By: Rachel Bender
Fibroids are the most common pelvic tumor in women. Fibroids effect 50% of the female population. They are benign clusters of uterine tissue. They can grow inside the uterine cavity, inside the wall of the uterus, or on the outside edge of the uterus. Currently, science does not know what causes fibroids, however, we do know that estrogen can make them grow. Therefore, they can grow a lot during pregnancy and shrink during menopause. Because fibroids are so common, it’s hard to call them hereditary, however, if your mother had fibroids you are at a three fold higher risk of developing them yourself. Symptoms of fibroids can be heavy bleeding with clots during your periods, increased pain during your period, and can make you feel “pregnant” due the weight in your abdomen.
So, what do you need to know? First, if you have fibroids that are not causing any symptoms and are small, no treatment is necessary. Second, fibroids will never go away on their own and will not disappear. In the past, the go-to treatment was a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), however, we have come a long way. Today, most women with fibroids (depending on size, location, and severity of symptoms) can still maintain fertility. Most common treatment options include low dose birth control pills or hormonal intrauterine device (IUD). In some cases, surgery may be indicated to remove just the fibroids, but leave the uterus. So why do you need to know? We do not expect you to be able to diagnose yourself, however, if you feel that your bleeding pattern has changes and you have not been to the OBGYN to be evaluated you may need to reconsider and have a conversation with us.
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