How Can I Cure My Uterine Fibroids?
Non-cancerous, muscular tumours on the uterus are referred to as leiomyomas, or uterine fibroids.
Fibroids measurements range from less than 1 cm up to 20 cms and they grow on the inner-uterine wall, or on the outer uterine wall.
Most patients will have more than one.
Possible symptoms include heavy periods (in up to 30 percent of cases), abdominal pain, constipation, and frequent urination and fertility issues.
However, only 3 percent of infertility cases are attributed to fibroids.
Risk factor include age, race (AFRO-CARIBBEAN women have three times higher risk than Caucasian women), being overweight, not having children and family history.
Interestingly, both the oral contraceptive pill and smoking are linked with lower risk.
Fibroids are thought to be caused by hormones and often shrink as hormone levels decline at menopause.
Treating fibroids can be tricky as there are many different approaches.
Hormonal treatments are available to create a pseudo-menopausal state in acute cases, eg where the patient is suffering from anemia as a result of fibroids.
This approach is not permanent and carries side-effects in addition to high costs.
However, in many cases it is the safest approach.
Radiology can be used to shrink and eradicate the blood supply that feeds fibroids.
This has to be scheduled by the patients OBGYN specialist.
The traditional surgical approach depends on the patient's symptoms (bleeding, pain, discomfort, infertility, history of preterm births and more) potential risks and of course location, size and number of fibroids.
The operative approach can be laparoscopic through a tiny incision, or open abdominal surgery (laparotomy) Fibroids are common and mainly asymptomatic, so simple observation is advisable if fibroids are detected during routine exams.
Fibroids measurements range from less than 1 cm up to 20 cms and they grow on the inner-uterine wall, or on the outer uterine wall.
Most patients will have more than one.
Possible symptoms include heavy periods (in up to 30 percent of cases), abdominal pain, constipation, and frequent urination and fertility issues.
However, only 3 percent of infertility cases are attributed to fibroids.
Risk factor include age, race (AFRO-CARIBBEAN women have three times higher risk than Caucasian women), being overweight, not having children and family history.
Interestingly, both the oral contraceptive pill and smoking are linked with lower risk.
Fibroids are thought to be caused by hormones and often shrink as hormone levels decline at menopause.
Treating fibroids can be tricky as there are many different approaches.
Hormonal treatments are available to create a pseudo-menopausal state in acute cases, eg where the patient is suffering from anemia as a result of fibroids.
This approach is not permanent and carries side-effects in addition to high costs.
However, in many cases it is the safest approach.
Radiology can be used to shrink and eradicate the blood supply that feeds fibroids.
This has to be scheduled by the patients OBGYN specialist.
The traditional surgical approach depends on the patient's symptoms (bleeding, pain, discomfort, infertility, history of preterm births and more) potential risks and of course location, size and number of fibroids.
The operative approach can be laparoscopic through a tiny incision, or open abdominal surgery (laparotomy) Fibroids are common and mainly asymptomatic, so simple observation is advisable if fibroids are detected during routine exams.
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