By: Diana Barnes-Brown Part One
Fibroids: What Are They and Who Gets Them?
Uterine fibroids, known to medical professionals as Uterine Leiomyomata, are benign (non-cancerous) tumors in the uterus or uterine wall. They form when hormones cause the overgrowth of muscle and other tissue cells, and can vary in size from the size of a pencil eraser to larger than a grapefruit.
There are three main types of fibroids. Submucosal grow under the surface of the uterine lining, or endometrium. Intramural fibroids grow between the muscles of the uterus. Subserosal fibroids grow outside of the uterus. The most common place for fibroids to grow is within the uterine wall. Some fibroids also grow on small “stalks” or “stems” known to doctors as peduncles, which grow from the outward surface of the uterus or from the inner wall and into the uterine cavity.
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Symptoms of Fibroids
Painful periods
Uterine or abdominal pain at other times of the month
Heavy periods
Unexplained or off-cycle bleeding
Abdominal bloating
Urinary or bowel symptoms (such as frequent urination or feelings of pressure in the intestinal area)
Lower back pain
Anemia (due to increased bleeding)
Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
Reproductive problems (including infertility, miscarriage or premature labor)
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The tissue of fibroids is sensitive and must receive a large supply of blood to survive. This often leads to the characteristic bleeding of fibroids, and in more severe cases may lead to anemia.
The Move Away from Hysterectomy
One area of ongoing change in the realm of fibroid treatment is a move away from hysterectomy, the complete removal of the uterus. While this is still a common treatment for fibroids, more and more doctors are speaking up in favor of less invasive treatments that leave the uterus intact.
This is an important change, because until the past decade or so, many women with no other reproductive problems were told that hysterectomy was the only option and condemned to a long, painful recovery, loss of any future child-bearing potential, and forced menopause – sometimes as early as their late 20s or early 30s. For women with dreams of a family, this was a devastating change, and even for those who had no plans to bear children or already had, the pain and risks associated with the surgery, as well as the physical and emotional changes associated with menopause, were highly problematic.
While hysterectomy remains a last-ditch effort for fibroids that do not respond to other treatment methods, most experts on fibroid treatment advocate less invasive, more conservative treatments first. Many of these treatments have proven highly effective, without the negative effects of completely removing the uterus.
While the hysterectomy trend is improving, the National Institute of Health reports that fibroids are still a major cause of hysterectomy.
(Continued in Part Two: Range of Treatment Options)
