Uterine fibroids, also called fibroid tumors or myomas, are benign tumors that grow on the uterine walls. Fibroids are a common problem among women, becoming even more prevalent as they age. This is a condition most women are completely unaware of even though by age 50 80% of women have them. Some women, on the other hand, suffer tremendously with pain and heavy menstruation. Fibroids can also prevent pregnancy and cause miscarriages.
If your doctor suspects you may have fibroids he or she will discuss your symptoms with you and then they will first conduct a pelvic exam. Your doctor may order an ultrasound to get an idea of how large your fibroids are. This also tells your doctor exactly where your fibroids are growing so they can get an idea of complications that may arise from them. If you experience heavy menstrual periods your doctor will probably do a blood test to check for anemia (iron deficiency).
Doctors don't know what causes uterine fibroids. What they do know is that the hormones progesterone and estrogen make uterine fibroids grow. Progesterone and estrogen are linked to fertility, so a woman's body makes more of these during her years of menstruation than during menopause. Once a woman becomes menopausal and her body produces lower levels of progesterone and estrogen her fibroids will quite often shrink. If a woman's fibroids aren't really affecting her and she's not feeling any symptoms, she can usually wait it out.
Uterine fibroids generally grow very slow, but can get to about the size of a softball or bigger if they are left alone. Uterine Fibroids can cause all sorts of nasty problems aside from heavy periods, pain, and miscarriage. They can also cause anemia due to bleeding. Fibroids can also block off the bladder preventing urination or they can apply pressure to the bladder causing a constant need to urinate.
A woman that has a heavy period due to her uterine fibroids can take birth control to level them out. What about the woman suffering from severe pain due to her uterine fibroids? She has several options. Hormone therapy is one option. If a woman wants her fibroids to either shrink or go away, she will usually have surgery to remove the uterine fibroids. Any form of surgery she has is going to be very invasive and potentially life altering.
A woman who is either finished having children or wants none of her own will often turn to having a hysterectomy. This means a doctor will completely remove her entire uterus. She can never have children again, but the fibroids will never be able to return. A woman wishing to keep her uterus, but shrink the fibroids may have a fibroid embolization. This is where a doctor inserts a tube into a woman's artery, following it down to where the artery feeds the uterine fibroid. The doctor will then block the artery restricting blood flow to the fibroid. The fibroid will then usually shrink and sometimes break up completely. The problem is that this can damage the uterus and make it very difficult for a woman to conceive and carry the baby to term. Another option is to surgically have the fibroid removed, which can cause scarring.
There is another choice. A woman can now find the secrets to dealing with uterine fibroids in a book. She can learn about diet changes that will help her symptoms and lifestyle changes she can make. The book details natural uterine fibroid remedies. The book even talks about what a woman can do if she is still planning on getting pregnant. Everything a woman will ever want to know about uterine fibroids and how to get rid of them is contained in one little book.
When trying to choose how to treat their fibroids a woman would definitely want all of the information available. A woman can learn how to make easy lifestyle changes that will shrink her fibroids and help her conceive. The book is the best choice because it gives woman a treatment option that is healthy and will make having children a possibility for uterine fibroid sufferers who didn't have that choice before!