Uterine fibroids are benign (not cancerous) tumors on a woman's uterus or womb. They are the most common tumors on a woman's uterus and they usually develop within the uterine wall or they attach to the uterine wall. This article discusses fibroid symptoms and causes.
Fibroids may be single or multiple clusters on the uterus. Uterine fibroids usually cause excessive bleeding during the menstrual cycle, a frequent need to urinate and pelvic pain.
These tumors occur in about 25% of women in the United States of America and most women that get hysterectomies do so because of fibroids. 1 in 5 women over the age of 35 has a fibroid. Hysterectomies (removal of the uterus) used to be the go to treatment for fibroids, however newer treatments are on the rise as more and more women look for alternative therapies to control and treat fibroids.
Uterine fibroids usually start in the muscle tissues of the uterus and spread into the uterine cavity, or the uterine wall, or the surface of the uterus into the abdominal cavity.
The hormone estrogen that is produced naturally by the body stimulates uterine fibroids. Fibroids can start as early as twenty and shrink after menopause because the body stops producing estrogen in large quantities after menopause.
The tumors can either be tiny which do not cause any problems or can be large sized and weigh several pounds. They usually grow very slowly.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Never having given birth.
- Black women are affected 3 to 9 times more than white women.
- If the menstrual cycle commenced prior to age 10.
Uterine fibroids are often discovered during the regular pelvic exam since most do not produce any symptoms.
If symptoms are experienced, they are usually the following;
- A marked increase in menstrual bleeding as well as clots or an irregular cycle.
- Frequent urination or a feeling of the urgency to urinate. Only in very rare cases is there an inability to urinate.
- Pelvic pressure and lower abdominal pain.
- Unusual increase in waist size.
- Fertility problems.
It is important to maintain a normal body weight compared to your height because estrogen production is increased as weight increases which aggravates uterine fibroid growth.
Regular physical activity while helping to control your weight also decreases hormone production. The fewer hormones you produce, the less the fibroids will grow.
Although smoking has not been linked to fibroids, quitting will improve your general health if you are experiencing fibroids.
Routine exams will help to identify the tumors early so that you can start treatment early.