Uterine Fibroids: What You Need To Know



What Are Fibroids Of the Uterus? 

Uterine fibroids are a common health issue for women, but you may wonder if these benign growths are dangerous. Fibroids tend to develop during a female’s childbearing years, but the growths will remain in your body after you enter menopause. The risk factors for these growths inside the uterus include having early puberty, being overweight or having relatives who have fibroids. You might begin to notice problems from fibroids during your early teenage years, but the symptoms from these growths can persist in senior citizens. 

What the Symptoms Associated With Fibroids? 

Some women have no symptoms from fibroids of the uterus, or they may think that the problems associated with the growths are caused by other factors such as premenstrual pain or the beginning of perimenopause. However, most women have one or more of these symptoms from uterine fibroids. Here are the signs of having fibroids in your uterus:

• Anemia 
• Abdominal pain
• Abnormal bleeding during menstruation
• Problems during pregnancy
• Backaches
• Inability to get pregnant
• Difficult labor 
• Pain the rectum
• Pressure against other organs in the abdomen
• Frequent urination 
• Constipation 

A fibroid in the uterus is composed of smooth muscle tissue, but the growths are rarely cancerous. 

How Many Women Have Fibroids? 

If you believe that you have fibroids in your uterus, then a physician can find the growths with a pelvic examination and medical images. Over 170 million women in the world have fibroids, and in most cases, a physician will not recommend a medical procedure to remove the growths. However, if a woman has numerous fibroids or if she has multiple symptoms that last for several years, then she may require a hysterectomy. 

Can Your Diet Affect the Fibroids In the Uterus? 

Losing weight can help to relieve the symptoms from fibroids in the uterus, and experts recommend a diet that contains a lot of vegetables or fruits that are rich in vitamin C. Some researchers believe that consuming red meat will increase your chances of having fibroids, but if you are anemic from having fibroids, then consuming red meat is recommended by physicians. Most fibroids are round growths that vary in size, and in some cases, the items are the size of a grapefruit. Fibroids are classified by shape, size and location.

How Are Fibroids Treated? 

If you have uterine fibroids, then there are multiple ways of treating the condition, including: 

• Pain relievers 
• Medication designed to shrink the growths
• Ultrasound fibroid destruction
• Radio-frequency ablation 
• Uterine artery embolization
• Myomectomy

If a fibroid or the entire uterus is removed, then the growths are analyzed to determine if there are any cancerous cells. When you have cancerous cells in the fibroids or uterus, additional medical treatment is required, including radiation or chemotherapy.