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.
Doctors have yet to definitively determine what causes fibroids, though estrogen may be the key. The high levels of estrogen during childbearing years or pregnancy encourage fibroid growth. Menopause, when estrogen decreases, is a period when they may shrink.
As with so many other syndromes with an indeterminate origin, it seems likely environmental toxins may be playing a key role. Its 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.
While the condition is often unnoticed, it can be problematic, and even dangerous at times. Difficulties caused by fibroids can include difficulty in getting pregnant or infertility, inability to carry a child to term or miscarriage, pain and/or bleeding. Infertility is caused by a compression of the uterus, and miscarriages are caused by the filled uterine cavity having spasms. The most common sign is a heavy period. If the uterine fibroids are very large they can even cause symptoms associated with other organs in the body such as the bowel and bladder. These large fibroids are usually the most serious.
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.
A hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus in surgery, and should be a lasting cure for fibroids. A hysterectomy is also a drastic choice, and a major procedure which can have long term effects. Choosing surgery is always a big step, and in many cases involves a lot of risk. It is not a choice to be made without great need, and thought put into the decision.
If you are hoping to avoid a series of escalating medical interventions, and who wouldn’t?, there are some alternative therapies available. Herbal supplements like FibroidClear are formulated to reduce inflammation, and they may shrink fibroids by more naturally regulating hormone levels. Body cleansing can also rid your body of fibroid-friendly toxins, and it can be used with other fibroid remedies.
While I could wish that no one had to deal with the trauma of uterine fibroids, it is a problem for many women. I hope that if you or a loved one are affected by this condition that this article has helped to answer you questions. If you would like more information you can watch in-depth videos and get free information on natural treatments for fibroids at my website: http://www.fibroidsetc.com/what-are-fibroids/