4 Facts Every Woman Should Know About Uterine Fibroids
Chances are, if you are reading this post, you or someone you know suffers from uterine fibroids. From the most common question, “What are they?” to “Will I ever be able to have children?” there is a lot of confusion surrounding uterine fibroids. Here’s what every woman should know about uterine fibroids to help find the answers they need.
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are a rubbery mass of tissue that arises out of the muscular portion of your uterus.
Because fibroids are so prevalent in adult females, every woman is considered potentially at risk. The risk increases if your mother or sister or any other female relative has experienced fibroids. African American women are more likely to develop fibroids and tend to experience them earlier as well, often by age 30.
What Causes Uterine Fibroids?
The female hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulate their growth, so fibroids may occur at any time during the reproductive years, from the onset of menses through menopause.
They seldom disappear on their own, although they do tend to shrink post-menopause.
It’s suspected that exposure to certain elements in the environment—for example, certain plastics, hair care products, cosmetics, and even repeated handling of printed cash register receipts—may affect hormone levels and increase a woman’s risk of developing fibroids.
Diet may play a role, too. Foods containing plant-based estrogen, such as tofu and other soy products, could increase risk; similarly, diets high in red meat and low in fruit and vegetables are also suspected, as is alcohol consumption.
To date, there are no known ways to prevent fibroids. But choosing a diet high in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and lean meats, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol are recommended to help protect against these growths and a host of other diseases.
Uterine fibroids have several different names, including:
- Leiomyomas
- Myomas
- Uterine myomas
- Fibromas
4 Facts Women Should Know About Uterine Fibroids
1. Certain groups of women are more likely to have fibroids than others.
According to the Center for Uterine Fibroids, a joint research effort between Mayo Clinic and Brigham and Women's Hospital; more than 70 percent of women develop uterine fibroids at some point in their life, although symptoms may be noticed in about 25 percent of women only.
Moreover, if any female relative in your family – such as your mother, sister, or grandmother – has uterine fibroids, it can also dramatically increase your risk of getting them. All the more reason to ask your family for their medical history.
2. Fibroids are not a cause for concern unless they become disruptive to daily life.
If a woman is asymptomatic, fibroids are not dangerous at all. They are not typically harmful (on their own).
But yes, they can interfere with a woman’s daily activities or daily life when they become symptomatic. When fibroids become symptomatic, they can cause issues like heavy periods, abdominal bloating or growth, incontinence, a sensation of pressure down there, constipation, or painful sex.
3. You probably can conceive if you have fibroids.
Perhaps one of the biggest points of confusion around fibroids in women is the question, “Whether or not one can conceive?” Fibroids may or may not affect fertility, and that really depends on the number, location, and size of the fibroids.
Therefore, it's necessary to talk to your doctor and get an ultrasound done to look at the different characteristics of the fibroid(s) to determine if it does, in fact, affect your fertility.
4. You don’t have to get a hysterectomy to treat them.
If a family member did experience uterine fibroids and had a hysterectomy because of them, keep in mind that you won’t necessarily need to have your uterus removed. Back in the day, a hysterectomy was probably the only option one could think of when there was a fibroid(s) that caused very heavy bleeding. But now there are many other options. You just need to visit a good clinic and consult a qualified doctor for the same!
How Do You Know You Have Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids may not have any symptoms at all, and many times the concerned person is not aware of it. Fibroids can develop anywhere in or on the womb and can range in sizes that are undetectable by the human eye to much larger.
Smaller fibroids with no symptoms can also be detected during a woman’s routine gynecologic visit or prenatal exam.
Other Signs of Uterine Fibroids
- Sharp pain may be experienced during the process when a larger uterine fibroid outgrows its blood supply and begins to die.
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding during menstrual cycles is a common symptom of fibroids. As the uterus contracts in an attempt to slow the bleeding, pain from cramping can also occur.
- Depending on their size or location, one or more fibroids can create undue pressure on nearby organs. For example, if a fibroid presses on the bladder, it can cause urinary frequency or urgency.
- If the rectum is compressed, the patient may experience bloating and constipation. When a fibroid is low in the pelvic region, the patient may have discomfort sitting or during intercourse.
- And if a fibroid is high on the uterus, the patient may notice or feel an abnormal bulge in their belly.
Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Even when fibroids are found, not all growths call for treatment. Some women will choose to delay treatment until and unless they experience problematic symptoms. When the presence of uterine fibroids is detected, a physical exam and a review of the patient’s personal and family history are conducted.
Typically, some form of imaging is performed to better characterize the fibroids. This might be an ultrasound or MRI. In selected cases, hysteroscopy in the clinic is done by using a thin tube with lights and a camera to examine the interior of the uterus.
In cases where uterine fibroid treatment is indicated, the main consideration is whether or not the patient plans to become pregnant. If she does:
- Fibroids can be removed via a procedure called myomectomy, leaving the uterus intact and preserving potential fertility. Patients typically recover quickly from this hysteroscopic same-day surgery, with all symptoms resolved.
- When a fibroid growth is too large to be removed via hysteroscopy, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is performed using keyhole-sized incisions. Even large growths can be eliminated this way, with faster recovery time and fewer complications.
- Although oral contraceptives may be used to reduce bleeding, they may actually spur further growth of the fibroid.
- If a patient does not plan to become pregnant, additional options such as laparoscopic hysterectomy may be suggested, which is a measure that can resolve bleeding to a large extent.
- Due to scientific research and technological advancement, today’s hysterectomy procedure is minimally invasive and very well tolerated by most women. Over 98 percent of hysterectomies are completed the same day, laparoscopically, via keyhole incisions. Ovaries and the hormones they produce are left intact. The vagina is unaltered, so sexual function is preserved. Supportive pelvic structures are untouched, for less risk of prolapse or incontinence.
- Recovery typically takes about two weeks, and many patients are really thankful and wish they’d had the procedure completed years earlier.
If you experience routinely heavy menstrual bleeding, feel persistent pelvic pain or pressure, or have had recurring miscarriages, reach out to the team at Georgia Vascular Institute. Our multidisciplinary team which includes gynecologists, interventional radiologists, and some of the best-trained surgeons is here for you. Each of our team members is extremely qualified and meets every patient's individual needs.
You don’t need to tolerate pain, bleeding, or discomfort from fibroids. The quicker you get in touch, the more easily we can have you feeling comfortable and pain-free!
