What Are Uterine Fibroids? Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous muscular tumours that grow in a woman's uterus. Doctors often refer to uterine fibroids as leiomyomas or myomas, which rarely turn into cancer. Furthermore, not all uterine fibroids show symptoms or even require treatment, especially smaller ones.

Keep reading to know what uterine fibroids are and their symptoms, causes, treatment and preventive measures one can adopt.

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What Are Uterine Fibroids?

A woman's uterus is a pear-shaped organ situated between the bladder and rectum in the pelvis. Uterine fibroids are cell growths that develop on the walls of the uterus. However, they are not life-threatening; they can cause heavy bleeding and problems with fertility.

These fibroids can be smaller than a pea or bigger than a melon. In some cases, it is so minuscule that it gets hard for doctors to detect, and they show no signs. On the other hand, bigger ones can change the shape of one’s uterus.

Furthermore, the symptoms depend on the type of uterine fibroids.

What Are the Different Types of Uterine Fibroids?

Uterine fibroids or Leiomyoma translates to smooth muscle tumours, and it is the most common pelvic tumor in women. These are benign and do not pose any potential threat to the woman's overall health.

These are easily treatable and rarely become cancerous.

Uterine Fibroids can grow both inside and outside of the uterus. Therefore, it is imperative to know the location of these fibroids to determine the treatment for an individual.

The different types of fibroids in the uterus are based on their location. They also describe where and how these fibroids are attached.

The various types are:

Submucosal fibroids- This type of fibroid grows inside the uterine space where a baby grows during pregnancy. The growth extends down to the middle of the uterus, where it finds empty space inside the cavity.
Intramural fibroids- These grow inside the muscular walls of the uterus.
Subserosal fibroids- They are located outside the uterus and are closely attached to the outside wall of the organ.

Pedunculated fibroids- These fibroids are shaped like a mushroom as they are attached to the uterus with a thin stem and consist of a wider top and a thin stalk. However, these are least common in nature.

What Are the Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids?

Most uterine fibroids do not cause any symptoms. In case of asymptomatic fibroids, the patient does not require any treatment. However, healthcare providers keep the individual under regular observation. Typically the larger fibroids cause symptoms, unlike the smaller ones.

The various symptoms of uterine fibroid are as follows:

Extreme and/or painful bleeding during menstruation
Unexpected bleeding between two-period cycles
Lower back pain
Pain during sex
Bloating or feeling of fullness in lower abdomen
Frequent urination
Inability to urinate properly and clear the bladder
Prolonged vaginal discharge
Constipation
Enlarged abdomen

However, the symptoms of uterine fibroids diminish after one goes through menopause and the hormone levels decrease as well.

What Causes Uterine Fibroids?

According to doctors and medical practitioners, there is no exact reason that causes uterine fibroids. However, some tentative causes of uterine fibroids are:

Hormones- Estrogen and progesterone are two hormones that facilitate fibroids' growth in the uterine lining. These hormones prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy during menstrual cycles. Additionally, these fibroids have more hormone receptors than uterus cells, so they grow exponentially. However, fibroids shrink after menopause as hormone production stops.
Pregnancy- Fibroids grow exponentially during pregnancy as the body produces the above-stated hormones in huge amounts.
Genetics- If an individual has a close relative who has uterine fibroids, then there is a high chance that they too can develop this condition. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that these fibroids can mutate in some cases.
Diet- Some evidence suggests that certain foods like alcohol and red meat risk the development of fibroids.

What Are the Risk Factors of Developing Uterine Fibroids?

The risk factors are as follows:

Pregnancy
Genetics or family history
High body weight

How Are Uterine Fibroids Diagnosed?

In most cases, fibroids are detected during a pelvic exam at a gynaecologist consultation. The different kinds of diagnostic methods are:

Ultrasonography
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Computed Tomography (CT)
Hysterosonography
Hysterosalpingography
Hysteroscopy

What Are the Recommended Treatments for Uterine fibroid?

Treatments for uterine fibroids depend on the size, location, age and whether the individual wants to get pregnant in future or not. Moreover, most fibroids do not show any symptoms and reduce after a woman goes through menopause. The treatment for Uterine fibroid can range from non-surgical to surgical procedures.

However, if one notices only mild symptoms, doctors will suggest waiting and observing changes.

1. Non-surgical

Medical practitioners commonly suggest oral birth control, anti-inflammatory medicines and vitamin and iron supplements to shrink the fibroids. However, one must keep in mind that medication does not get rid of fibroids. They can only reduce its size and their symptoms.

Oral birth control reduces bleeding, and anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen lessen pain. Doctors also suggest medicines like Oriahnn, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and Tranexamic acid (Cyklokapron, Lysteda). These either reduce the bleeding or cause temporary menopause.

Furthermore, one can also opt for IUDs to reduce bleeding and prevent pregnancy.

2. Surgical

An individual will need surgery when one faces moderate to severe symptoms. Different surgical procedures include:

Myomectomy- This is the best option for women who want to get pregnant in the future. Here, fibroids are removed without disturbing the healthy tissues. Myomectomy is done both ways through abdominal surgery and laparoscopy.
Endometrial Ablation- It is a minor procedure, and one can get it done without getting admitted to the hospital. This procedure reduces bleeding and, in some instances, completely stops it. However, women will find it difficult to get pregnant after getting this procedure done.
Uterine Fibroid Embolisation (UFE) or Uterine Artery Embolisation (UAE) - Here, a surgeon stops the blood flow to the fibroids, and they shrink in size. However, 1 out of 3 women need to redo this surgery after 5 years, but one can conceive after getting this surgery.
Hysterectomy- The entire uterus is operated on and thrown out of the body in this procedure. This surgery is only suggested when the fibroid has grown large and is changing the shape of the uterus due to its size.

How to Prevent Uterine Fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are unavoidable; however, studies suggest that lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of development. Furthermore, incorporating healthy lifestyle habits can help shrink the already present fibroids.

Studies suggest that a high sugar diet and frequent consumption of alcohol and red meat increases risk of developing uterine fibroids. On the other hand, eating fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, E, K, and other minerals reduces the risk. Furthermore, one should also exercise regularly.

After consultation with their gynaecologist, most women between 30-and 45 years old often come across the term uterine fibroids. Thus, "What are uterine fibroids?" is the most common question for every woman pre-menopause.

When Should One See the Doctor?

A woman should consult a doctor if they see the following signs:

Prolonged and extremely painful periods
Unexplained low red blood count cells
Unexpected bleeding between two-period cycles
Difficulty in peeing and emptying the bladder at once

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can fibroids get worse with time?

It depends from person to person. If the individual is nearing menopause and has mild symptoms, they can wait for the fibroid to shrink naturally post-menopause. However, if the symptoms are moderate, they should not be left untreated.

What are the foods that reduce the effect of uterine fibroid?

Bright coloured fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples are extremely useful in reducing the risk of uterine fibroids. In addition, dried fruits, brown rice and lentils also shrink the size of the fibroids.