Natural remedies for ovarian cysts: My journey to the herbal side of life.
| Intro | What are ovarian cysts | Signs of ovarian cyst | Causes of ovarian cysts | Natural remedies | Home used ingredients |
Intro
2020 put the world in a global lockdown. Everything shut down due to covid-19, including schools. Going back home felt like a punishment for nothing. Obviously, I hated my parent’s house due to the nature of our relationship back then. I was really frustrated and living wasn’t under the best physical conditions.
Over time junk food became my therapy/escape. Whatever junk food I could afford to buy/order. I regularly skipped out on normal meals because I was trying to avoid my family. Sucks to think about right now.
By the time the pandemic was over, my body weight had gone over 3x my previous weight. And while it felt good to look so well-rounded (finally, here is that ass I’ve faithfully and fervently prayed for).
To me, I had manifested my ultimate body. Maybe the pandemic wasn’t so bad, right? Wrong! Because the very next year, I was in the OR, (under emergency) thanks to complications in my reproductive system.
What are ovarian cysts?
Since I’m obviously not a medical practitioner or professional in any form, shape, or level, but rather a victim of ovarian cysts. I can only give you as much knowledge as I have on what ovarian cysts are.
Wikipedia defines an ovarian cyst as a fluid-filled sac within the ovary. This is the most basic definition which basically describes what an ovarian cyst is. A deeper dive will enlighten you on the types, et al.
What this means is, for some reason best known to your body, it produces a literal sac or pouch on either or both of your ovaries. And this sac is filled with fluid. Yeah, creepy especially because it sounds so unnatural and dangerous but it happens ever so frequently. And some of them are “functional”.
What are the signs of ovarian cysts?
Sometimes, you may not even be aware you have an ovarian cyst because it can have zero signs. It can also come with blaring sounds as it did to me. For the longest time, id been having sharp abdominal pains, or pelvic pains.
My parents never took health too seriously. I’d be told to have faith and pray.
When I was 15, I was finally diagnosed by a doctor (who I still don’t think I trust), with appendicitis. It was surgically removed. Then the pain came back again. As expected, my parents were over my case. It always seemed like a burden so I never said much to them about my health.
The signs of ovarian cysts may include, but are not limited to;
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain: a dull ache in your abdomen/pelvis, (especially leaning toward the left or right of the abdomen/pelvis). This pain can also hamper penetrative sexual intercourse.
- Bloated stomach/abdomen
- Dull ache in lower back and thighs
- Breast tenderness
- Frequency in urinating. I noticed during my ovulation, I always feel the need to urinate. Mostly, even after peeing, it still feels like there’s more pee to remove. I find this sign to be particularly irksome.
- Sudden sharp pains in the lower abdomen/ pelvis (either side). Literally, at the most random times, you just feel a very sharp straight pinch from down there.
- Difficulty passing bowel ( defecating/excreting). I personally experience this during my ovulation (some months,). It feels like there’s literally something blocking it from the exit)
- Heavy periods
- Feeling faint or dizzy
- Fever
what are the causes of Ovarian Cysts?
Nothing happens for no reason. This is true even for ovarian cysts. According to Mayoclinic.org, ovarian cysts can form as a result of your menstrual cycle. These are functional cysts.
However, nonfunctional cysts form due to a number of reasons including;
Hormonal imbalances
The ovaries produce hormones for the smooth running of the reproductive system and our health in general. Estrogen and progesterone. An imbalance can occur when there is too much or too little of either or both hormones.
According to naturalfertility.info, hormonal imbalance is a factor that contributes to the formation of ovarian cysts.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis can also be called chocolate cysts. In my various scans, endometriosis is often detected. From my understanding, a cyst caused by endometriosis is called an endometrioma: a cyst filled with menstrual blood.
Endometriosis happens when similar tissues to your uterus grow outside your uterus, and within your pelvic area. Quite a painful experience.
For more information, Reference; endometriosisnews.com.
Pelvic Inflammatory diseases
I think my journey with PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) started as soon as my parents shipped me to boarding school. I became a frequent patient of “infections”.
Due to our excusable financials, we could hardly afford good health care. Also, as I earlier stated, my parents were quite frustrated with my recurring problem. My dad literally told me to my face that my recurrent infections are a result of my “poor hygiene”. How can’t I take care of myself as a growning woman? It was sad, really.
Although where could I learn this “hygiene” from? My mum never taught me anything other than “if a man touches you, you’ll get pregnant” (as soon as I first got my period). I eventually gave up on talking to my father especially, about my infections since then. I begged my mum to not let him know either.
When I began having sexual relations, I will admit I had zero knowledge of sexual hygiene. This is something I wish more people would know, don’t have sex until you understand fully what it entails.
Over time my mum’s own frustrations became unbearable and I truly didn’t enjoy feeling like a burden. I just gave up entirely and started treating myself to the best of my ability. As you can imagine, that didn’t go well because, in 2021, I had one of my fallopian tubes surgically removed.
According to the doctors, it was inflamed and completely “dead” per se. I had developed an abscess. To be honest, I believed more in miracles since then. I was alive by a miracle.
My own frustration with my health led me to make irresponsible decisions. They removed the fallopian tube and “some eggs”, and found “multiple cysts” on the left and right ovaries and somehow, fibroids found their way into the mix. It was a truly devastating time for me. I will definitely write extensively about how I overcame the anxiety I developed due to this whole fiasco. And how I’m managing fibroids as well.
Natural Remedies For Ovarian Cysts
1. You are what you eat.
A healthy meal is one that contains the healthy nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
From everything I know about my struggles with ovarian cysts, the most important is that the food you consume can “make or mar” your health. Sure, the world is on a choicey-vibe. Yes, you have the right to eat whatever you want.
However, I personally feel like the idea of self-love is not doing things just because you can. It’s also doing things that are beneficial to you.
You might enjoy a pizza every once in a while, but you should know, pizza may not ever contain an iota of nutrients your body needs. Instead, the ingredients on a micro level can push hormonal imbalance and make your problems worse.
One of the importance of eating healthy is that your body absorbs the nutrients it needs to solve the problems it can. Changing my diet from processed foods to whole and unprocessed foods definitely changed my life.
2. Update your kitchen ingredients with foods that can help manage ovarian cysts
Nature created everything we need to survive and to heal.
I’m not discrediting science, science is beautiful but it’s also exploitative sometimes. Update your kitchen cabinet with healthy food options. Instead of chemically processed food items, opt for farm fresh and natural food items.
Again, I have to state that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Just because you can have a cookie, glazed donuts, etc doesn’t mean you should. I love cakes, and sweet things, but my body doesn’t react properly to these sweet things. They encourage my hormones to act out.
Are you prone to drinking alcohol, it may not be the best option for your current condition.
You may even need to get rid of your milk, and cheese. From my understanding, these products made from milk or animal by-products may contain the hormones of the animal. Milk comes from the breast of the animal so it makes sense that it contains hormones)
3. Let go of negative emotions like hatred/resentment
It goes without saying that an unhappy person may not have the best immune system. Your body really feels everything you do, feel, say, hear, etc. I can’t emphasize this enough.
I spent my life resenting my parents for all they did and didn’t do. But since surviving my surgery and seeking help, I realized that forgiveness is a healthy habit.
Hoarding negative emotions affects your organs, including your heart, your liver, and your ovaries.
My parents made mistakes, they didn’t know any better. The journey towards personal development is a very conscious and difficult one. Some people are not in tune with that, especially when they’re trying to meet ends and needs. I shouldn’t hold on to hatred. Especially towards something that was done purely out of ignorance. I believe if they knew or could afford better, they simply would.
Most people are actually not aware of their emotions like that and have no information or knowledge on what to do with their emotions. Let go of the hatred and anger you feel towards anyone, for your own sake.
After all, health encompasses your physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. If your family and friends hurt you, forgive them for your sake. For the sake of your cysts ( your ovaries are responsive to emotions.) Negative emotions have done nothing but cause trouble.
4. Practice healthy living
A healthy life is a sign of a healthy person. Lifestyle affects your everyday function. The productivity of a person who parties all night is different from that of a person who parties only during the weekend. Your body absorbs everything you throw at it, consciously and otherwise.
It’s in the best interest of your health, it is self-love to embody a healthy lifestyle to manage ovarian cysts. The pain of having cysts is not light. Clean your home, clean your surrounding, eat clean, and drink clean. Learn to make your own things, like skincare, candles, and air fresheners.
The more chemically and industrially manufactured products you consume (externally included), the more your body absorbs all the harmful elements included in the production process.
When purchasing skincare, hair care, body care, and makeup, be careful. These companies just want profit at the lowest cost to them. This means most of the products aren’t made with healthy products or ethical means.
Chose a healthy lifestyle today because it’s best for you. Self-love is not doing what makes you feel happy always. Sometimes, self-love is comporting yourself by doing only what’s best for your health.
You only live once, don’t waste this one life being reckless in the name of youth and freedom. Keep healthy relationships because your emotions ultimately affect your body, including your reproductive system. Too much stress from emotions can trigger your hormones and that can be a problem for you.
5. During your monthly cycle, eating less fatty or oily food may help
One of the signs of ovarian cysts can be random weight gain.
So if we follow a 2 + 2=4 logic, then eating oily and fatty food doesn’t make sense especially if you’ve been medically diagnosed with ovarian cysts. What makes 2+2=4 here is eating healthier foods, especially during your cycle. I would be a hypocrite and say cut it off completely but I know it’s hard to completely cut out some foods.
What I do is eat healthier foods and drinks especially during my ovulation and down to my period. I indulge myself in some junk, hardly, lol, I’m scared! After which I embark on a vegetable purge (my favorite remains a salad although I might add some roasted chicken once in a while).
This has helped me have way less painful ovulations and has significantly reduced my sharp stabbing pains. See this whole thing isn’t easy, but knowing what you’re doing and what you’re fighting for help.
Don’t be ignorant or neglectful of your eating habit, be responsible for your own health. No one else will do this for you and hospitals just stand to gain more money from you. In summary, healthy eating is the best way to naturally manage ovarian cysts. After all, we are what we eat.
6. Your underwear matters to your reproductive health
Substitute your G-strings and nylon panties for Comfortable cotton ones. I saw somewhere online that wearing G-strings may increase your chances of having a vaginal infection. Although there may be nothing wrong with g strings, they can irritate your skin, especially the ones made with synthetic fabric.
However, in my personal experience, I’ve suffered way less Vaginal infection since I switched. My Gstrings were all replaced with cotton comfy pants. After my surgery, I wore a lot of granny pants. Now I only wear pants when I should. I.e, for periods and going outdoors.
Importantly, good hygiene is the key to whatever you choose to wear, which shouldn’t be synthetic fabric. Also, change the underwear regularly.
7. Educate yourself on household herbs and spices that are friendly and beneficial to you
From my hospital story: I was feeling more grateful to be alive. Amidst the extreme post-op pain, I was feeling (literally had a swollen vagina for days, couldn’t fart without feeling like my body was coming apart, and couldn’t urinate, turn over, bend, or laugh).
A whole lot of discomfort. But through all that, I was feeling extremely dazed and grateful to be alive. Fear grew in my heart before the OP. When I came out, I was still scared and stunned. That couldn’t be real. I shouldn’t fall into such statistics but I did. Those were my thoughts initially.
And I was drugged on antibiotics, but when my check-up came about 2 weeks later, I was diagnosed yet again with an infection. I hadn’t had sex this whole time mind you. And I just got flushed with antibiotics! I’ve been eating clean, and living clean, so where did the infection come from?
I won’t lie, I tried so hard to be happy, but it was difficult to see past anything. Another scan showed me; oh, you now have more multiple cysts and fibroids!
That night I couldn’t sleep. My devastation knew no limits. Especially because of the assurances the doctors gave me. I felt I was the one doing something wrong, I woke my parents up by 5 am to have a mental breakdown.
My dad might be harsh and all, but in times like this, I’m grateful for his toughness, even if his words are like onions. He basically called me a sinner for being scared of death. To put it simply, everyone will die one day, so it doesn’t matter. I should just accept this is the way I’m going out. I was too stunned to speak or cry.
It took me a while to get over the abruptness. But I had to see the true meaning of his words. They were painful, but that’s just stoics for you. We could die anytime. Nothing is promised. So I’ll do the most and the best of the life I have now.
I had already started a journey of changing my food patterns but this also encouraged me to change my mindset and lifestyle. It’s not easy letting go of anger when it’s all you know. But I want to be happy, so I’ll make myself happy.
The health and medicine industry has a lot of things that make me raise my brows. This is supposedly one of the biggest hospitals and they can make so fundamental mistakes like giving a patient assurance. I actually held on to the assurance that I would not have cysts or fibroids again. Those foreign diseases have no place in the life of a Christian right?
But does this mean God doesn’t love me because this condition is back? I had to remember the words of God, he promised us the grace to overcome hardships. We would face them regardless of our beliefs. This helped me a lot. I’ll say I’m in a better position than I was literally 2 years ago. My mindset about so many things changed, and my beliefs in things concerning society changed (like feminism, and medicine, funny right?).
I decided to take a break from drugs and western medicine and focus on healing myself from the inside through nature. Nature existed before science. Science has been slowly destroying nature. Thankfully, I live in a very blessed continent, with the best of everything. All around me were solutions to my problems. From my indigenous meals to plants etc.
I began learning natural remedies. Pinterest helped, and google, of course, helped, I did a whole lot of searches and eventually began practicing my research.
Using herbs around me, foods, and plants. (I won’t mention the more intricate ones because I’ve seen how much medicine discredits natural remedies. But best believe, there are still a few herbalists still practicing, western medicine is clearly more profitable).
My homemade/ Natural remedies for ovarian cysts
Once again, I’d like to reiterate: I’m not a medical professional, practitioner, or student. These are my experiences and what I’ve done over extensively researching, trial and error. These words are not legally binding. Our bodies are different, and what works for me may not do the same for you.
The hospitals just kept giving me drugs that kept giving me problems. A recurrent theme after heavy dosages of antibiotics was bladder infections. Despite being on the strongest dose of antibiotics. My sweat smelled like antibiotics and worse yet, it was a futile expedition. So I decided to seek help from nature.
Here are all the herbs and spices I use to combat ovarian cysts at home.
My natural remedies for ovarian cysts from home include:
- Seaweed. (this should only be used if you have low iodine in your body. People with hypothyroidism should please avoid seaweed. Iodine is a trace element which means it’s hard, really hard to get. Except you’re lucky to live near a natural water source and can plant foods near the natural water source. Seaweed is literally grown in the sea or natural body of water. It’s packed with iodine which can help balance your hormones. As usual, remember that too much of everything can be dangerous. For further information on the pros and cons of seaweed for iodine, read here: naturomedica.com,
- Garlic. according to Clevelandclinic.org, garlic is good for your health and has anti-inflammatory properties among others. As I earlier stated, I’ve been frequently diagnosed with PID. Since garlic has anti-inflammatory properties, I make sure to include garlic in my meals. I also ground them up and drink them as tea. I should make an article about making garlic powder from home.
- Tumeric is another powerful anti-inflammatory herb that I use to make my meals and also consume as tea. Tumeric can spice up your meals, I enjoy adding them to my chicken’s seasoning. Tumeric has an inconclusive stance currently in the medical world concerning its importance in fighting cancer especially ovarian.
- Ginger is a herb/spice I can’t live without. As usual, I consume tea or use it as a spice for my meals. It is packed with soldiers that your reproductive system, and whole body needs. Its powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidating properties do wonders in fighting ovarian cancer.
- Ashwagandha is also another healthy anti-inflammatory medicine. Originates from India’s centuries-old medical system. I weep at the much-lost knowledge this world has suffered. Ashwagandha also relieves stress and anxiety, two things that can trigger your hormones.
- Beetroot is great in anti-inflammatory properties and may help prevent ovarian cancer. I include beetroot in my stew, and try to drink it every once in a while.
- Pure cocoa powder is one of the best things out there for your health. That is if you can get the raw one. I don’t have to worry about that because there is literally a cocoa tree in my yard and I make mine myself. It has anti-inflammatory features as well as minerals that improve your immune system.
- Alkaline water and foods help manage your ovarian cysts
- Leafy and cruciferous vegetable. It’s funny to think I hated vegetables so much now I make myself eat them without coercion. Cruciferous, leafy greens contain healthy nutrients and antioxidants that help the body stay in tip-top condition. This includes the reproductive system where ovarian cysts lie. Make salads, and garnish your meals with them. It isn’t sweet but it is what your body needs.
- Be patient with yourself, good things take time. These are not magic potions because this is what people think when they hear of natural remedies.