What are Uterine Fibroids?

Noncancerous growths can often appear in the uterus during a woman’s childbearing years. These growths range in size from tiny “seedlings” too bulky masses that can distort the shape of the uterus, but they aren’t associated with an increased of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer.

The question is — do you do anything about them? Here’s some more information about uterine fibroids. If you do need help with them, we can remove them from Women’s Health Medical Group.

What are these things?

Uterine fibroids are also called leiomyomas or myomas. There is no pattern — you can have a single fibroid or multiple growths. They are not uncommon, but most women never know they have a uterine fibroid because they often don’t cause any symptoms.

There are three major types of uterine fibroids, generally classified by their location. If a fibroid develops a stalk and hangs, it is deemed to be “pedunculated.”

• Intramural fibroids grow within the muscular uterine wall.
• Submucosal fibroids bulge into the uterine cavity.
• Subserosal fibroids project to the outside of the uterus.

Symptoms

As mentioned above, many women have fibroids, yet never know they do. Symptoms, obviously, can be influenced by the location and size of the fibroids. These are the most common symptoms:

• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Pelvic pressure or pain
• Menstrual periods lasting more than a week
• Frequent urination
• Difficulty emptying the bladder
• Constipation
• A backache or leg pains

When should you call us?

Most fibroids don’t merit any attention. They aren’t cancerous, and they rarely interfere with pregnancy. But there are times when you should see us. If you have:

• Pelvic pain that doesn’t pass
• Overly heavy, prolonged, or painful periods
• Spotting or bleeding between periods
• Difficulty emptying your bladder

We have various methods of treating uterine fibroids. Medications can be used to shrink them by addressing hormones that regular your cycle. Ultrasound energy can be used to destroy areas of fibroid tissue. Non-invasive methods can be used to destroy the fibroids without actually removing them. A myomectomy is a surgical option if the fibroids are contained inside the uterus, entering through the vagina and cervix. Otherwise, traditional surgical procedures must be approached very carefully, as they can affect future fertility.

Do you have symptoms of a uterine fibroid? Call the team at Women’s Health Medical Group, 817-346-5336, and let’s check it out.