming a major cause of infertility. It is known that 30-50% of women of childbearing age experience infertility due to endometriosis. Also, women with endometriosis may have difficulty maintaining pregnancy due to high natural miscarriage rates.

In Oriental medicine, the main cause of endometriosis is viewed as 'stagnant blood (瘀血)'. Stagnant blood refers to abnormal blood that stays in the body, hinders blood circulation, and acts like waste. This stagnant blood is caused by various factors such as cold energy (寒), stress (氣滯), and lack of energy (氣虛), and it can worsen endometriosis by inhibiting blood circulation in the uterus and pelvis.

Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon branch focuses on improving the fundamental uterine environment and increasing the possibility of pregnancy, not just relieving symptoms, through endometriosis treatment. Especially for women preparing for pregnancy, since surgery or hormone therapy can be burdensome, Oriental medicine treatment can be an even more important option.

Yes, there are research results showing that Oriental medicine treatment can have a positive effect on improving infertility caused by endometriosis.

A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study published in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine in 2020 analyzed the effect of Oriental medicine sequential therapy on women with infertility caused by endometriosis. In this study, 202 endometriosis-related infertility patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis (氣滯血瘀) pattern after laparoscopic surgery were divided into an Oriental medicine treatment group and a placebo group for 6 months of treatment. As a result, the clinical pregnancy rate of the Oriental medicine treatment group was 44.6% (45/101), which was significantly higher than the 29.7% (30/101) of the placebo group (p<0.05), and the live birth rate also showed significant improvement in the Oriental medicine treatment group at 34.7% (35/101) compared to 20.8% (21/101) in the placebo group (p<0.05). The researchers concluded that sequential therapy that activates blood circulation, regulates the liver (肝), and tonifies the kidney (腎) can effectively increase the pregnancy rate and live birth rate of women with endometriosis-related infertility by promoting follicle development, inducing ovulation, and improving endometrial receptivity.

In addition, a systematic review and meta-analysis study published in 2021 evaluated the efficacy and safety of herbal compound preparations for infertility caused by endometriosis. This study, which analyzed a total of 11 research papers (1,071 people in total), reported that the herbal compound preparation treatment group had significantly higher effectiveness rates (OR=1.26, p=0.049) and pregnancy rates (OR=1.94, p<0.05) compared to the control group. Also, the miscarriage rate was significantly lower in the herbal medicine treatment group (OR=0.16, p=0.01), and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of side effects. These studies suggest that Oriental medicine treatment can be a safe and effective way to increase the pregnancy success rate of women with infertility caused by endometriosis.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic optimizes the functions of the uterus and ovaries, removes stagnant blood, and creates a healthy body state favorable for pregnancy through constitutional improvement treatment that improves systemic circulation.

Infertility caused by endometriosis cannot be viewed as just a uterine problem. When the overall balance of the body is broken, and especially when the environment within the pelvic cavity including the uterus and ovaries is not healthy, symptoms worsen and pregnancy becomes difficult. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment does not just turn off symptoms, but induces fundamental changes so that the body itself can maintain a healthy state again.

1. Removal of Stagnant Blood and Improvement of Blood Circulation: By removing stagnant blood in the uterus and pelvis and promoting blood circulation, it inhibits abnormal proliferation of endometrial tissue and relieves inflammation. This also helps improve symptoms such as menstrual pain and pelvic pain.
2. Strengthening Uterine and Ovarian Functions: Through herbal medicine prescriptions tailored to individual constitution and symptoms, it reinforces ovarian function and induces healthy follicle growth and ovulation. This contributes to creating a uterine environment favorable for implantation of the fertilized egg.
3. Enhancement of Immunity and Self-Healing Power: By improving immunity within the uterus and pelvis, it prevents the recurrence of endometriosis and cultivates the body's own power to regulate and recover from inflammation. This is a process of breathing new vitality into the uterus exhausted by repeated endometriosis.
4. Recovery of Overall Health: Infertility is easy to accompany psychological stress. Constitutional improvement helps regain physical and mental stability by smoothing systemic Qi and blood circulation and reducing pregnancy stress. This also has a positive effect on autonomic nerve balance, allowing you to maintain good condition throughout the pregnancy preparation process.

Among Incheon endometriosis Oriental clinics, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic understands women's bodies deeply and focuses on creating the optimal uterine environment for pregnancy.

If 3 or more of the following items apply to you, you should consider the possibility of infertility due to endometriosis and start a consultation with Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon branch for healthy pregnancy preparation.

• Menstrual pain is getting worse and is hard to endure without painkillers.
• Pain is felt in the lower abdomen or pelvis even when it's not the menstrual period.
• Menstrual amount increases or irregular bleeding occurs frequently.
• Pain is felt during bowel movements or sexual intercourse.
• It's been more than a year since starting to try for pregnancy, but there is no news yet.
• I heard that a lump (endometrioma, chocolate cyst) was found in the ovary.
• Fatigue is severe and overall condition is not good.

3 or more applies → Suspect endometriosis and review complex Oriental treatment 5 or more applies → Immediate visit and detailed diagnosis recommended

Q. Is natural pregnancy impossible if I have endometriosis? A. Having endometriosis does not mean natural pregnancy is completely impossible. However, since the pregnancy success rate can decrease depending on the degree of endometrial tissue proliferation and adhesion status, it is important to improve the uterine environment through active treatment.

Q. Will Oriental medicine treatment be helpful after endometriosis surgery? A. Yes, because endometriosis has a high recurrence rate even after surgery, Oriental medicine treatment for preventing recurrence and recovering uterine function is very important. It can help the recovery of the uterus and ovaries after surgery, remove stagnant blood, and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.

Q. How long does treatment for infertility caused by endometriosis take? A. The treatment period can vary depending on several factors such as the severity of endometriosis, individual constitution, and the period of pregnancy preparation. Generally, significant improvement can be expected through steady treatment for 3 to 6 months or more, and this is adjusted through regular consultation and diagnosis.

Q. I have severe menstrual pain along with endometriosis, can they be treated together? A. Yes, one of the main symptoms of endometriosis is severe menstrual pain, and Oriental medicine treatment can proceed with menstrual pain relief and endometriosis treatment simultaneously through removal of stagnant blood and improvement of blood circulation. This is a great help in recovering overall women's health.

Endometriosis is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring your symptoms as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms, similar to mine, through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website first!

This article is health information summarized together by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Women/Pregnancy Treatment Criteria, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch, Oriental Medical Doctor Min Jihong (Endometriosis Column)