When you first get diagnosed with something serious like uterine fibroids, fear and confusion can often take over and leave you feeling lost. But there is no need to feel that way, do a little research of your own and make a decision that you feel comfortable with. If you decide to take the traditional medical/surgical
Fibroids are enclosed in fibrous capsules attached to the wall of your womb and don't spread to other parts of your body. More than one in three women have fibroids, but most of these women don't ever get any symptoms. You can have one fibroid or many - the average number is between four and seven depending on your age.
Fibroids are named according to where they are found in your womb.
Types Of Fibroids
* Intramural fibroids grow within the muscular wall of the womb.
* Subserous fibroids grow from the outside wall of the womb into the pelvic cavity.
* Submucous fibroids grow from the inner wall of the womb into the space inside the womb.
* Pedunculated fibroids grow from the outside of your womb.
These fibroids are almost free of the wall of your womb and are only attached by a narrow stalk.
Fibroids range from the size of a pinhead to up to 20cm across.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths of the womb (uterus).
They are also known as
* uterine myomas,
* fibromyomas or leiomyomas.
More than one in three women have fibroids, but most of these women don't ever get any symptoms. Fibroids are enclosed in fibrous capsules attached to the wall of your womb and don't spread to other parts of your body. You can have one fibroid or many - the average number is between four and seven depending on your age. Fibroids are named according to where they are found in your womb. Intramural fibroids grow within the muscular wall of the womb.
Subserous fibroids grow from the outside wall of the womb into the pelvic cavity. They can become very large.Submucous fibroids grow from the inner wall of the womb into the space inside the womb. Pedunculated fibroids grow from the outside of your womb. These fibroids are almost free of the wall of your womb and are only attached by a narrow stalk. Fibroids range from the size of a pinhead to up to 20cm across.
Fibroid growth is very slow and can be stimulated by hormones, especially oestrogen. A hormone is a chemical found naturally in your body. Fibroids tend to become smaller and reduce in number when oestrogen levels fall, such as after the menopause.
Symptoms
Fibroids don't usually cause symptoms. However, you may get one or more of the symptoms listed below, often depending on where the fibroid is within your womb.
* Heavy periods, sometimes leading to anaemia, can occur in up to a third of all women with fibroids.
* Large fibroids can lead you to feeling some pain in your tummy (abdomen).
* If the fibroid(s) is pressing on your bladder, you may need to pass urine more often than normal.
* If the fibroid(s) is pressing on your rectum, it can cause constipation.
You can get severe pain if a fibroid growing on a stalk twists or if a fibroid outgrows its blood supply causing it to break down, but this is rare.
Diagnosis
As fibroids rarely have symptoms, they are often found during routine gynaecological (vaginal) examination. Your doctor may do the following tests to see if you have fibroids. An internal examination to check the size of your womb. An enlarged womb indicates that you may have fibroids. An ultrasound scan uses sound waves to produce an image of part of your body and can confirm if you have fibroids. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans use magnets and radio waves to produce images inside of your womb.
Causes
The reason why women get fibroids isn't known. Although oestrogen seems to make the fibroids grow, it's not thought to be responsible for their initial development.You are more likely to get fibroids if you:
* Are in your 30s or 40s
* Are overweight
* Are African-Caribbean - African-Caribbean women are three times more likely than white women to get fibroids
* Have no children or had your last child at a young age
* Have a family history of fibroids.
Treatment
If you don't have any symptoms, or if they are only mild, you don't need treatment.If you are getting symptoms, there is a range of treatments available. Your doctor will explain which is most suitable for you.
Medicines
There is no medicine that cures fibroids. However, hormone-based treatments can help relieve the symptoms.It is well worth considering all the medical treatment options for uterine fibroids before you decide on any course of action. Whilst new treatments for fibroids are coming along all the time I have put the main current medical treatment options here.
These usually include
* Hysterectomy,
* Myomectomy,
* Hysteroscopic
* Resection,
* Uterine artery embolization
and MR guided focused ultrasound surgery.
Sometimes these fibroid treatments involve the use of drugs to shrink the fibroids first. I also cover the likelihood of fibroid tumors returning after surgery.
Remember some medical treatments for uterine fibroid tumors can affect your fertility. The bottom line is you may not be able to have children. So it is important to consider alternative uterine fibroid treatments.
For those diagnosed with uterine fibroids or any other kind of fibroid tumor it is important to realize that you have more healing choices than you know. It is possible to heal fibroids without surgery or drugs and even without expensive supplements, herbal concoctions and weird diets.
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