That's Fit

Want to cut your heart attack risk in half? How about boosting your immune system by 30%? You can have these perks and more just by (ahem) getting busy.

Endometriosis is a condition that was discussed a lot in my house when I hit puberty and started experiencing menstrual cramping that brought me to my knees. My mother was diagnosed with it (and told she needed a hysterectomy) when she gave birth to me -- that was, of course, after more than 25 years of truly unbearable cramping during menstruation and 10 years of trying to conceive with no luck. She had seen doctors about the pain and was basically told it was in her head.

So, when I came across this post at Divine Caroline on the "Devastating Effects of Endometriosis," I took a moment to read it over, and boy am I glad I did. It turns out that endometriosis can cause a lot more than just miserable cramping.

Endometriosis "occurs when fragments of the womb lining are found in other parts of the body where they may swell, bleed, and lead to fusing and scarring." Fragments are generally found in the abdomen, but can be found in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and bowel -- even as far away as the lungs. And, it can cause infertility -- between 30 and 40 percent of women with endometriosis are unable to conceive.

I have yet to meet a women who doesn't complain about her period. Goodness knows I have. We worry about it's arrival each month (admit it -- you've counted days on a calendar worrying about whether "it" will come during prom or your wedding or your beach vacation). But when it doesn't arrive like clockwork, that's worrisome in a whole other way. For women with irregular periods the question is usually "why?"

Researchers from four universities surveyed women and found that only 28% had perfectly regular cycles. The reasons for irregular periods vary. Here are just some of the possibilities:

• Late periods. If you're over 45 and your periods are stretching out for longer periods of time you might be perimenopausal. If you're under 45, talk to your doctor -- you may have a hormone imbalance.

Many women struggle with the uncomfortable symptoms otherwise known as PMS on a monthly basis, and are unable to find effective ways to deal. Of course there are numerous products you can buy at the local drug store designed to help with issues like bloating, pain, crankiness, etc, but not everybody is interested in taking medications. Many women would prefer to try natural remedies first, if possible.

And there are some natural things you can try for relieving PMS related symptoms, one for example is calcium. It has been shown to decrease bloating, depression, and pain in some women. But be careful, however, as too much calcium is not a good thing either. Always stick with the recommended daily amount of anything, unless your doctor advises you otherwise.

Click the link to get some other natural ideas, including fish oil, vitamin B6, and chasteberry.

Fibroids are non-cancerous muscle fiber growths that occur in the uterus, and 40% of women develop them during child-bearing years -- thankfully often without symptoms. But when fibroids do cause problems it's no small issue with heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic soreness, and pain being the most common symptoms that, until recently, almost always led to the same treatment. Having a hysterectomy has been the only option for women with problematic fibroids, but now there's the myomectomy -- a less invasive procedure that gives women another option.

Having a myomectomy may mean a faster surgical recovery and the continued option of childbirth, but it also means there's still a chance fibroids could return and a hysterectomy will be needed after all. But what's important here is that women now have a choice, and that's always a good thing.