Uterine fibroid, also known as uterine myoma, is a benign tumor formed by muscle tissue, located in the uterus and can grow in size, fibroids are usually asymptomatic, but in some cases can cause abdominal pain, heavy bleeding and problems during pregnancy.
Treatment varies greatly from person to person and can be done with pain-relieving medications that reduce bleeding and/or surgery that involves the removal of fibroids or the uterus, depending on whether the woman intends to become pregnant or not.
Symptoms of uterine fibroid are not always noticeable, but when they occur, they manifest by:
In addition, in pregnant women, fibroids can, in some cases, cause complications during childbirth.
It is not yet clear what causes uterine fibroids, but it is believed to be related to genetic and hormonal factors, as estrogen and progesterone promote their development, and growth factors produced by smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, which promote the growth of fibroids.
In addition, certain risk factors can contribute to the development of fibroids, such as age, family history, obesity, a diet rich in red meat, alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, first menstruation, being black, having high blood pressure and never having pregnant.
Diagnosis of fibroids may be done by physical examination, in which in some cases myomas, pelvic ultrasound, MRI, and hysteroscopy may be felt, for example, see how the hysteroscopy test is going.
Treatment of fibroids should be individualized taking into account symptoms, size and location, as well as the age of the person and whether or not he is of childbearing age.
Your doctor may recommend medications and/or advise surgery. The most commonly used remedies for the treatment of fibroids are estrogen and progesterone inhibitors, the use of an IUD or other contraceptive, which can help control bleeding, transexamic acid, anti-inflammatory pain-relieving medications, such as ibuprofen or nimenulide, for example, and vitamin supplements, to compensate for blood loss.Learn more about drug treatment.
In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove the uterus or fibroids if it is performed in women who still intend to become pregnant.