Uterine fibroids are growths that develop just inside or outside of a woman’s uterus or womb. They are non-cancerous and develop from normal muscle tissue that starts growing abnormally to form a benign tumor. This very common condition affects many women after puberty and usually over the age of 30. Uterine fibroids may be small enough that a woman does not even realize they are there, or they can grow into painful, large tumors that affect everyday life.

Do Fibroids Make You Tired?

Uterine fibroids can cause great stress in a relationship in addition to being debilitating to women. The pain associated with fibroids can be unbearable, this paired with an enlarged uterus, lack of mobility and reduced energy can be heart wrenching. Add long, heavy menstrual periods that seem like they will never end and extreme pain during intercourse and it seems as if fibroids have taken over your life. Stress paired with interrupted sleep patterns forms a vicious cycle that leaves you tired both mentally and physically. Carrying around the extra weight and size of fibroids can also be stressful and place pain on your pelvis, just as if you are pregnant. The extra size and weight further inhibits your mobility to do simple tasks on a daily basis. The lack of energy alone is depressing when you are just too tired to accomplish everyday activities as you used to.

There is no need to experience all of the pain and stress associated with fibroids because a newer procedure can be life changing and gives you your old life back immediately. Learn all about uterine fibroids and the specific procedure to remove them.

Possible Factors of Uterine Fibroids

Women who have had children have a lower risk of getting fibroids. Women who experience their first menstruation before the age of 10 are much more likely to develop fibroids. Women who take birth control pills are less likely to develop uterine fibroids and history of fibroids in the family, such as a sister or mother, makes a woman more likely to have fibroids. The growth of fibroids depends on the female hormone estrogen, so they develop after puberty and may tend to shrink or disappear after menopause because of the decline of estrogen levels. Waiting for this time in life in the hopes painful fibroids shrink is not a good option for women.

Symptoms of Fibroids

Most of the uterine fibroids are small enough that women do not notice any signs; however, larger tumors have distinct symptoms that can be very uncomfortable. Menstrual periods can last seven days or longer and provide discomfort with extremely heavy bleeding. Fibroids can cause a feeling of fullness or bloating in the stomach or pelvis area with pain. Uterine fibroids can cause constipation and extreme pain with intercourse.  A woman with fibroids may urinate frequently or have difficulty emptying her bladder. Backache and leg pain can also signal that uterine fibroids are present in a woman.

Uterine Fibroid Complications

Prolonged menstrual periods accompanied by heavy bleeding can cause a lack of iron, resulting in anemia in a woman with uterine fibroids. Anemia causes great tiredness and a lack of energy. It persists by not producing red blood cells at a rate fast enough to carry oxygen to body tissues.

A uterine fibroid can cause great pain if it hangs by a stalk and twists, thereby cutting of the blood supply from the fibroid.

Uterine fibroids can grow so large that your uterus expands to the size of a full term pregnancy and cause pressure on the uterus, making it hard to go about everyday activities. It can also cause backaches and restricts your movements.

Fibroids can cause pelvic pain that is constant or occasional and it can range from mild to extreme. It may be worse with intercourse or bowel movements.

Diagnosis of Uterine Fibroids

The moderate and larger sized fibroids can often be felt by a doctor in a manual pelvic exam. Imaging tests can confirm the presence. An ultrasound probe inserted into the vagina or passed over the pelvis on the abdomen can confirm uterine fibroids as well as an MRI scanner.

Traditional Surgical Procedures

Traditionally, a hysterectomy was used to remove the entire uterus and the uterine fibroids in or around it. This procedure makes a woman unable to bear any children. A hysterectomy is a major surgery that requires a lot of time for recovery and often can have complications afterward.

An abdominal myomectomy is used to remove fibroids from a woman’s uterus.  This surgery consists of a major abdominal surgery, which in turn can have complications of the incision and major downtime to recover.

Each of these types of major surgery require at least four days in the hospital and a long, 6-week recovery period.

Non-Surgical Approach

Uterine fibroid embolization is the best approach to remove fibroids. The patient does not need general anesthesia in an endovascular procedure. The procedure includes local anesthesia to the groin and making a tiny nick in the upper thigh. A catheter is inserted into the uterine arteries on each side of the groin that supply blood to the fibroid. Tiny particles are injected into each one that block the blood flow to the fibroid and cause it to shrink. This minimally invasive procedure allows women to return to work and normal daily activities within only one week.

The advantages of embolization over a major surgery alone make it one of the best procedures for uterine fibroids. It is a safe, simple procedure that only takes about 30 minutes with no hospital stay. You have less recovery time, no recurrence of fibroids and you keep your fertility so you can continue to have children. The best advantage is immediate relief from pain, anemia, heavy cycles and fatigue.

You can return to your old self immediately and start living your life on your terms instead of living a life on your fibroids terms. Call (866) 479-1523 today!

A common issue that 20% to 40% of women encounter at least once in their lifetime is the growth of fibroids. Some demographics, particularly African-American women, are more likely to get fibroids. Black women are three times more likely to experience fibroids, and the growth of these benign tumors often occur earlier in life than average. If you currently have fibroids or if fibroids appear to run in your family, you may be wondering how fibroids will affect future pregnancies. Here is everything you need to know about the impact of fibroids on pregnancies and the risks fibroids may pose to your baby.

What are fibroids?

Fibroids are tumors that are noncancerous in nature. These fibroids grow in the muscle tissue of the uterus. While fibroids commonly grow in the uterine wall, they can also grow outside the uterine wall or even into your uterine cavity. Women can, and often do, have more than one fibroid in their uterus at a time. Fibroids are commonly referred to as myomas or uterine leiomyomas. The size of fibroids varies drastically. Fibroids can be pea-sized, but they can also grow to be as large as a melon or basketball. Even though fibroids can grow to become incredibly large, they are almost always benign. However, large fibroids can negatively affect the function of both the uterus and nearby organs. This is especially true if there are multiple large fibroids and not just one.

What are the symptoms of fibroids in pregnant women?

In many cases, women only find out that they have fibroids in their uterus when they go for their first ultrasound to monitor the development of the baby because fibroids often cause no symptoms. However, in some cases, women will start to experience symptoms of fibroids during and after their pregnancy. The most common symptoms in expecting mothers include pain, fever, nausea, and sometimes an increase in the level of white blood cells in the blood. Pain medication is usually recommended for women to help them cope with pain and discomfort. While fibroids can be removed in a number of ways, a woman cannot have her fibroids removed once she is pregnant. During pregnancy, the uterus is far more prone to bleeding. Therefore, the fibroids can’t be removed from the womb. If a pregnant woman wants to have her fibroids removed from her uterus, she will have to wait until after she delivers the baby. That way, the risk of excessive bleeding or other complications is far lower.

Can I Get Pregnant with Fibroids?

The effect that uterine fibroids have on fertility varies from woman to woman. Based on various studies, it is estimated that about 5 to 10 percent of all infertile women have at least one fibroid. However, this does not necessarily mean that the fibroids caused these women to be infertile. In general, the effect uterine fibroids have on fertility depends mostly on size and location. For example, fibroids that occur within the uterine cavity are more likely to result in infertility than fibroids that arise in other areas of the uterus. Also, fibroids in the wall of the uterus that are larger than six centimeters in diameter are also likely to cause infertility. Fortunately, large fibroids and growths that occur in the uterine cavity are uncommon. The vast majority of women will not become infertile due to fibroids. If you suspect that fibroids are impacting your fertility, you and your partner should be thoroughly evaluated to ensure that other issues aren’t the cause of infertility.

How can fibroids cause infertility?

While fibroids typically don’t impact fertility, there are several ways these growths can reduce fertility. The most common way fibroids cause infertility is by growing too large. Excessively large fibroids can potentially change the shape of your uterus or cervix. If the shape of the cervix is affected, this may reduce the number of sperm that can enter your uterus. A distorted uterus can affect the embryo or the movement of sperm within the uterus.
In some cases, the fibroids will block the fallopian tubes, which will reduce the ability of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term. Fibroids in the uterine cavity can impact the size of the cavity’s lining. Finally, if fibroids affect the flow of blood to the uterine cavity, this can reduce the ability of any embryos to implant in the uterine wall to develop further.
What are the risks that fibroids pose to an unborn baby?
If you are pregnant and you have fibroids, you may be worried about the risks fibroids may potentially pose to your unborn baby. Fibroids occasionally lead to complications during pregnancy. A typical example of such a complexity is a large fibroid obstructing the opening of the uterus. In such a scenario, doctors will likely have the woman deliver her baby via a C-section. In most cases, fibroids will not pose so great of a risk to an unborn baby that a miscarriage occurs. Extremely large fibroids can affect the position of the baby in the uterus. This may increase the risk of preterm delivery for the unborn baby.

What should pregnant women with fibroids expect?

What to expect when you’re pregnant with fibroids? When it comes to fibroids, pregnant women don’t have to worry too much. Fibroids occur only in about 10% of all pregnant women. This is likely because fibroids tend to appear later in life for women rather than earlier. In some cases, fibroids will change size in pregnant women. Fibroids may grow larger or become smaller during a pregnancy. Usually, the change in the size of the fibroids occurs in the first three months of pregnancy. It is natural for pregnant women to be concerned about the well-being of their unborn baby. Fortunately, pregnant women have little to worry about if they have fibroids. To be safe, it is best to consult your physician about the possible impact your fibroids will have on your pregnancy.

Did your uterine fibroids bring on depression?

If you are a woman living with uterine fibroids, one of the symptoms you may be experiencing is depression. While it is still unclear exactly what may be the causative link between the two conditions, enough women experience the two disabling conditions simultaneously to warrant further studies.

Anywhere from 20 to 80 percent of women of child-bearing age develop uterine fibroids before their 50th birthday. As women approach perimenopause, the risk of developing fibroids increases. Some women who have fibroids remain asymptomatic, and their conditions are only revealed during routine physical examinations. Other women experience a plethora of symptoms, some of which may be quite disabling and may include the following:

• Painful, heavy periods
• Urinary retention or frequency
• Rectal pressure
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Sexual dysfunction and painful intercourse

Do fibroids cause depression, or does depression lead to fibroids?

When you are truly suffering from the effects of uterine fibroids, the “chicken or the egg” question doesn’t really matter all that much. It is easy to see how a woman trying to cope with the everyday stressors of life while dealing with the complications of uterine fibroids could become overwhelmed and depressed.

Heavy, painful periods that last longer than a few days or a week can sap a woman’s energy and leave her physically drained. Pain during intercourse can slam the door on intimacy, which can in turn have a trickle-down effect on a woman’s relationship with her spouse or partner. Dealing with urinary frequency can make life much more difficult, as women may curtail exercise routines or other enjoyable activities out of a fear of not being able to “hold it” until they can get to a bathroom. Conversely, if a fibroid is applying pressure to the ureters, a woman might not be able to void her urine and may even need to be catheterized. When you consider all of the above, it’s no wonder that depression and uterine fibroids are often a co-diagnoses.

The flip side of the depression/fibroid coin

At least one segment of the population — African-American women — has been the focus to examine the role of depression and other mental health conditions in uterine fibroid development.

A research team from Boston University studied nearly 16,000 women of childbearing age who were participants in a Black Women’s Health Study. The team conducted an analysis of the group’s medical statistics and published their findings in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2012.

During separate periods in the past two decades, researchers provided questionnaires utilizing the depression scale from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies to women in the group in order to assess and evaluate any symptoms they manifested that were linked to depression.

Then, over a dozen-year period, they requested that the women follow up with surveys every other year. These surveys asked questions that included:

• Had they gotten a diagnosis of fibroids via surgery or ultrasound?
• Were they diagnosed by a physician or mental health professional as being depressed?
• Were they prescribed, and did they take, any antidepressants?

Of those women surveyed, there were 4,722 who were diagnosed with uterine fibroids during the study. Of that group, researchers noted that the higher the risk for depression, the greater likelihood of an enhanced risk for the development of uterine fibroids.

The science behind the link

Researchers hypothesized that this link between co-diagnoses of uterine fibroids and depression has to do with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. While the full role of the HPA axis is out of the breadth and scope of this post, suffice it to say that this axis is part of the human body’s internal communication system that regulates one’s response to stress and other emotions.

When the HPA axis goes out of whack, the stress response intensifies, altering moods and potentially causing depression. Additionally, hormone processing can be affected by depression; it’s been found that when women have higher progesterone levels, there is more rapid growth of uterine fibroids.

Another possible cause — the onset of menopause?

Menopause and perimenopause bring many changes to a woman’s body. While some women may be relieved to no longer have to worry about birth control and periods, others mourn the loss of their fertility that accompanies this transition. For those women, the stressors of aging and coping with the physical and psychological implications of menopause can induce stress that can easily segue right into depression before the women are able to get a handle on their emotions.

Whatever the science is behind the dual diagnoses, there is no need for any woman to soldier on while struggling to manage two debilitating conditions. In the past, many gynecologists recommended that their patients who were truly suffering undergo partial or even complete hysterectomies. Yet surgical menopause can bring its own set of complications and side effects that many women prefer to avoid entirely. There is also a risk to any major surgery where a general anesthesia is used, and surgeons tend to err on the side of caution in these types of medical situations.

Choosing a less invasive treatment for relief

If you are a woman suffering with both depression and uterine fibroids, you will be glad to learn that there are remedies out there that do not require either a partial or complete hysterectomy. Fibroid embolizations block the pathways to the blood vessels that feed the fibroids and cause them to increase in size. Without the infusion of life-sustaining blood, the fibroids wither and die without the woman ever having to be subjected to major invasive procedures.

If you are concerned about your depression and fibroid risks, a fibroid embolization might be the best treatment for you. To schedule a free consultation with leading surgeons who perform this procedure, call (866) 479-1523 to learn more.

Uterine fibroids are a common issue that many women face at some point in their lives. While some races and groups of women are more likely to get fibroids, all women who have a uterus can get fibroids. While these tumors are normally benign, they can grow to be very big in terms of size. If you have fibroids or if you expect to get fibroids at some point because they run in your family, you may be wondering about the impact fibroids will have on your relationships. Here is everything you need to know about the impact uterine fibroids can have on your romantic and platonic relationships.

What are fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are tumors that grow on or within the uterus and are benign in nature. This means that fibroids are not an indication of cancer in most cases, even though these growths can become very big. Uterine fibroids develop in the muscle tissue of the uterus. Most commonly, fibroids grow in the wall of the uterus. However, they can also grow outside of the wall of the uterus or even within the actual uterine cavity. Women can have just one or multiple fibroids in their uterus at one time. Other common names for uterine fibroids include uterine leoimyomas and myomas.

Fibroids can be small or incredibly large in size. In fact, fibroids can develop and grow to be as large as a melon. At the same time, fibroids can be as small as a pea. The size of fibroids varies from woman to woman. Not only that, but women can have both small and large fibroids in their uterus at the same time. Even the fibroids that grow to incredibly large sizes are usually benign. While fibroids are noncancerous in most cases, they can end up negatively impacting the function of the uterus and nearby organs if they grow to very large sizes. The presence of several large fibroids can distort organs and impair function.

What impact do fibroids have on daily life?

The impact fibroids have on your daily life will depend on a number of factors. In some cases, uterine fibroids will not impact daily life for a woman at all because of the lack of symptoms. In other cases, uterine fibroids will result in a number of severe symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of fibroids include pain, heavy periods, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The severity of all of these symptoms can range from light to extreme. Physicians recommend that women take pain medications to deal with the pain associated with uterine fibroids.

Fibroids definitely have a negative impact on daily life for women who experience extreme pain or nausea. In some cases, women experience such severe pain that they become incapable of going to work, doing chores around the house, or just living their life. Spouses of women with serious pain from fibroids may become frustrated because they are forced to take on more responsibilities. If a woman quits her job as a result of the severe pain, this may lead to financial instability for a family, which is not a good recipe for a healthy relationship for a couple.

Women with extreme pain from fibroids may lose contact with friends and coworkers because of their inability to go to work or even just leave their bed for an extended period of time.

What impact do fibroids have on sex?

For some women, uterine fibroids have no impact on their sex lives. However, for other women, fibroids have essentially eliminated the possibility of a sex life for a couple. In some cases, fibroids can cause extreme pain for a woman during sexual intercourse. As you’d expect, this can lead to discomfort and even resentment for both spouses.

In some cases, a woman will feel like she is not fulfilling her role or “duty” as a wife because she is unable to have sex with her husband. Some husbands, out of frustration, resort to adultery in order to satiate their needs. This then leads to feelings of resentment by the woman. Wives often feel helpless because they believe that they cannot stop the adultery as long as they cannot have sex with their husbands.

What impact do fibroids have on fertility?

While fibroids don’t impact fertility in most cases, it can result in infertility for some women. In general, fibroids will impact fertility if they grow to excessively large sizes or if they grow in the fallopian tubes of the uterus. Couples who believe that fibroids are reducing their fertility should visit a physician to rule out other potential causes of infertility.

Women who become infertile as a result of their fibroids may fall into a depression or state of discontent because they are unable to have children. This is why women who have a family history of fibroids are advised to have children earlier rather than later before they develop fibroids. The inability to have a child can impact the relationship between two spouses in a negative way. The husband may feel resentment towards the wife due to her inability to bear a child. Depression can also negatively affect the quality of the relationship of a couple.

What are some solutions?

If you feel that your fibroids are causing your quality of life and relationships to go down the drain, you should consider undergoing fibroid embolization. The fibroid embolization procedure is a non-invasive yet effective way to eliminate your fibroids. This procedure works by cutting off the flow of blood to your fibroids, so that they become smaller in size over time.

As you can see, fibroids can impact your platonic and romantic relationships in a number of serious ways. Fortunately, if you are suffering from your uterine fibroids, you can take action by undergoing a fibroid embolization procedure to improve your quality of life and save your relationships.

Today, there are speculations and studies about what’s fact and what’s fiction concerning birth control pills and their affect on fibroids.  And the choice of treatment ranges from non-medical to major surgical procedures, depending on the severity of the condition. There are also several types of therapies using anti-inflammatory remedies to control the growth and pain levels of fibroids.

In recent years more information about fibroids has been discovered through medical research and breakthroughs helping to understand the truth behind the cause and effect of fibroids. Although we don’t know everything, we have learned fibroids are independent growths, which can multiply and vary in sizes.  Over eighty percent of women at some time during their lives develop fibroids and most share the known symptoms, while others go undetected without any problems.

The symptoms of fibroids vary in degrees of pain and inconveniences are mild to severe, accompanied by heavy bleeding or pressure to other organs located in body’s lower abdominal area.  The majority of fibroids are non-cancerous and those affecting one’s health can be treated without surgery, depending on a physician’s diagnosis of the patient’s condition. The cause of fibroids isn’t completely known, but there are links between hereditary, dietary and natural hormonal responses by the body itself.  Medical practitioners believe and research has recognized the increased levels of estrogen generated by the body preparing for pregnancy and preventative medicines like birth control have a correlation between the cause and effect of uterine fibroids.

Here’s some information based on the medical findings:

Facts

Medical research continues to study fibroids for the actual cause of development and growth contributors along with effective treatments.  There are two major components known for stimulating the growth of fibroids; estrogen and progesterone.  Birth control pills contain both of these elements causing the medical industry to take additional steps in studying the levels of estrogen and the potential rate of fibroid enlargement caused by a women’s use of prescribed birth control pills.

Over twenty years ago, the industry identified an effective non-invasive method of treating fibroids; reducing the size and the side effects dramatically.  This non-surgical procedure is called uterine fibroid embolization. It uses a direct approach of placing embolic agents into the uterus and the actual fibroid. The embolic agents block the flow of blood to the fibroids causing them to shrink and over 90 percent of the women selecting this option experience significant health improvements related to fibroid and the secondary symptoms.

More than twenty-five percent of women in childbearing years have one or more fibroids, but less than fifty percent of these women suffer from the symptoms, requiring some form of treatment.  Between the uterine fibroid embolization, hysterectomy studies and patient feedback uterine fibroid embolization works best at returning good health in most cases. Like all medical procedures, it’s a good idea to speak with an experience physician and perhaps a second opinion before undergoing any type of health procedure.

Women’s bodies are as different as the individual when it comes to the production of hormones with some females generating excessive amounts, while others find it necessary to use hormone replacement alternatives.  Today, birth control pills vary in the dose of estrogen or the combination of estrogen and progesterone.  Even with the lower dose of hormones, it’s a good idea for women taking birth control pills to visit the doctor routinely to ensure the potential threat of painful fibroids is monitored.  Current treatments show remarkable results with the capacity to control hormone levels throughout a women’s life, particularly during two phases when change is a natural progression within the body. The first is during pregnancy when these two hormones are generated in excess and anti-hormone medication can be used to control production and prevent or reduce the growth of uterine fibroids.  The second, as women enter menopause uterine fibroids start to diminish as the body stops producing estrogen and progesterone.

Fiction

The industry knows what causes the growth of fibroids, but there is still some research being done as to the why these uterine tumors develop in the first place.  Many patients believe they have no choice but to live with the pain of fibroids.  It’s not true, there are solutions for the condition and treatment depends on the patient’s health, phase of life and the stage of severity.  Procedures like uterine fibroid embolization may require an overnight stay at the hospital with a much faster rate of recovery compared to surgery.  Uterine fibroid embolization is considered to be a minimal invasive procedure where surgery is considered an aggressive medical process for treatment.

Some patients believe self-treatment can prevent or eliminate fibroids, in some cases, medication can reduce the symptoms of fibroids, and taking over the counter drugs for slight pain may diminish the pain but it doesn’t heal or shrink the fibroid. The same with replacing dietary iron to prevent anemia from heavy blood loss, it may help temporarily, but doesn’t eliminate the problem.  Masking the issue or symptoms is not the best solution for treating this condition.

Another fallacy about fibroids is the serious casualties regarding pregnancies.  Most women have fibroids during this stage of life and go through the full term of the pregnancy without problems delivering healthy children.  In today’s healthcare, obstetricians are well trained and experienced in dealing with fibroid during pregnancy.

Finally, having fibroids does not increase the risk of developing a cancerous tumor.  It’s rare that fibroid tumors are cancerous and as of today, the majority of fibroids are benign.  Fibroids do not increase a woman’s chance of getting other forms of uterine cancer.  There are situations where fibroids may enlarge causing the stomach area to look bloated or cause pain because of the pressure placed on the bladder.  If this occurs, it is recommended to get an examination by a professional doctor specializing in this form of uterine growth.