Uterine Fibroids are benign (non cancerous) tumors or growths that develop in or around a woman’s uterus. The cause of uterine fibroids is usually normal uterine muscle cells that begin for some reason to grow abnormally. You might be wondering if uterine fibroids are rare. The answer is no. In fact, just the opposite. Uterine Fibroids are extremely common. Many women have uterine fibroids during some point of their life, but they are usually so small that most women don’t even notice or they do not produce any symptoms. While fibroids aren’t usually a dangerous problem, they can cause some painful and irritating symptoms in many women. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
While the true cause of uterine fibroids is still unknown, it seems to be that their existence is linked to estrogen in the body. The existence of uterine fibroids is usually more common in women over 30, and they usually begin to shrink or even disappear as a woman enters menopause (when estrogen levels begin to drop).
Fibroids don’t always cause symptoms in women, but when they do, some of the problems can be heavy, prolonged menstrual periods, bloating, fullness, or pain in the lower stomach area, pain during sex, and constipation. These symptoms can range from nonexistent, to mild but manageable, to extremely painful and interfering with daily life. Some women can live with their fibroids, but others can’t, they are just too painful.
Doctors can find medium or large uterine fibroids during a manual pelvic exam, and other, smaller fibroids can be detected via an ultrasound or other imaging test. Doctors may suggest a range of treatment options for fibroids. Birth control pills have been proven to sometimes reduce symptoms of fibroids, such as heavy periods. Some doctors will suggest that you just hold off and wait, as many fibroids will shrink or disappear on their own.
Sometimes, however, a doctor will decide that you may need surgery to remove your fibroids, if they are causing significant problems. Sometimes doctors will be able to remove the fibroids and leave the uterus intact, but other times they will be forced to perform a full hysterectomy. The choice of treatments that your doctor will be able to perform will depend on your personal situation and medical history. If you are pregnant, your doctor will probably choose to take a more proactive approach to dealing with your fibroids, since they have been shown to cause problems during pregnancy. Your doctor will be able to determine the best way to deal with your particular case.
