Suggested remedies for endometriosis patients during coronavirus pandemic

How to cope with stress periods like coronavirus pandemic?

Key Points

Highlights:

• The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, with the consequence of self-isolation, still has an important effect on endometriosis patients globally.
• Many health care facilities either delay or even stopped providing surgical management, patient care adversely affected, imaging tests, or fertility treatments are disturbed and stress increasing during this period. 
• Outpatient appointments with physicians and other healthcare providers have also been canceled or postponed.

Importance:

• The remedies suggested here may be independently used as an educational resource and also hopefully are not exclusively restricted to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Background

• Endometriosis patients engaged in positive, problem-focused coping strategies report lower stress levels and less depressive symptoms finally resulting in less non-cyclical pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea. 
• Healthcare providers encouraging self-management strategies should improve the confidence of their patients in these modalities. 

What's done here:

• The authors prepared expert opinion-based self-management guidance to consider for endometriosis patients, in particular, that may be applicable to any patient during any crisis period. 
• This review puts forward problem-oriented emotional strategies that are non-medical and non-surgical where endometriosis patients and their healthcare providers may discuss.  

Key results:

• Delay in surgeries and the limited visits to healthcare providers for diagnosis and management of endometriosis is tragic.
• Seeking alternative solutions is mandatory and some patients may find these remedies and their outcomes valuable so that long-lasting changes to their endometriosis management may exist.
• The strategies suggested here have possible benefits for general well-being and even non-endometriosis conditions during the pandemic eliciting new stressors. 
• Problem-oriented strategies are focused on the categories of:
  • education about endometriosis, managing work and study,
  • social activities, social support, sleep,
  • physical exercise, yoga, pelvic exercise with physiotherapy, diet, heat, etc.
• Besides, emotion-focused strategies are also to be considered such as relaxation and mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, adopting a positive attitude.

Lay Summary

The pandemic of COVID-19 continues to have important effects on endometriosis patients worldwide. Many health care facilities stopped providing surgical management and outpatient appointments are canceled or postponed.

Dr. Leonardi from Australia and associates from several countries published their proposals for this awkward situation in their recent paper at the open-access journal, "Human Reproduction". The authors proposed expert opinion-based self-management guidance for endometriosis patients in particular which may be applicable to others during crisis periods. 

Unavailable surgeries postponed appointments to healthcare providers for diagnosis, and management of endometriosis all have negative effects on patients. Alternative solutions are fundamental, and patients may find these proposed remedies and their outcomes valuable for their long-lasting changes to their endometriosis management.

The suggestions here have possible benefits for general health and even for non-endometriosis conditions during the global crisis periods eliciting new stressors. 

Problem-oriented, in particular, emotion and problem-focused strategies; education about endometriosis, managing work, and study, social activities, social support, sleep, physical exercise, yoga, pelvic exercise with physiotherapy, diet, heat, ..should be considered; relaxation and mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, adopting a positive attitude encouraged.  

Endometriosis-patients may consider implementing these remedies during the current pandemic of coronavirus. The solutions may be accomplished in combination with medical management strategies prescribed by telephone or video communications. The advantages are also more comprehensive, the remedies put forward and discussed here may have an impact on overall well being not only on endometriosis. 

The authors conclude that this paper is not meant to prescribe specific self-management strategies to patients, but rather provide education so the patients may discuss options with their healthcare providers or make independent decisions that might be right for them.

Research Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32509977/