A GUIDE TO UTERINE FIBROIDS

Fibroids are very common. In fact, 30% of women by age 40 will have uterine fibroids. Not all uterine fibroids are symptomatic. You might have uterine fibroids and not even know it. Only, some fibroids can increase the risk of miscarriage or infertility. Here is a basic overview of what you need to know about uterine fibroids.

WHAT ARE UTERINE FIBROIDS?

Uterine fibroids are also referred to as leiomyomas or myomas. They are muscular tumors that can develop in the muscle layer of the uterus.Less than 0.01% of fibroids are cancerous. Experts are unsure of why uterine fibroids develop, but genetics or hormones might make you more at risk of developing them.  Some uterine fibroids are so small that your doctor will not be able to detect them with the naked eye. In other cases, they can grow in large masses and impact the shape or size of the uterus. Uterine fibroids are more common in women between the ages of 30-40 and are more common in African American women.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

As mentioned, even if you have uterine fibroids, you may not exhibit any symptoms.Typically asymptomatic fibroids do not need treatment. If you do, these may include painful periods, heavy bleeding, bleeding in between periods, pressure and pain in the lower stomach, constipation, the urge to urinate often and trouble emptying your bladder, pain during sex, and infertility or miscarriages.