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Uterine fibroids
Overview:
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during your childbearing years. Also called fibromyomas, leiomyomas or myomas, uterine fibroids aren't associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer.
Signs and Symptoms:
When signs and symptoms are present, the most common uterine fibroids symptoms include:
* Heavy menstrual bleeding
* Prolonged menstrual periods or bleeding between periods
* Pelvic pressure or pain
* Urinary incontinence or frequent urination
* Constipation
* Backache or leg pains
Causes and Organs Affected:
Uterine fibroids develop from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus (myometrium). A single cell reproduces repeatedly, eventually creating a pale, firm, rubbery mass distinct from neighboring tissue.
Fibroids range in size from seedlings, undetectable by the human eye, to bulky masses that can distort and enlarge the uterus. They can be single or multiple, in extreme cases expanding the uterus so much that it reaches the rib cage.
Risk Factor:
There are few known risk factors for uterine fibroids, other than being a woman of reproductive age. Other factors include:
* Heredity. If your mother or sister had fibroids, you're at increased risk of also developing them.
* Race. Black women are more likely to have fibroids than are women of other racial groups. In addition, black women have fibroids at younger ages, and they're also likely to have more or larger fibroids.
Treatment:
There's no single best approach to uterine fibroid treatment. Many treatment options exist. In most cases, the best action to take after discovering fibroids is simply to be aware they are there.
Other Information:
Although researchers continue to study the causes of fibroid tumors, little scientific advice is available on how to prevent them. Preventing uterine fibroids may not be possible, but you can take comfort in the fact that only a small percentage of these tumors require treatment.