What are fibroids? Fibroids are a benign type of growth found in the uterus of women, most often African American women, usually during their childbearing years. It is very rare to see in a woman under twenty years of age, and if untreated they tend to get smaller after menopause. They can also be called leimyomas, myomas, or fibromyomas and are a type of tumor of the smooth muscle cells. Most women do not even notice these common growths.
The types of uterine fibroid tumors include: submucous fibroids, which have a tendancy to develop in the uterine cavity; intramural fibroids on the uterine wall; and subserous fibroids which show up in areas other than the uterous. Some fibroids grow beyond one of the areas described above and must be classed in two or more catagories.
The medical cause of fibroid development is not yet known, but levels of the hormone estrogen seem to be connected. When estrogen levels are high, such as during the ovulating years or pregnancy, fibroids increase in size. When the levels fall,such as during menopause, fibroids get smaller.
As with so many other syndromes with an indeterminate origin, it seems likely environmental toxins may be playing a key role. ItÂ’s well known that some toxins, once inside your body, can mimic estrogen. That would also influence fibroid growth, even for women have stopped menstruating. For a woman who has gone through menopause, increasing fibroid growth can be doubly frustrating.
Fibroids can be harmful to the surrounding tissues and membranes, contributing problems that range from pain and bleeding to miscarriages and infertility. Common symptoms include heavy uterine bleeding that occurs during the menstrual cycle. Large fibroids cause pain and discomfort when they interfere with organs such as the bowel and bladder, and are at the heart of the most serious symptoms. An enlarged fibroid tumor causes infertility through compression of the uterus, or else causes miscarriages when the fibroid fills the uterine cavity and causes it to spasm.
Doctors look for fibroids during a routine pelvic exam, though they may also want to check with an ultrasound. Once they have found them, the typical treatment is a prescription drug that can lower estrogen levels. These prescriptions can prevent a pregnancy in addition to other negative side effects. If the fibroid is too large to treat that way, causing severe bleeding and pain, a doctor may recommend a myomectomy or embolization. A myomectomy simply means they go in and remove it surgically. In a uterine artery embolization, they cut off the blood supply to the fibroid. The worst case scenario, obviously, is a full hysterectomy, but in rare cases it is necessary.
Hysterectomies are a permanent fix to problematic fibroids. However, as with any surgical procedure there are risks to be considered. Once this step is taken it cannot be reversed. There can be danger in damaging nearby organs and structures during surgery or fibroid growth post-hysterectomy in the space left behind or on any pieces of uterus remaining. Your health is affected for the rest of your life as hormone therapy is needed to correct the lack from your uterus.
Homeopathic remedies are readily available for treatment of fibroid growths. Herbal supplements like Vitex (Agnus Cactus) or chasteberry tincture shrink inflammation, fibroids, and regulate hormone levels. Detoxifiers like Detox-Drops (TM) help remove toxins that cause fibroids to grow, and boost the benefit of any herbal remedies for fibroids.
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