What is covered in Endo Smart - A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Managing Your Health

For anyone still deciding whether Endo Smart is the right book for them, I wanted to provide an overview of its contents so you can determine if it contains the information you’ve been searching for.

How the Book is Written

The book is structured into mini-essays or short sections that discuss popular topics and answer common questions about endometriosis. It is backed by scientific research, offering explanations that help expand the conversation. This information can assist you in better understanding your condition or guide you in making choices that support your health and well-being.

I have also commissioned illustrations to be included throughout the book where relevant. These visual aids help clarify complex topics and enhance understanding.

The book is divided into three main parts:

Understanding Endometriosis:

A deep dive into the disease, its symptoms, and its effects.

Diagnosing the Condition:

A guide to receiving a diagnosis.

Treatment & Management Strategies:

Practical advice on managing and treating the condition, from surgery and hormone treatments to alternative therapies and treatments.

Now, let’s explore the contents of the book in more detail.

Foreword

Written by Dr. Gibbons, an expert in endometriosis.

The Beginning

An introduction to the book, explaining how research is incorporated and discussing the current status of endometriosis research.

Part One: Understanding Endometriosis

• Introduction – Provides statistics, an overview of the disease, and its impact.

• History of Endometriosis – Tells the story of how our understanding of endometriosis has evolved over the years.

• My Story – A personal account of my diagnosis and how endometriosis has affected my life.

• What Is Endometriosis? – An overview of the disease and its effects on the body on a basic level.

• What Is Inflammation? – Explains inflammation’s role in endometriosis and its significance in how endo develops and grows.

• What Are Adhesions? – Describes adhesions (which affect the vast majority of individuals with the disease), their causes, and their impact on individuals with endometriosis.

• What Are the Types of Endometriosis? – Discusses the three key types of endometriosis and their unique characteristics.  Interestingly, these three types are different enough that they could represent three different diseases that are categorised under one umbrella term.

• What Causes Endometriosis? – Reviews current theories on the causes of endometriosis and their strengths and limitations.

• What Are the Stages of Endometriosis? – Explains the staging systems we have and their limitations.

• What Are the Symptoms of Endometriosis? – Covers various symptoms you may struggle with, their causes, and their impact on daily life.

• What Is a Flare-Up? – As flares are common in several chronic diseases, this defines flare-ups and explores possible triggers.

• Bowel Endometriosis – Examines the effects of endometriosis on the bowels.

• Rectovaginal Endometriosis – Provides details on this form of the disease and its symptoms.

• Extragenital Endometriosis – Discusses endometriosis in non-reproductive organs, including the urinary tract, renal system, and thoracic cavity.

• Tilted Uterus – Explains how endometriosis can alter the position of the uterus.

• Frozen Pelvis – Defines frozen pelvis, its causes, and symptoms.

• Adenomyosis – Explores the similarities and differences between endometriosis and its sister condition.

  Biochemistry of Endometriosis – Covers biochemical changes that can occur in endometriosis, including hormone imbalances (oestrogen and progesterone), CA125, and iron deficiency. We discuss why biomarkers cannot be used for diagnosis.

• Microbiology – Investigates microbial changes in individuals with endometriosis, which may be a cause or consequence of the disease, and explains why although this information is very useful to understand, it cannot be applied as a blanket understanding for each person with the disease.

• The Nervous System – Discusses how nervous system alterations contribute to pain, anxiety, and comorbidities.

  Endometriosis Brain – A look at how endometriosis may affect brain function and cognition. This is an exciting area where more research is being conducted to understand better.

• Comorbidities – Examines conditions commonly associated with endometriosis, including fibroids, lupus, allergies, and cardiovascular disease.

• Fertility - Addresses pertinent questions Endo Warriors may have regarding their fertility and how endo may impact it.

• Is Endometriosis Preventable and What Are the Risk Factors? Reviews proposed risk factors and prevention strategies.

• Menopause – Explains how menopause affects endometriosis.

• Endometriosis in Infants, Children, and Adolescents – This disease affects people of all ages. This discusses early-onset endometriosis and its manifestations.

• Endometriosis in Biological Males and Transgender Men – Explores research on endometriosis in these populations.

Part Two: Diagnosis

• How to Get Diagnosed – Tips, tricks, and an overview of the diagnostic process.

• Endometriosis Diagnosis – A narrative on the difficulties of diagnosis and the possible routes people may take.

• Meeting the Gynaecologist – Advice on what to expect at your appointment and how to make the most of it.

• Non-Invasive Diagnostic Procedures – Explanation of diagnostic tools such as ultrasound, MRI, CT scans, and bowel or urinary investigations, including their effectiveness and suitability for different cases.

• Diagnostic Surgery – A detailed look at what occurs in diagnostic surgery, with a focus on the basics of laparoscopic procedures.

• Specialist Endometriosis Centres – An exploration of specialist centres in the UK and what they offer.

• Why is Early Diagnosis Important? – Discusses the significance of early diagnosis in improving outcomes and quality of life.

Part Three: Treatment & Management Strategies

• Introduction – Initiates the discussion on how to manage endometriosis and why it is important.

• Cures & Myths – Dispels common myths surrounding endometriosis treatment.

• Pain Medications – Explains available pain medications, how they work, and who they are best suited for.

• Hormone Treatment – Breaks down different types of hormone treatments, from the pill to GnRH analogues, explaining their mechanisms, benefits, limitations, and suitability.

• Endometriosis Surgery – Explains surgery in detail, covering ablation vs. excision, surgeries for endometriomas, bowel or urinary surgery, and post-surgical care.

• Hysterectomy – Explains the available types of hysterectomy, their benefits, and limitations.

• Surgery Care – Details the post-surgery experience, recovery expectations, potential complications, and includes a checklist for hospital preparation.

• Do You Need Surgery? – Factors to consider when deciding on surgery.

• Fertility and Surgery – Discusses how surgery can impact fertility with relevant statistics.

• Management Outside of Surgery & Hormone Treatments – Introduces alternative management strategies beyond Western medicine.

• The Four Pillars of Health – Introduces a holistic framework for improving quality of life.

• The Four Pillars of Health: Nutrition – A comprehensive 50-page chapter covering the impact of nutrition on endometriosis, including research on antioxidants, omega-3s, veganism, gluten, soy, microbiome, fibre, sugar, inflammation, fats, AGEs, red meat, vitamins, organic food, FODMAP, histamine intolerance, and more.

• Diet Summary: Key Takeaways for Endometriosis Management

• Alcohol – Discusses how alcohol affects endometriosis symptoms, anxiety, and overall health.

• Supplements – Reviews research on over 15 supplements, including probiotics, resveratrol, and vitamins.

• The Four Pillars of Health: Movement – Explains why movement is important for lifelong health, how it can improve symptoms, and how to incorporate it without triggering flares. Covers yoga, Pilates, lymphatic movement, and physiotherapy.

• The Four Pillars of Health: Sleep – Discusses the link between endometriosis and poor sleep and how to improve sleep quality.

• The Four Pillars of Health: Wellbeing – Explores stress reduction, social anxiety management, vagal tone improvement, and nervous system health.

• Alternative Medicine – Introduces other practices that can improve symptoms and overall health.

• Herbal Medicine – Covers five herbs with scientific backing for endometriosis support to start you on your herbal medicine journey.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – Discusses various types, fascinating studies, and their potential benefits.

• Acupuncture – Due to its popularity in treating pain, this chapter covers a detailed breakdown of acupuncture, its effectiveness, and who it may help.

• Homeopathy – Explains its principles and potential uses.

• Meditation – Discusses meditation's benefits and how to get started.

• Other Treatments – Covers Botox, bioidentical hormones, cannabis, and CBD for symptom relief.

• How to Deal with the Day-to-Day – Practical guidance on managing symptoms, including painful sex and stress management.

• Toxins to Avoid – Uncovers the fascinating research on toxins' relationship to endometriosis and how to minimise exposure.

• Medical Research – Highlights some of the fantastic work that researchers are working on and what they may mean for the future of endometriosis. 

• (Not) The End – Concludes the book with final thoughts and encouragement.

As you can see, there is a lot of information contained in Endo Smart. This book is designed to be an informative and supportive guide for anyone affected by endometriosis. I hope it provides the clarity and knowledge you need on your journey.

All information in the book has been reviewed by expert, Dr Gibbons.

You can find links to purchase your copy here.

OR, type 'Alice Lynch Endo Smart' in your search engine to find a local bookstore.