"Management Of Fibroids"

So here is an overview of what Fibroids are and what treatment options are available to different patients.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in the womb. They are made up of fibrous tissue which is an overgrowth of the muscle of the womb and approximately between two and four women in every ten will get at some point in your life. The exact cause fibroids are still unknown but we know that fibroids are linked to estrogen which is a female hormone from the menstrual cycle produced by the ovaries. We know that some women if they are overweight produce more estrogen and may be more prone to fibroids. The other group of women has more prone fibroids are women who are African and unfortunately again we don't know why this might be.

Often women have small fibroids that do not cause any symptoms at all and don’t need any treatment. Otherwise, fibroids do shrink after the menopause when there is no estrogen around and symptoms will get better. In some women, they have severe symptoms that can cause an impact on the quality of life and do need treatment such as tablets or operations.

Fibroids can cause a whole range of symptoms and all the women get all of these symptoms but they can cause heavy painful and prolonged periods, anemia which results from loss of red blood cells caused by heavy periods which can make you feel very tired and weak.

Bleeding in between the periods or bleeding during or after sex, pain or discomfort around sex, a bloated tummy which can cause you to look pregnant, tummy or lower back pain, a constant urge to pass urine and constipation. In some cases, Fibroids can cause you to have problems getting pregnant. If you are suffering from symptoms you will probably have to visit your doctor to discuss the problems you are having. Symptoms may be a sign of other conditions so your doctor will need to find out a little more about what you are experiencing.

Fibroids can grow can grow anywhere in or on the outside wall of the womb and vary in size considerably from the size of a pea up to the size of a melon.Most women coming in for treatment will have more than one fibroid and have differing sizes.Of the three types of Fibroids the common are intramural Fibroids which develop within the wall of the womb.

The second most common are Submucosal Fibroids which means they develop inside the lining of the womb.These can grow onto the small stalk called a perdunculated fibroid.The third type of fibroid is subserosal which means the fibroid develops on the outer wall of the womb.These can put pressure on the surrounding structures like the bladder and the bowel and intestines.

Medications include hormonal treatments which may help to regulate your periods and some of them which are used frequently include; contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices, skin implants or injections. A doctor may also prescribe non-hormonal medication such as anti-inflammatory of acid which may reduce bleeding during menstrual periods.

First, the doctor ascertains that there are actually fibroids in the womb through the use of ultrasound, its size and its position in the womb mostly for people who have had surgeries before for a safe and appropriate treatment.

Age, weight, size and the number of fibroids are other major factors that are taken into consideration before surgery. A patient's wishes to have a family in the future also matters. Some of the main surgical options are myomectomy, uterine artery embolization, hysterectomy and transcervical resection of fibroids. For a safer and quicker surgery, the fibroids are shrunk using some sort of medication.

Generally, fibroids have affected the lifestyle of so many women to the point that some of them live in fear because of the repercussions of the condition. So there is a call for all women who experience any signs and symptoms of Fibroids to seek medical attention as soon as possible and that they should come out and speak about it to educate other women.