If you're at risk, you can help reduce your odds of getting endometriosis by following this self-help advice.

Get regular exercise. Harvard researchers have found that regular aerobic exercise, started early in life, may lower women's risk of developing endometriosis. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, strenuous exercise lowers the level of estrogen in the body, and this may help suppress the symptoms of endometriosis. The more aerobic exercise a woman engages in and the earlier she starts, the lower her risk of developing the disease in the first place, according to a study of endometriosis led by Daniel W. Cramer of Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. This study found that women who exercised more than seven hours a week had one-fifth the average risk of developing endometriosis. Unfortunately, this beneficial effect was limited to those who began exercising before the age of twenty-six. If you started exercising later in life, or if you exercise only in moderation, you may not get the same high level of protection.

Stay hard and lean. Leanness (a higher muscle to body fat ratio) means reduced blood levels of estrogen, which may reduce your risk of developing endometriosis. Exercise, along with a low-fat diet, builds muscle and bums fat.

Avoid using an IUD. The use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) is definitely related to heavier-than-normal menstrual flow, which is a risk factor for endometriosis. Some researchers think IUD use may be associated with an increased risk for endometriosis.

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