Monday, February 4, 2013

Get The 411 On The Causes And Symptoms Of Uterine Fibroids

By Terry Robbins


Literally and figuratively, fibroids can be a pain. When treatment is recommended which is not in every case, conventional treatment is through the use of various surgical procedures. This is why it is good to know that there are many other ways to get rid of fibroids naturally besides surgical procedures.

What are fibroids?

These are benign tumors which are solid growths that develop within the walls of the uterus. These tumors can in some cases grow out from the uterus. In rare cases, these growths can appear in the vagina when they become large and push out through the cervix. These tumors which are made up of smooth muscle fibers usually vary in size, shape and grow slowly.

These growths usually affect women of child bearing age and black women are usually affected more than women of other races. The reason for this remains unknown.

Causes

These non cancerous growths are still a mystery and the causes are still unknown. Some doctors do believe that estrogen the female hormone is to blame. Their basis for this conclusion is that these tumors rarely appear before puberty and decrease after menopause when estrogen is at its lowest. Most sufferers also usually report having the tumors when estrogen levels are at their highest which occurs during the middle to late reproductive years.

Uterine fibroids symptoms

a. Pain in the abdomen is one of the symptoms although this usually happens when the tumor cuts off its own blood supply by becoming twisted.

b. Heavy blood flow during the menstrual cycle is another symptom.

c. A menstrual cycle that lasts longer than normal is another symptom.

d. Large growths can lead to constipation when the tumors press upon the intestine.

e. The need for frequent urination may also be experienced which results from large tumors that press upon the bladder causing you to want to urinate more.

f. A wide girth due to large intestines may be experienced.

g. Leg pains may also be experienced.

h. Pregnancy and the increase in hormones during this time can cause the growths to increase in size which can lead to pregnancy complications as the baby continues to grow. When these tumors continue to grow very large during pregnancy, they may require surgical removal.

It is important to remember that many women with these growths do not experience any symptoms at all. The fibroids are usually discovered during normal exams.

Treatment

There are many treatments for these growths being developed and any woman seeking treatment should always perform her own research and not simply rely on her doctor. Her doctor may not have the latest information or know the latest treatment alternatives. Getting a second or third opinion as well as performing her own research especially into a natural treatment for fibroids which may work better for her, is strongly recommended.

Common surgeries usually recommended for removal of the growths using conventional treatment methods include the myomectomy and hysterectomy. There are however, many new surgical procedures constantly being developed.

A myomectomy seeks to surgically remove the growths while leaving the uterus intact however, new tumors may still develop in the future because the uterus remains. This surgery is usually best for women who still have a desire to get pregnant.

A hysterectomy on the other hand is a surgical procedure that removes the growths as well as the uterus. With no uterus, these tumors are unable to develop in the future but there is also no chance of ever getting pregnant.

Again, research is important before electing either surgical procedure especially the hysterectomy as there may be an alternative treatment including a natural treatment of fibroids that will be better for you.



No comments:

Post a Comment