LIVE WELL PODCAST | EPISODE 14 - Endometriosis as a social justice issue with Angie Alt

It’s an unfortunate reality that women’s pain is routinely ignored or undervalued in the medical system [1]. Women in pain are much more likely than men to receive prescriptions for sedatives, rather than pain medication for their complaints which can affect access to proper treatment [2]. This bias is one difficulty in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to endometrium, the tissue lining the inside of the uterus, is found outside the uterus. This tissue can grow outside of uterus on other organs, commonly the ovaries, uterus, bowel and pelvic sidewall, seriously injuring or even destroying these other organs. In these locations the tissue responds to cyclic hormonal changes, just like the tissue inside the uterus, which causes inflammation, bleeding, and A LOT of pain. 1/10 women experience endometriosis so it’s actually far more common than we think! [3]

I interviewed Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness to get her take on why endometriosis has become a social justice issue and what we can do about it. Angie herself manages three autoimmune diseases, Lichen Sclerosis, Endometriosis, and Celiac disease and has used diet and lifestyle shifts to help her live a more vibrant life. Listen to the episode to learn about Angie’s experience with endometriosis, learn about treatment options, and explore important ways to manage this underrepresented condition. Make sure to share this blog post and interview with all of your girlfriends. There is fantastic info in here that can help women get empowered and informed!

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Show Notes:

• 0:00 Intro

• 0:40 Introducing Angie Alt

• 3:57 What is endometriosis?

• 5:20 Why don’t we hear about endometriosis more despite it’s prevalence?

  • Endometriosis is a “women’s issue”

  • “Women’s pain is routinely undervalued and ignored in the medical system” - Angie

• 9:00 Angie’s experience with Endometriosis

• 10:40 The phenomenon of women trying to self-manage the pain due to lack of proper treatment

• 12:18 Is endometriosis an autoimmune disease?

• 13:50 What are the available treatments for Endometriosis?

  • Laprascopic surgery

  • Find an endometriosis specialist

  • Hormones

  • Pelvic floor physical therapy

  • Liver support

• 22:10 “The hormonal treatments for endometriosis amount to experimenting on women” - Angie

• 24:10 The role of our liver in hormone production and detoxification

  • Castor oil packs

  • Dandelion tea

  • Supplements

  • Beets, leafy greens and foods that support the liver

• 25:10 How to deal with the severe pain?

  • Don’t let the pain get ahead of you

  • Ok to use pain medications

  • Anti-inflammatory diet

  • Meditation

  • Heat pads

  • Resting

  • CBD Oil

• 31:44 Stages to endometriosis 1-4

  • The stages do not reflect how much pain the person might be in

• 33:00 Finding a specialist for endometriosis

  • Nancy’s Nook as a great resource

• 36:00 Angie’s advice for women going through their healing journey with endometriosis

• 37:10 Outro

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If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.

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P.S. I always offer free 30-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and what’s standing in your way. Contact me to set up a consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.

In Health, 

Christina Tidwell, MN, RN, CHC