Passing blood clots that are larger than the size of a golf ball. Soaking multiple pads and tampons in a short amount of time, for example, soaking through menstrual hygiene products every hour. How are fibroids diagnosed? Typically, your doctor can feel the fibroid during an ordinary pelvic exam.
To confirm the location and size of the fibroid, your doctor may request an ultrasound or other imaging tests like an MRI or a hysterosalpingography, which is an X-ray used to view the inside of the uterus and fallopian tubes. Lab tests, like a complete blood panel or other blood tests, can also be helpful in diagnosing conditions caused by fibroids like anemia.
How are fibroids treated? Treatment can range from medications to surgery, so be sure to talk to discuss your options with your doctor.
Are fibroids cancerous? Uterine fibroids, by definition, are noncancerous. In very rare cases, women develop a leiomyosarcoma, which is a cancer that can affect the uterus. Since fibroids typically shrink after menopause, postmenopausal women should see their doctor right away if they notice or feel any new, fast-growing tumors in their uterus.
Some do not grow at all. When uterine fibroids cause symptoms, the most common are heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding and significant cramping. Due to excess loss of menstrual blood, some women with uterine fibroids may develop anemia. Uterine fibroids also may lead to increased urinary frequency, constipation, pain during sex or a feeling of pressure within the pelvic area.
If you notice symptoms that you suspect could be related to uterine fibroids, make an appointment for an evaluation with your health care provider or a physician who specializes in gynecology. If you do develop uterine fibroids, a variety of effective treatment options are available. By Liza Torborg. Mayo Clinic Minute: 3 tips to avoid Halloween hand injuries. Only your health care provider can provide you with the best options to treat uterine fibroids.
There are several new ways of destroying fibroid tissue or removing fibroids. These methods are not yet standard treatments so your health care provider may not offer them and your health insurance may not pay for them. Myolysis is the destruction of muscle tissue. Myolysis is generally recommended for smaller fibroids. It is not recommended for women who hope to have children. These treatments can cause serious pregnancy complications, such as uterine scarring and infection; these can be dangerous to both mother and fetus.
New anti-hormonal drugs and other medications are being studied for treatment of fibroids, but none are yet available or Federal Drug Administration FDA -approved for us in the US. It is important you talk with your health care provider to fully understand your options for uterine fibroids that are causing you problems.
If your health care provider is recommending a hysterectomy, be sure to ask why other options are not right for you. Remember, you can ask for a second opinion to be sure the treatment option is right for you. Navigation menu. Can fibroids turn into cancer? Who usually develops fibroids? Symptoms How do you know you have a fibroid? Diagnostic Procedures Fibroids and Pregnancy Treatments Development of New Treatments Fibroids Uterine Fibroids are common non-cancerous benign tumors of the uterus and are the most frequent reason for recommending a hysterectomy.
What is a fibroid? Uterine Fibroids According to the U. Uterus - Womb The uterus womb is a pear-shaped organ located in the lower part of a woman's body. Figure 1. Female Reproductive System Are there different types of fibroids? Figure 2. Some of these ideas include: Fibroids may be genetic runs in families. Female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, cause fibroids to grow. Here are the few known risk factors: Having a family member with fibroids increases the risk.
If a woman's mother had fibroids, her risk of having fibroids is about 3 times higher than average. African-Americans are times more likely to present with symptomatic problems such as pain or bleeding uterine fibroids and will often develop fibroids at a younger age than the rest of the population of women with uterine fibroids. Asian women have a lower incidence of symptomatic uterine fibroids.
Obesity is associated with uterine fibroids. The risk of obese women developing fibroids is times greater than women of average weight. Eating beef, red meat other than beef , and ham has been linked with having uterine fibroids, while eating green vegetables seems to protect women from developing fibroids.
What are the symptoms of fibroids? How do you know you have a fibroid? The health care provider may: Do a physical exam of your uterus pelvic exam to check the size of your uterus womb , and may feel the fibroid as a lump on your uterus during the pelvic exam.
Send you for a procedure to get a "picture" of your uterus. Do blood tests to check your blood count for anemia low iron in your blood due to heavy periods or bleeding between periods or for other problems. What kind of procedures may be done to find out if you have fibroids? These might include: Ultrasound US - uses sound waves to produce a picture to see if you have fibroids. An ultrasound probe can be placed on the abdomen or it can be placed inside the vagina during the ultrasound.
X-rays - uses a form of radiation to produce the picture. Cat Scan CT - takes many X-ray pictures of the body from different angles for a more complete picture. Hysterosalpingogram HSG Sonohysterogram - an ultrasound test that uses saline and ultrasound to look at the uterus and pelvic area. There are two types of procedures to do this: Diagnostic Laparoscopy or Gynecologic Laparoscopy - surgery in which the doctor makes a cut into the abdomen and inserts a thin lighted tube with a small camera attached.
This allows the doctor to see inside the abdomen to look at the uterus, ovaries and pelvic area. Hysteroscopy - The doctor passes a long, thin tube with a light through the vagina and cervix into the uterus. Although many physicians recommend a hysterectomy—removal of the uterus— as a treatment for fibroids, this is usually not necessary.
If you have excessive bleeding, pain, urinary difficulties, or problems with pregnancy, you may want to have an operation called a myomectomy to remove the fibroids. Done by a skilled practitioner, myomectomy avoids some of the problems associated with hysterectomy and poses no greater risks. Even large, multiple fibroids can be removed with a myomectomy. There are several approaches, depending on the size and location of the fibroids.
Embolization of the uterine arteries. This procedure, performed by an interventional radiologist, cuts off blood supply to the fibroids, making them shrink. It reduces bleeding and tumor or uterus size in most women who have it done.
The recovery time is typically shorter than for surgical removal of fibroids, if the procedure goes smoothly. Complications may include severe pain and fever that might require an emergency hysterectomy, damage to the uterus or other organs, and loss of ovarian function due to a constricted blood supply this leads to premature menopause.
For these reasons, this may be a risky approach for a woman who still wants to get pregnant.
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