Uterine fibroids cause a variety of uncomfortable and inconvenient symptoms in women that can get in the way of normal daily activities. With proper treatment, women can free themselves of fibroids and subsequent symptoms. While these uterine fibroid symptoms can range from mild to severe, even the mild ones can cause a disruption to a person’s life.
Fibroid Symptoms
Heavy bleeding or painful periods
Periods are annoying enough when they are regular. Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding that can fill a tampon every hour. Not only can this heavy bleeding cause embarrassment or ruin your clothes if it seeps through or leaks, but it can also cause anemia. Anemia occurs when a person has lower than average iron present in the blood and has symptoms of its own including fatigue, pallor to the skin, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, and fast heartbeats. In addition, heavy bleeding is often accompanied by more painful cramping which can lead to lost time at work, school, or social events, impeding your life.
Enlargement of the lower abdomen
Fibroids can cause swelling in the abdomen, making your stomach large and distended. Not only can this cause issues with your appearance, but it can make it difficult to find clothing that fits and hurt your self-image. No one wants to appear overweight, especially when it’s due to a medical condition that can be treated fairly easily.
Frequent urination
The tumors in the uterus can put pressure on the bladder causing the need for frequent urination. Knowing that you need to use a bathroom regularly can stop you from making plans for events where bathrooms might be scarce. You might avoid hiking, attending movies, or even journeys that require long car rides or flights. It is not necessary to put your life on hold due to the annoying symptoms of fibroids.
Pain during sex
Fibroids can also cause sexual intercourse to be uncomfortable or painful. This can cause women to be reluctant to get intimately involved with a partner or could cause difficulties in an existing relationship. Consenting adults can choose to be as sexual or non-sexual as suits them, but sex is not supposed to be painful. This is a key indicator that there is an issue in a woman’s gynecological health and with proper medical care pain during intercourse should decrease.
Complications during pregnancy and labor
Untreated fibroids can make successful pregnancy challenging. Pregnancy should be a happy and exciting time in a woman’s life. Fibroids can cause complications throughout pregnancy, resulting in additional visits to the doctor, health complications for the mother and child, and a six-times greater chance of needing an emergency cesarean section.
A further complication includes infertility. When left untreated, fibroids can take up valuable real estate in the womb needed by a growing fetus, making it difficult or even impossible for a woman to conceive or maintain a pregnancy.
Fibroid Treatment
Treatment for fibroids is very straightforward and can prevent all of these symptoms and future complications. If you have questions or concerns about fibroids, contact the expert physicians at the Fibroid Treatment Collective in Beverly Hills, CA.
