Uterine fibroids are very common in women of child-bearing age. they are non-cancerous tumors in the uterus that often go unnoticed. the appearance of these tumors have no association with an increased risk of uterine cancer and rarely develop into cancer.
It is not clear what are the causes of fibroids in uterus. however, their growth have been associated with the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Fibroids have been observed to contain higher amount of estrogen and progesterone than normal muscle cells in uterus. that is why they have been suspected to promote the growth of fibroids. besides these two hormones, other tissue maintaining substances are suspected to be the factors of development of fibroids.
Even though many women have fibroids in uterus at some point of their life, usually they are not noticed because they don’t cause any symptoms. they are commonly found during prenatal ultrasound without mother knowing their existence.
If they do cause some discomfort, medical treatment and surgery can be used to shrink or remove them from the uterine wall. in very rare cases, emergency surgery may be needed in instances where uterine fibroids cause severe bleeding or sharp pelvic pain.
Some women do experience fibroids symptoms. the most common symptoms associated with uterine fibroids include heavy menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than 7 days, pressure or pain in the pelvic area, frequent urination, difficulty urinating, constipation and backache or leg pains. Although, they are not considered serious, you should contact your doctor if you notice any symptoms as you will want to rule out more serious conditions that may produce similar symptoms.
Sometimes fibroids are painful when they start to die due to lack of blood circulation. the substances released from the dying fibroid can cause some ache. again, if the symptoms are intense, you should meet a physician.
The symptoms of fibroids can also depend on the location. if the fibroids are located outside of the uterus they can cause urination issues because of the pressure they cause to the bladder. in the case they are back of the uterus, they can cause backache and constipation. Fibroids that grow inside of the uterus are suspected to be the causes of menstrual problems. this type of fibroids can sometimes cause even difficulties to conceive.
It is important to seek medical attention if you have pelvic pain that doesn’t go away, have unusually long and heavy periods, spotting or bleeding between periods, painful intercourse, difficulty with urination or difficulty with bowel movements. It is imperative that you seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly experience sharp pelvic pain or heavy bleeding.