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Fibroids and Exercise

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Girl Tying Her Shoes -Exercise- Fibroids

If you have symptomatic fibroids, exercise might not sound appealing. Larger fibroids often cause discomfort. It’s natural to avoid doing things that might trigger pain. But fibroids and exercise have a unique relationship. Whether you already have fibroids or want to take measures to prevent them, the right kind of exercise will only be to your advantage.

But exercise can only take you so far in terms of dealing with severe or persistent fibroid symptoms. Maybe it’s time to discuss a treatment option that is both non-surgical and highly successful.

Protective Benefits of Exercise

We all know exercise is good for you. You feel better and often look better. Exercise boosts health in multiple ways and plays a role in the prevention of both diabetes and obesity. But there’s more at stake than just keeping calories away. Exercise can bring a wider range of benefits to women’s bodies.

  • Significant boosts in endorphins (brain chemicals that keep your mood good and reduce pain)
  • Strengthening of your heart and cardiovascular system
  • Prevention of hormone-controlled diseases

A number of studies have already shown exercise has a protective action against breast cancer. And researchers believe staying active may be the first line of defense against a variety of hormone-mediated diseases. So is there a relationship between exercise and preventing fibroids?

Can Exercise Shrink Fibroids?

Fibroid development is linked to estrogen and progesterone levels. Both of these hormones work to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. Most women discover they have fibroids during times of hormonal elevation, such as pregnancy or perimenopause. Others notice a decrease in fibroid growth or symptoms during times of reduced or low production of these hormones, such as menopause.

Exercise affects hormones.

It has been shown to reduce estrogen and progesterone levels. Regular exercise may help prevent the growth of fibroids by reducing hormones and the fibroid activity they often trigger. Studies also indicate that a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) is connected with fibroid development. When regular exercise works to lower your BMI, it can also lower the incidence of fibroid growth.

While exercise may help prevent uterine fibroids from growing, it doesn’t do much to control or lessen the size (or symptoms) of fibroids already disrupting your life. But there is a highly efficient way to shrink fibroids back to a size where they don’t cause symptoms. Fibroid embolization. This procedure shrinks fibroids by depriving them of a blood supply. Without the nutrients and oxygen in the blood, fibroids will starve. Embolization is a non-surgical treatment that reduces fibroids and fibroid symptoms without the need for surgery. And fibroids that are correctly embolized will never reappear or regrow.

Vigorous Exercise and Fibroids

As discussed above, exercise can be key in preventing the growth of fibroids. The more active you are, the fewer excess hormones you have circulating to trigger fibroid development.

Is regular, vigorous exercise a cure? No. But it may inhibit fibroids from growing or growing quickly.

Some women will have fibroids that aren’t causing any symptoms. So regular and vigorous exercise benefits without causing discomfort. Others have already noticed the presence of fibroids and may tend to avoid movements that might cause pain or bleeding. Still, others have abdominal distention from large or multiple fibroids that make exercise very uncomfortable or challenging. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, we still recommend staying as active as possible. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t lift, stretch. Keep moving. Exercise helps slow fibroid growth.

Even patients with severe symptoms, such as chronic pelvic pain, may still benefit from some form of exercise. The issue at that stage of symptom may be that any exercise seems completely out of reach. This is why we recommend early treatment. The longer you wait, the more time a fibroid has to grow. And the bigger it grows, the more likely it is to seriously impact your life.

Can Exercise Aggravate Fibroids?

With mild to non-existent fibroid symptoms, exercise can only benefit you. But symptomatic fibroids that cause heavy periods and anemia often drain energy and weaken your system. Exercise becomes a strain on the body’s diminished resources. While exercise doesn’t exactly aggravate fibroids, the effort it requires may seem overwhelming or even impossible.

Get help. Review your treatment options. Fibroids rarely go away on their own. And debilitating symptoms only increase over time. Embolization is a way back to health that doesn’t involve surgery. Call us. Take control back.

Non-Surgical Fibroid Treatment

The Fibroid Treatment Collective (FTC) offers women a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). If a physician has suggested this is your best or your only option, do some research first. With a hysterectomy, you lose any chance of ever becoming pregnant. Even when done laparoscopically (using several small incisions, instead of on a large or ‘open’ incision), you will still take months to heal. After a hysterectomy, many women regret not exploring a less invasive approach. Some say they never feel themselves fully again.

Surgeries like hysterectomy or myomectomy (surgical removal of fibroids) have risks that non-surgical procedures avoid. Surgical removal of fibroids, whether by open incision, laparoscopic, or LAAM (Laparoscopic Assisted Abdominal Myomectomy), still have a regrowth rate of about 50%. One out of every two fibroid surgeries winds up with the fibroids growing back. Sometimes in just a few years.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization treats fibroids safely and effectively. You maintain fertility while finding relief from fibroid symptoms. Embolization has a zero incidence of regrowth (fibroids must have a blood supply to grow and thrive). Embolization has a quick recovery time and is low trauma to the body.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

Exercise might be able to prevent or slow the growth of fibroids, but it takes actual treatment to address the underlying cause of those symptoms. Reclaim your body. Schedule a consultation. During a one-on-one meeting, we’ll work closely with you to assess your preferences and build a treatment plan around them.

Get life back on track without the risks of traditional surgical methods. For additional information, call us toll-free at 866.362.6463.

What is the Difference Between Uterine Polyps vs. Fibroids?

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Both are uterine growths. The main difference? Fibroids and polyps contain very different types of tissue. Fibroids are made of dense, connective fibrous tissue. (The word fibroid comes from fibrous.) Polyps are made of endometrial tissue, the tissue found in the uterine lining.

Why is recognizing the difference important? Both types of growth can cause heavy periods, irregular periods, or fertility issues, but fibroids are not, by definition, cancerous. In contrast, uterine polyps do have the potential to become cancer. Therefore, your health practitioner should be monitoring for changes in size and to any of your symptoms.

What Are Uterine Fibroids?

The first thing to know about fibroids is that they are NOT cancer. Patients often feel stressed when they are first diagnosed. Yes, fibroids are a kind of tumor, but they are benign. While they can cause uncomfortable and occasionally debilitating symptoms, they are also very treatable without surgery.

A fibroid is a type of benign growth that can occur in or even outside the uterus. Roughly 75% of all women will develop fibroids at some point in their lifetime. Most will be asymptomatic. Many fibroids will resolve on their own. But they can lead to a wide range of uncomfortable and inconvenient symptoms. So it’s essential to take control of your treatment options and not just quietly suffer from the issues fibroids can cause:

  • Pain and excessive bleeding
  • Fertility issues
  • Distended abdomen and weight gain
  • Urinary issues or incontinence
  • Painful sex and lowered sex drive
  • Feelings of isolation and depression
  • Anemia and anemia related fatigue
  • Anxiety-related to uncontrolled symptoms such as unexpected, heavy bleeding

What Are Uterine Polyps?

Uterine polyps are very different from fibroids. The lining of the uterus begins to produce polyps instead of being normally shed during menstruation. Polyps are essentially an overgrowth of cells that would usually be flushed out as part of the female body’s natural build-up and shedding of the endometrial lining. While fibroids and polyps occur in the same area (uterine tissue), it’s important to recognize they are very different types of growths.

Symptoms of Uterine Polyps

Some women never experience symptoms from polyps. Polyps may also occur and then go away on their own. It’s important to watch out for key signs that may indicate lingering or increasingly aggressive symptoms caused by persistent polyps. See a practitioner who knows the difference between polyps and fibroids. Symptoms caused by polyps may be:

  • Irregular menstrual bleeding
  • Bleeding between menstrual periods
  • Excessively heavy menstrual periods
  • Vaginal bleeding after menopause
  • Infertility

Why Is the Difference Between Polyps and Fibroids Important?

Uterine Polyps vs. fibroids

 

For starters, it is always important to know exactly what is happening in your body. The more you know, the better you can keep your overall health, shaping your diet and lifestyle to match. But, it is especially important to know about polyps vs fibroids because polyps can lead to serious health issues, such as:

  • Cancer
  • Irregular menstrual periods and instability of “normal” cycles
  • Vaginal bleeding
  • Infertility

While fibroids can also lead to some of these, they are easily treated with non-surgical embolization. Polyps also can be treated, but severe ones often require surgical removal instead of non-invasive techniques.

Uterine Polyps vs. Fibroids: A Closer Look

Uterine growths may form in similar locations, but there is still a difference between polyps and fibroids. Physically, polyps occur on a different tissue than fibroids. Specifically, polyps form from endometrial tissue along the uterus lining. Typically, they remain quite small, rarely growing to any larger than a couple centimeters in diameter. But, they can also regress and shrink all on their own. It is important to know that while polyps do not always lead to cancer, they can still pose a risk. That is why we recommend removing and testing one or more to establish the situation.

Fibroids, on the other hand, can vary significantly in size, with some growing to extremely large proportions and stretching the uterus. Still, they also have the potential to shrink, but they do not regress. While we have non-surgical methods for removing fibroids, such techniques have not yet developed for removing polyps. The best non-surgical option for polyps is to try controlling them with hormone-balancing drugs, but this might not eliminate the problem entirely. If symptoms persist, surgery may be required to remove polyps.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

Once you have been diagnosed with either fibroids or polyps, begin building a treatment plan that will keep you healthy and safe. At the Fibroid Treatment Collective, we’ve helped countless women find relief from fibroids through non-surgical Uterine Fibroid Embolization. This specialized approach allows you to avoid surgery. But it is not appropriate as a uterine polyp treatment.

If you think you might have uterine fibroids or polyps, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We’ll begin working with you to determine the cause of your symptoms and the treatment most suited to relieve them. Taking action now is the best way to end the uncertainty and anxiety that keep women caught in a cycle of fear and bad health.

Understanding Calcified Fibroids

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woman's stomach in pain from calcified fibroids

While many women develop fibroids, symptom experiences vary. Mostly, fibroids tend to be asymptomatic. In some cases, they will cause pain, health issues, or fertility problems. In a few cases, especially post-menopause, they may calcify.

The Fibroid Treatment Collective focuses on minimally invasive approaches for patients with fibroids. Our specialty is non-surgical Uterine Fibroid Embolization. This highly effective and safe procedure offers far less trauma to the body than traditional fibroid surgeries. Our goal is to provide patients immediate symptom relief and freedom from fibroid problems in the future.

What is a calcified fibroid?

Calcified fibroids are caused by degeneration in the fibrous tissue that makes up a fibroid. This degeneration is usually the result of natural aging in a woman’s body when decreasing blood flow to the uterus deprives fibroids of nutrients and oxygen. As fibroids are deprived of blood, they shrink and shrivel. Sometimes they harden or ‘calcify.’ Calcified fibroids also happen when a fibroid’s blood supply is deliberately blocked, as with the procedure Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). The goal of UFE is to shrink fibroids to an asymptomatic size. After UFE, fibroids typically calcify in response to that shrinkage.

Who Is At Risk for Calcified Fibroids?

Women are most likely to experience fibroid degeneration in menopause. Fibroids calcify at the end of their normal life cycle when menopause and its attendant hormonal changes influence blood flow in the uterus. If a physician monitoring your symptomatic fibroids has ever told you to ‘just wait until menopause’ rather than seek treatment, it’s likely he or she thinks the worst of your symptoms will lessen as fibroids degenerate and calcify.

Symptoms of Calcified Fibroids

Many women may experience fibroids without even noticing them or have only mild symptoms. However, the situation is different for everyone. If a fibroid begins to calcify, it may result in a decrease of pain or abnormal periods. As the fibroid starts, Symptoms tend to reflect when calcification takes place. Smaller fibroids that calcify early may cause little or no symptoms. Larger fibroids that calcify and are already pressing on the bladder and bowels can cause symptoms such as:

  • Frequent urination
  • Incontinence issues
  • Constipation
  • Back pain

You might also experience pain or pressure in the lower abdomen. Complications with fertility or pregnancy are possible. Women may experience:

  • Miscarriage
  • Premature placenta detachment
  • Pre-mature labor
  • Abnormal presentation

How Do I Know If I Have Calcified Fibroids?

The only way to confirm this diagnosis is to see a physician, preferably a fibroid specialist. The imaging methods that identify calcified fibroids are:

  • Ultrasound
  • MRI
  • CT scan

How Are Calcified Fibroids Treated?

The first step in any treatment plan is to evaluate the situation for a patient, both medically and personally. This will include a complete diagnostic analysis, along with a review of your projected treatment goals. Typically, the diagnostic end will involve:

  • A detailed conversation about your symptoms
  • Pelvic exam
  • Imaging tests

Part of the reason any practitioner needs a thorough diagnosis is that there are numerous conditions that cause similar symptoms to fibroids or calcified fibroids. It’s important to rule those conditions out before pursuing any treatment plan. The most common female reproductive issues which mimic fibroid or calcified fibroid symptoms are:

  • Uterine polyps
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Endometriosis Cancer

When Do I Require Treatment?

Most calcified fibroids don’t require treatment. By the time a fibroid is calcified, it’s already at the end of its life cycle. By definition, that means the fibroid is less likely to cause pain, bleeding, or any of the typical fibroid symptoms. Occasionally, a calcified fibroid becomes a concern. This may be due to size and problems caused by sheer mass. You will know to seek treatment when symptoms are persistent. Surgical treatment involves the surgical removal of calcified troublemakers. Or, in extreme cases, a hysterectomy.

Can Embolization cause fibroids to calcify?

Absolutely. When fibroids are denied a blood supply to keep them growing and thriving, they calcify. Natural aging and hormonal changes that reduce blood supply to the uterus also cause calcified fibroids. Think of calcified fibroids as non-vital, non-growing fibroids at the end of their life cycle. Which usually means they stop causing problems.

Don’t Guess. Get a consult.

If you have fibroids or calcified fibroids, be proactive. Schedule a medical consultation with an experienced practitioner. Dr. Bruce McLucas is a fibroid expert and recognized as a treatment pioneer in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Whatever the fibroid issue, Dr. McLucas is the specialist you’ve been hoping to speak with. Contact link to form.

What is a Degenerating Fibroids?

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Degenerating Fibroid

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow on or in the muscular walls of the uterus. As such, they are rarely going to prove a significant danger. However, they do have a range of negative effects if left untreated. In some cases, they can develop into what are called degenerating fibroids.

While fibroids are non-cancerous, they cause uncomfortable and often painful symptoms and can lead to infertility. If fibroids aggressively grow, they can degenerate, causing significant pain to the patient. Since they are living tissue, they require oxygen and nutrients to survive and grow.
These components are supplied by blood vessels in and around the uterus.

When fibroids become too large, the blood vessels supplying the blood are no longer able to provide enough sustenance to meet the fibroid’s needs. Though this may seem good at first, it can have unpleasant effects. When this happens, the cells of the fibroid begin to die in a process called degeneration.

What are the Main Symptoms of Degenerating Fibroids

The most reliable way to identify fibroids is by professional diagnosis. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, they may be a sign of fibroids. The main signs of fibroids include:

Many women experience painful cramping during their periods due to fibroids. However, one of the main indicators of a degenerating fibroid is an acute stabbing pain and swelling in the abdomen. The pain and swelling are caused by the release of chemicals from the fibroids as the cells die. Some women may also experience a fever.

Degenerating Fibroids: Changes in Symptoms

Once enough of the fibroid cells have died, it can survive on the blood flow available from the blood vessels. In other words, the degenerating fibroids have reached a pause. Since it is no longer degenerating, the pain often subsides. Still, it is essential to seek treatment. There is the risk that once the blood supply returns to the fibroid, it will begin to grow again. When this happens, the cycle continues. Eventually, it will reach the point of degeneration once more.

Variations of Degenerating Fibroids

In rare circumstances, the fibroid grows on a stalk of tissue extending from the uterine wall. In such cases, the stalk can twist and cut off the supply of blood. When this happens, the fibroid begins to die. However, the pain can become severe and last significantly longer than an average degeneration.

Surgery may be necessary to remove the fibroid and stop the pain. However, your physician will discuss all possible treatment options with you.

Another variation of fibroid degeneration occurs during pregnancy. It is called necrobiosis. The symptoms of necrobiosis include severe abdominal pain and bleeding. Understandably, both of which are particularly worrisome during pregnancy. For peace of mind, we recommend seeking a diagnosis as soon as possible.

Duration of Symptoms for Degenerating Fibroids

The pain of degeneration can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Many patients can treat the pain with NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or heating pads. However, it is important to have professional medical assessment and treatment. This is especially true if you have severe pain, abnormal bleeding, or any of the symptoms associated with fibroids or calcified fibroids.

Even if your symptoms seem to have subsided, we recommend that you come in for evaluation. Your fibroid may simply have stopped degenerating. If this is the case, you may feel fewer or lessened symptoms for a time. But, they will inevitably return until you fully treat the fibroids. The only way to solve the problem is to get to the root of it.

What are Degenerating Fibroids Treatment Options?

At the Fibroid Treatment Center in Beverly Hills, our doctors are pioneers in uterine fibroid embolization. This is a cutting-edge non-surgical fibroid treatment. Using the latest advances in medicine, they developed and perfected an embolization fibroid treatment.

This treatment has a high success rate in not only removing fibroids but preventing reoccurrence. This second effect is utterly crucial. If you only treat the symptoms, you will continue to suffer from degenerating fibroids. But, when you treat the root problem, you restore your body to a more balanced state.

We offer technologically advanced forms of diagnosis to improve accuracy and detection. Our expert physicians make the most of imaging tests such as ultrasounds and MRIs to accurately identify fibroids. Additionally, we use a variety of minimally invasive treatments to remove the growths. Every step of the way, our goal is to keep you comfortable and safe.

Risks of Living With Fibroids

Women who suffer from uterine fibroids do not have to live with the symptoms. There is a way to say goodbye to heavy bleeding, painful cramping, and the other troublesome symptoms of fibroids. You do not need to suffer through the acute pain of a degenerating fibroid. They do not need to put their fertility at risk. There is treatment available.

Living with fibroids may not be life-threatening, but it still severely impacts your life. You can experience negative effects that are both physical and emotional, only worsening the longer you have them. Instead, take this chance to take control back over your body. It is time to stop living with pain and discomfort. Call the best fibroids doctors Beverly Hills has to offer.

Fibroid Relief

If you are showing any symptoms and think you have fibroids, schedule an appointment for a professional diagnosis. One of our medical professionals will talk to you about your symptoms and perform a pelvic exam. We may order further testing, including an imaging procedure such as an ultrasound. If fibroids are diagnosed, we will discuss the best fibroid treatment for you. Here at the Fibroid Treatment Center, we offer free consultations in-office or over the phone. We encourage you to contact us for more information and to have any questions answered. To learn more about fibroids, visit our homepage.

What is the Best Treatment for Fibroids?

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best treatment for fibroids

The best treatment for fibroids depends entirely on you. Your fibroid symptoms, you’re age, if you’re far away or close to menopause. Whether you want children. How much time you can spare for recovery. Many factors go into choosing the best treatment for fibroids.

Do Nothing

If you have fibroids that aren’t causing symptoms, your doctor may recommend a ‘wait and see’ approach. Just be sure you undergo regular exams and imaging studies. Fibroids can grow quickly and cause significant health issues. They might seem dormant, but do not ignore them.

Hold out for Menopause

If you’re older and your symptoms aren’t terrible, you might consider toughing it out. Decreasing estrogen levels are associated with a decrease in fibroid activity. But be aware that the time before menopause (peri-menopause) can mean wildly swinging hormone levels. The same estrogen highs and lows that contribute to hot flashes and night sweats also contribute to fibroid development, so symptoms could get worse before they get better. If you take estrogen replacement, (bioidentical or otherwise), to minimize menopause discomfort, expect an increase in fibroid growth. If you are overweight, fibroid-related problems could continue long after your periods stop. Fat cells produce an estrogen-like substance that encourages fibroids.

Medical Therapy

Fibroid issues like excessive bleeding or pelvic pain may be temporarily eased by medications to regulate your menstrual cycle. Medical therapy won’t eliminate the problem, but by lowering estrogen levels (fibroids thrive when estrogen elevates), they can soften the symptoms. There are many types of medical therapy, but all involve taking artificial hormones. How you feel about that, and any of the potential side effects, may or may not make this line of treatment appropriate.

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is a commonly recommended option for women with symptomatic fibroids. Surgical removal of the uterus ends all problems with uterine fibroids. Obviously, this treatment isn’t optimal if you want children. Or would prefer to keep your uterus right where it is. A hysterectomy is major surgery. Even when done laparoscopically, (through the vagina with a small incision, rather than a larger abdominal incision), recovery time is lengthy. And often painful.

Surgical Intervention

Surgeries to remove fibroids from the uterus either by cutting, scraping or ablation (heating tissue to a temperature that kills it) is helpful for younger fibroid patients. Especially those who intend to become pregnant. These surgeries tend to be multiple. Additionally, it can be easy to miss smaller fibroids or fibroids deeper in the uterine wall. They will keep growing. Surgical removal as a fibroid treatment or an assist in fibroid-related fertility issues is usually a short-term solution. When fibroids return, so does the need for more surgery.

Fibroid Embolization

Fibroid embolization is a non-surgical procedure that selectively blocks blood vessels. Originally used to stop excessive bleeding during uterine surgery or during birth, embolization proved an excellent approach to fibroid treatment. Without a blood supply, fibroids shrink and fibroid-related symptoms end. Uterine health and function aren’t impaired by invasive tissue removal. Recovery is short, and you experience no surgical discomfort. Embolization is a medically recognized and approved treatment for fibroids. (Your doctor, however, may not know about it.)

What is the best treatment for fibroids? Discuss all the options with your physician. Then consider asking the following questions:

  • Will this approach give me permanent relief?
  • How does it affect my ability to have children?
  • How long will I be away from work, family, normal activities?
  • What are the side effects?
  • Am I likely to have to repeat this type of treatment?

 Here at the Fibroid Treatment Collective, we offer free consultations in-office or over the phone. Feel free to contact us for more information. To learn more about fibroids, visit our homepage. 

 

 

 

Sources

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/no-best-treatment-for-common-uterine-fibroids-201504237918
http://obgyn.ucla.edu/medical-therapy

We’ve moved!

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ftc-building

We are pleased to announce our new location.

9201 West Sunset Blvd, Suite 401
West Hollywood, California 90069

July 22nd, 2019

How Uterine Fibroids Affect Each Trimester of Pregnancy

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can uterine fibroids affect your pregnancy

You have uterine fibroids. You’re also pregnant. What should you expect in the months ahead? Many women with fibroids will have a normal pregnancy. The hormonal changes associated with being pregnant often encourage fibroids to grow. Can uterine fibroids affect your pregnancy? Depending on where they are and how big they become, things could get complicated. No need to panic. Just prepare.

Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that commonly appear in 30% to 60% of all women over 35. In many cases, fibroids are unlikely to be problematic during pregnancy. But fibroids are estrogen responsive, meaning they tend to grow when estrogen levels rise. During pregnancy, your body will produce more estrogen. Often that causes a fibroid growth spurt. When fibroids located in the wall of your uterus or directly in the uterine cavity begin to grow larger, they can impact how well you carry the baby or how the baby is delivered.

Women with fibroids should be closely monitored by their ob/gyn. Usually, patients require no immediate fibroid treatment. But your doctor should be aware of the condition and prepare for any potential issues. The primary concerns with fibroid growth can change over different stages of a pregnancy. Here’s what to know.

First Trimester

About one-third of all uterine fibroids grow in size during the first three months of pregnancy. Estrogen surges are highest at this point, so fibroids are likely to expand. The most common fibroid-related issues in the first three months of pregnancy are pain, bleeding and the possibility of miscarriage.

Pain is generally related to the location of the fibroid. Especially if grows to a size where it begins pressing on other internal organs.

Bleeding during early pregnancy can happen when the placenta implants near a fibroid.

Miscarriage is a risk in any pregnancy. If you have fibroids, the chance is about 14%.

Second and Third Trimester

In mid to late pregnancy, fibroid-related concerns change as the baby gets closer to delivery. Fibroids may trigger unusual pain, impact fetal health, cause pre-term birth or birthing complications. Women with fibroids are also 6 times more likely to need a C-section delivery.

Pain experienced early in the pregnancy can elevate, especially if fibroids are large. In addition to putting pressure on internal organs, fibroids can sometimes twist and compress, causing extreme discomfort.

Placental abruption is a medical term for the placenta tearing away from the wall of the uterus before the baby is delivered. While this can also happen in women without fibroids, the condition occurs more often when fibroids are present. It’s serious because the placenta provides oxygen to the baby. Also because it can result in severe blood loss to the mother.

Pre-term delivery is more common among women with fibroids than those without. The normal pregnancy period is 37 weeks. Fibroids may cause you to go into labor earlier.

Cesarean/C-section delivery is 6 times more likely if you have fibroids. They can impair the uterus’ ability to contract normally during delivery, block the birth canal, slow or inhibit labor. The potential for complications during delivery makes a c-section delivery safer for you and the baby.

Ok. You made it through this information. It wasn’t easy. But it really does help to know. Remember, most women with fibroids will have a normally uncomfortable, normally challenging pregnancy. For the few that won’t, awareness is everything.

Want to know more about fibroids and fertility?

Not yet pregnant? Learn more about non-surgical fibroid treatment.

Where and Why do Fibroids Grow?

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Where do Fibroids Grow?

Fibroids are benign/non-cancerous tumors associated with the uterus. They are made up of dense, fibrous tissue, which is where the term ‘fibroids’ comes from. Fibroids can appear at almost any time after puberty. However, fibroids are most likely to be diagnosed during pregnancy or perimenopause. To learn more about non-surgical fibroid treatment, reach out to the Fibroid Treatment Collective.

Fibroids are also very vascular. ‘Vascular’ is a medical term that means a strong and well-developed blood vessel system to carry oxygen and nutrients to living tissue. The fact that fibroids are vascular means that surgically removing is often bloody and debilitating. It’s also the reason most repeat fibroid surgeries. Fibroids are like weeds. Leave behind any roots (the fibroid-feeding blood vessels) and they usually grow back.

 

Where do Fibroids Grow?

Submucosal fibroids grow inside the uterine cavity. This is the space where a growing baby lives. Fibroids here can cause very heavy menstrual bleeding, fertility problems, and issues with carrying or delivering a child. Large fibroids in this area can also enlarge the uterus to resemble extreme weight gain or a pregnancy-type belly.

Intramural fibroids grow within the muscular wall of the uterus. This is the muscular area that contracts when giving birth. Fibroids growing in this area can cause pelvic pain, abnormal menstrual cycles, and uncomfortable pressure. A uterine wall full of fibroids often means intense and frequent cramping.

Subserosal fibroids grow on the outside wall of the uterus. This produces fibroid symptoms like back pain and bladder pressure as growing fibroids press on nerve endings and/or other organs in the body.

Pedunculated fibroids describe fibroids that grow on stalks, like mushrooms. They can emerge from either the inside or outside uterine walls. A twisted or impeded stalk will cause severe pelvic pain.

Why are Fibroids Growing in my Uterus?

Although certain factors are associated with fibroid development, there is no clearly defined ‘cause’. The condition is extremely common. 1-4 women over age 40 have fibroids. But fibroids are also found in younger women (usually during pregnancy). And more and more women in their 30’s, who aren’t pregnant and don’t fit a classic ‘fibroid-prone’ profile, seem to be experiencing the condition.

So what’s really going on here? Medical studies have already linked fibroid development to a surge in estrogen levels. Estrogen spikes, such as in pregnancy or peri-menopause, tend to be high-fibroid times. But fibroids are also occurring in young women who aren’t pregnant. In post-menopausal woman, where estrogen levels should be fairly low. And in mid-30’s women, who traditionally aren’t considered at-risk for this condition.

What else could be influencing fibroid development?

Common Risk Factors for Fibroids

Heredity. Be aware if your mother had fibroids or grandmother had fibroids. Do your aunts, sisters or other female relatives have fibroids? There’s a very good chance you will too. There hasn’t been a gene isolated or associated with fibroid development. And not much information in terms of tracking studies. But clinical evidence noted by OB/GYNs on this subject suggests that fibroids run in families.

Ethnicity. African American women are the ethnic group most likely to have fibroids. Women of Asian descent are the least likely. No one knows why. While fibroids appear in women of all races, statistical evidence points to ethnicity as an influencer.

Diet. You’ve probably heard that eliminating red meat helps. Also soy-based products. Also certain estrogen-rich foods, like yams. Hormones that occur naturally (and not so naturally) are plentiful in our food supply. While no concrete link has been established, there is a reason to believe diet may contribute to the appearance of fibroids.

Weight-gain. It’s a fact that fat cells in the body secrete substances that mimic estrogen. Being overweight might explain why younger women, who aren’t usually aren’t considered at risk for fibroids, still develop them. And why post-menopausal women, whose hormone levels should be low, are facing fibroid problems.

I Have Fibroids. Now what?

You’re not alone and you do have options. Non-surgical fibroid treatment has positively progressed in the past few decades. Surgery is no longer the only choice. Educate yourself about the various and very different ways to end a fibroid issue. Your health and your happiness deserve it!

Non-Surgical Fibroid Treatment

Learn how fibroid embolization has helped countless women take back control in their lives.

 

Does Fibroid Embolization Affect Your Ability to Have a Baby?

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Shot of a mother holding up her baby daughter

A recent U.S. study, along with patient experiences around the world, support that Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is a safe and appropriate treatment for women of childbearing age. Additionally, UFE can have distinct advantages over fibroid surgeries, such as a myomectomy, for fibroid patients who wish to get pregnant.

“Uterine Fibroid Embolization isn’t for women who want babies” – Fact or Fiction?

Early research on UFE, (research now nearly 20 years old), suggested it diminished the ovarian reserve. Ovarian reserve is a medical term for how many good quality eggs you have to make babies. But the average age of women in the study groups was 45. An age when ovarian reserve is already naturally declining. Fertility is already problematic. The assumption that UFE negatively impacts fertility was based on data from women whose fertility was already negatively affected, due to their age. The findings were fiction.

Patient experience and recent medical information are confirming this. As more and more women discovered UFE as a non-surgical treatment option, more and more women chose it. Many went on to have successful pregnancies and many who experienced fibroid-related fertility issues, conceived. Many, of an age to have a suitable ovarian reserve, had babies.
It was time for a re-think about UFE and fertility. It was time for a new study.

A Landmark UFE & Fertility Study

Minimally Invasive Therapy and Technology, a medical journal known for articles on cutting edge, non-surgical advances, published a study by Dr. Bruce McLucas, that investigated the ovarian reserves in fibroid patients after embolization. The study tracked and tested a group of 89 women, between the ages of 23 and 40, for four years after their UFE procedures. The resulting data indicated UFE did not diminish ovarian reserve. UFE did not impair fertility. In fact, 32 of the 89 patients actually had a rise in ovarian reserve, post-procedure.

A Few Other Interesting Facts the Study Revealed

Fact #1: The ability for the uterus to function normally for conception, pregnancy, and delivery is not impaired by UFE.

Fact #2: Fertility in women of normal childbearing age is preserved and even enhanced by UFE when infertility issues are being caused by fibroids.

Fact #3: Ovarian reserve levels, which naturally decline as a woman ages, are not further diminished by UFE.

For Women Who Want Children, But Also Want Time to Decide

Myomectomy, a common surgery to remove fibroids from the uterus, has roughly a six-month window of opportunity for pregnancy. Fibroids tend to grow back after myomectomy. 50% of all myomectomy patients will experience fibroid recurrence within a year. Which means the time to try for a child after a myomectomy can be short. Uterine Fibroid Embolization has 0% incidence of fibroid regrowth. The possibility for pregnancy after UFE is only bound by the normal decline of ovarian reserves as you age.

Read about the landmark UFE & Fertility study here.

Testimonials about pregnancy after UFE here and here and here.

 

Uterine Fibroids and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Is There a Connection?

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PCOS Polycystic ovary syndrome written in a notebook on white table

Uterine fibroids and Polycystic Ovaries are conditions that cause growths to form in female reproductive organs. Fibroids are benign, (not cancerous), tumors that spontaneously appear in the uterus. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome causes cysts, (also not cancerous), that suddenly occur in one or both ovaries.

Both conditions can disrupt menstrual cycles, cause pelvic pain and impair fertility. Both have been linked to hormone imbalances. So is there a connection between fibroids and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?

What Causes Fibroids?

Fibroids are thought to be triggered by high levels of the female hormone, estrogen. When estrogen elevates, fibrous tumors often appear and grow in the uterus. The most likely time to discover fibroids? During pregnancy or just before menopause, when estrogen is spiking.

Probable Causes of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS occurs when an overproduction of hormones, called androgens, affect the ovary’s ability to develop and release eggs normally. The ovaries respond by developing cysts. The most likely time for PCOS is during a woman’s childbearing years, in her 20s and 30s.

Risk Factors for Fibroids

  • Elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone
  • Race (African American women have a higher incidence)
  • Fibroids in your family
  • Menstruation at an early age
  • Obesity

Risk Factors for PCOS

  • Elevated levels of androgens
  • Elevated levels of insulin
  • PCOS in your family

Are Women with One Condition, Likely to Develop the Other?

The medical consensus is that there is no connection between fibroids and PCOS. While both are influenced by hormone imbalances and can cause similar symptoms, they are separate medical issues and don’t appear to be related.

But a six-year study of 23,000 pre-menopausal African American women challenges this thinking. Boston University Slone Epidemiology Center examined the data and noted that the incidence of fibroids was 65% higher among women with PCOS, than those without. Why? One theory is that when androgens affect normal production and release of eggs, estrogen levels rise in response. And when estrogen rises, so does the incidence of fibroids.

Non-Invasive Fibroid Treatment

Are you experiencing abnormal periods, pelvic pain, or fertility issues? Fibroids or PCOS may be the cause. Get a medical assessment from Dr. McLucas when you contact the Fibroid Treatment Collective.

For information on how non-invasive fibroids treatment, learn more about embolization here.

Am I a candidate for non-surgical treatment?

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