Hormones and Lymphatic Congestion

Many women who suffer from uncomfortable and painful menstrual cycles in their teen years go on to experience even more problematic periods during their childbearing years.  A higher percentage of these women also go on to experience difficult pregnancies.  They are more likely to have problems with fertility as well.  Later on, these same women will likely experience the more difficult aspects of menopause.  Therefore, the purpose of this blog is to help you discover how hormones and lymphatic congestion play into this.  We will also discuss what we can do about it from an alternative perspective.

Hormonal Issues?

Most medical personnel in our part of the world believe that the problems we associate with bad periods are hormonal in nature.  Prescribing birth control pills as a solution for painful periods is common.  For menopausal women, bio-identical hormones were, and sometimes still are, considered the best solution for nasty menopause symptoms, and in fact, nasty symptoms at menopause are considered to be normal.

There are many problems with bio-identical hormones that have been identified and acknowledged in recent years.  Young women who took birth control during their teen years, statistically, later have trouble achieving proper hormonal balance.  Conceiving a child and carrying a pregnancy to term often becomes difficult as well.

Lymphatic Rather Than Hormonal?

Interestingly, in Eastern cultures and in Ayurvedic medical protocols this is not so.  The lymphatic system is looked at and treated first in problems of both menstruation and menopause.  In many cases, these problems have shown themselves to not be hormonal at all.  They believe that out-of-balance hormones are the result of clogged lymph and not the original issue.

The Lymphatic System

The lymph channels are the largest circulatory system in the body. They drain waste from all parts of the body. That is to say, this waste drainage is critically important for good health. When congestion occurs in the lymph system, it takes a toll on all of the organ systems.

Lymph Congestion During Menstruation

At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, lymph drainage increases. According to Ayurvedic medicine, when women menstruate, the lymphatic system acts as a companion system to menstrual bleeding.  The lymphatic system removes much of the reproductive waste.  If the lymph is congested, the menstrual cycle may become painful, irregular, overly heavy, or go missing altogether.

Congestion in the lymph can bring about the typical PMS-associated symptoms of breast swelling or tenderness, temporary breakouts of acne, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, water retention, headaches, and an increased tendency to colds, sinus issues, and other respiratory issues.

The Lymphatic System and PMS

Consideration of how the lymphatic system works makes these symptoms a very logical result of lymphatic congestion.  Let’s take these few symptoms one at a time.

Swollen breasts

High concentrations of lymphatic tissue and lymphatic fluids exists in and around the breast area.  If the state of the body between menstrual cycles is already congested, the additional stress of reproductive waste trying to move through the lymphatic system will, logically, create further congestion.  The cyclical additional load on the lymph system creates congestion of the lymph vessels and fluids in the breasts.  This will naturally result in swelling and tenderness.

Acne and other skin issues

Congested eliminative organs utilize the skin as an alternative pathway.  Important lymphatic tissue lies just below the surface of the skin.  Called skin-associated-lymphatic-tissue, it is referred to in medical terms as SALT.   This lymph tissue is the body’s first defense against toxins, bacteria, viruses, or parasites that try to penetrate the skin.  These lymphatic tissues clog up, especially if the lymph is already overwhelmed as menstruation begins.  Instead of allowing waste being picked up by the lymphatic system to drain through normal channels, the pores of the skin are utilized.  Acne, eczema, and other types of skin irritation occur.

Diarrhea/Constipation/Intestinal Issues

Much like the skin on the outside of our bodies, the lining of the intestinal tract—called the epithelium—is drained by a large concentration of lymph structures.   This lymph tissue is called gut-associated-lymphatic tissue or GALT.  The Peyer’s patches are a large part of this system.  This is the highest concentration of lymph tissues anywhere in the body.  At least 80% of the body’s immune responses originate here.  This fact makes it critically important to keep this lymph tissue clear.

Long-standing constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive issues can seriously compromise the free flow of fluid in this important lymph area. During the increased load on the lymph brought on by menstruation, this gut-associated-lymph-tissue can become clogged. The results can be any combination of bloating, candida overgrowth, extra belly fat, allergies, joint issues, fatigue, headaches, edema, and reproductive issues.  I have written an entire blog on the digestive system as well as candida.  You may find them helpful on your health journey.

Respiratory Issues

Lymph tissues also line the respiratory system. To follow the pattern of nomenclature of other lymph in the body, the respiratory lymph is called mucus-associated-lymph-tissue or MALT.   (Who thought up these names anyway?)  Increased lymph clogging during menstruation results in irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.  This predisposes a woman to colds, allergies, sinus issues, or asthmatic flare-ups.  Click here for more information on the respiratory system.

A Monthly  Evaluation

The menstrual cycle is a monthly opportunity for women to evaluate their Lymph congestion. Consider lymphatic congestion as the root of the problem when any of the symptoms discussed above are experienced or become worse during menstruation.

From a foot-zoner’s perspective, this means that the issues connected with menstruation and menopause may need to be looked at differently.  Evaluate these issues according to the symptoms of lymphatic clogging.   Consider working the lymph as well as attempting to balance the hormones in the treatment .

Symptoms of Lymph Congestion

Further signs of lymph congestion may include:

• ovarian cysts
• uterine fibroids
• polycystic ovarian syndrome
• fibromyalgia
• fibrocystic breast disease
• cellulite
• rashes
• edema
• joint pain that is typically worse in the morning
• weight gain
• extra belly fat
• swollen glands

A Few Ways to Get Your Lymph Moving

Breathe Deeply

There is approximately three times more lymph fluid moving through the body than there is blood but the lymph has no pump to keep it moving. For instance, deep breathing—the kind in which your abdomen moves with each breath – stimulates the flow of lymph and energizes the immune system.

Exercise

Add exercise to your breathing.  As a result, you will have turbocharged your lymphatic system and increased, in beneficial ways, your immune responses. A rebound exerciser is believed to be particularly good for your lymphatic system. Whole Body Vibration (I call it being jiggled and I love it!) makes my lymphatic system very happy.   This kind of involuntary muscle movement promotes lymph flow.

Water

Drink plenty of water. Room temperature, or even hot water, sipped frequently throughout the day will re-hydrate the body.  It will also get the lymph moving.

Alkalize Your Diet

Simply eat more alkaline foods than you do “junk” or highly acidic foods. Avoid as much as you can sugary treats and beverages. Lessen the amount of meats, breads, grains, dairy, and processed foods that you consume each day. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Green, leafy vegetables provide chlorophyll which will purify your blood and cleanse your lymph.

Nuts

Add a few good quality nuts to your diet. Raw, unsalted nuts and seeds are powerhouses of minerals, vitamins, protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Herbs

Add herbs, especially lymph building ones, to your life on a daily basis. The combination of herbs in LT, and suggested herbs include astragalus, bayberry, calendula, dandelion, echinacea, elcampane, garlic, ginger, goldenseal, myrrh, rosemary, sage, thyme, and white oak.

Essential Oils

Use essential oils regularly. Regular use of essential oils helps to cleanse the body from toxins, free-radicals, cellular debris, heavy metals, petrochemicals, bacteria and a host of other unwanted things.  Which oil to use will depend a lot on where in the body the lymph clogging is most prevalent.  What else needs to be accomplished is also important.

Butterfly Blends: ^LeAgeless, ^LeCherish, ^LeCinnamonBear, ^LeEndoRelief, ^LeLiteN, ^LeReflections, ^LeMillenia, ^LeRevitalize, ^LeSunburst, ^LeSynopsis, ^LeUnDone, and ^LeVitality.

Single Oils:  cypress, orange, grapefruit, rosemary, peppermint, and lemon.

Clay

Clay baths and foot soaks use the pores of the skin, especially the large pores of the feet, to cleanse the liver and move lymph fluid.  Redmond clay is my clay of choice.

Gentle massage

A gentle massage pushes up to 75% of stagnant lymph back into circulation.  This, also frees up trapped toxins.  Be sure and drink lots of water.

Structural Alignment

Keep your skeletal structure aligned through chiropractic and/or the regular use of ^LeMillenia essential oil. ^LeMillenia, added to the bath or shower, helps the body realign itself.  In addition, it helps maintain a chiropractic alignment for a much longer time.

Dry Brushing

Dry skin brushing, especially before showering, is an excellent way to move lymph. Use a natural bristle brush. Brush your dry skin in circular motions upwards from the feet to the torso and from the fingers to the chest. The point is to work in the same direction that our lymph flows—toward the heart.

Hot and Cold Showers

This means a shower in which hot and cold temperatures alternate every few minutes. (Sorry, but this one is not for me!) Heat dilates and cold contracts the tissues. The lymphatic and circulatory run alongside each other in the body.  Alternate hot and cold increases both circulation and lymph drainage. This is, however, contra-indicated for pregnancy, and heart conditions.

Possible Emotions of the Lymphatic System

The lymph system plays a two-fold role in the body.  Firstly, the lymph system removes waste products from the body.   Secondly, it isolates and destroys foreign invaders.  The emotional patterns behind lymphatic stagnation reflect these roles.

The inability to distinguish between what is good for oneself emotionally and what is not good illustrates the first function. Poor decision-making skills and a tendency to make the wrong friends or marry the wrong people, over and over, further illustrates the lymph system’s first function.  The second pattern manifests as constantly feeling like one is being attacked and must fight to be able to maintain independence and a sense of self.

Click here for more information on the Lymphatic System.