Fibroids

Uterine Fibroids are benign or non-cancerous growth inside or on the uterus and mostly appear in child bearing years. Also called as leiomyomas these tumours grow alone or in cluster. Some of these are very insignificant in size while some tumours may grow very large weighing several pounds. A woman can either develop single or multiple fibroids. A fibroid almost never transforms into a cancerous or malignant one. Uterine fibroids are diagnosed by pelvic exam and by ultrasound.

Uterine fibroids may or may not be symptomatic. Occurrence of symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumours. Submucosal fibroids grow inside the uterine cavity. Intramural fibroids are ingrained inside the walls of the uterus. Subserosal fibroids are located outside of the uterus lining. Pedunculated fibroids grow on the outside of the uterus.

When fibroids do cause problems, symptoms can range from mild to severe. The most common symptoms include:

Most of these fibroids are undetected; however these may be incidentally discovered during a pelvic or gynecologic exam or during prenatal care.

Exact causes of uterine fibroids are unknown although this is a very common problem faced by women. A few factors that may influence the probability of formation of fibroids are:

Hormones: Every month during your period hormones like estrogen and progesterone thicken the lining of the uterus affecting fibroid growth.

Family history: occurrence of fibroids is higher in women whose female family members have had fibroids.

Genetics: researchers have discovered disruptions in the genetic structure leading to the growth of fibroids.

Other factors that contribute to the growth of fibroids are obesity, early age menstruation, delay in menopause, excessive consumption of red meat, vitamin D deficiency, alcohol consumption, etc.

Get in touch with your doctor if you experience:

Women with fibroids have high chances of complications during pregnancy and delivery. In some cases fibroids may reduce fertility or impact pregnancy. Tumours near the fallopian tube or the cervix may affect fertilization. Some may even distort the uterus lining due to which embryo implantation & development becomes difficult as a result of which there is increase in the risk of miscarriage. Large fibroids can disfigure the uterus cavity which can cause labour abnormalities and increased chances of caesarean delivery.

Treatment for fibroids is ascertained depending on the severity of symptoms, location and size of the tumours. Other factors to be considered while making the treatment plan are age and proximity to menopause and future fertility goals.

Normally small fibroids do not require any treatment if they are asymptomatic, only watchful waiting is required to monitor the size of the tumours. Other fibroids can be treated medically by iron supplements for heavy menstrual bleeding, anti-inflammatory medicines prescribed for pelvic pain and anti- hormonal medicines to block or reduce estrogen levels to prevent fibroids. Some fibroids can also be treated surgically.

Fibroids cannot be entirely prevented however studies suggest certain lifestyle changes can reduce the probability of fibroid growth. By making healthy lifestyle choices like maintaining normal body weight, avoiding excessive consumption of meat and alcohol and including adequate fruits and vegetables in your diet may help lower the risk of uterine fibroids.