Health - We are talking about Fibroid

Health - Fibroid

Fibroid are generally non-cancerous tumors that grow from the muscle layers of the uterus (the womb). They can also be referred to as fibromyomas (contains both fibrous and muscle tissue), myomas, or uterine fibroid. They are growth of smooth muscle and fibrous tissue and can vary in size ranging from small to large.

Fibroid are said to affect at least 20% of women during their life time. The most likely to have it are women of African descent between the age of 30 and 50, with overweight women being at a higher risk of developing fibroid compared to women of normal weight.

Also due to the nature of fibroid, Cancerous growths could develop on the smooth muscles situated inside the womb.

What are the possible causes of fibroid?

At the moment there is no real fact or research that can determine why fibroid occur but it is said that during a woman's reproductive years her estrogen and progesterone levels are usually high. When the estrogen levels are high most likely during the pregnancy period, fibroid tend to swell and when levels are low fibroid may shrink/reduce, for example; during a woman's menopause.

Heredity may also be a factor as women whose mothers/sisters/family members have/had fibroids have a higher risk of developing them too.

In case we still end up developing fibroid we could get diagnosed and treat them.

There are four types of fibroid

• Intramural – the most common type and is located in the wall of the uterus (womb)
• Sebserosal  Fibroids – located outside the uterus and can become quite large
• Submucosal Fibroids – located at the muscle beneath the lining of the uterus wall and distort the uterine cavity
• Cervical fibroids – located at the neck of the womb (also known as the cervix)

Symptoms of fibroid

Not all women who have got fibroid may develop symptoms or have complications to their body system, for those that the do, the symptoms are such as;

• Longer, frequent or heavy menstrual periods -  the most common complication being a disruption of the woman's ability to function normally when periods are present, may result to depression because of this. In some cases, heavy periods can lead to anemia and tiredness.
• Backache
• Constipation
• Frequent urination or difficulty in urinating
• Discomfort or Swelling in the lower abdomen - f the patient's fibroids are large she may experience swelling and discomfort in the lower abdomen, she may also have a sensation of being constipated. Some women with large fibroid say their bowel movements are painful
• Pregnancy problems - as estrogen levels significantly rise during pregnancy and can speed up fibroid growth, some women may experience early labor, miscarriages or complications during labor.
• Fertility problems - in some cases fibroids can make it more difficult for the fertilized egg to attach itself to the lining of the uterus. A fibroid that grows outside the uterus (submucosal fibroid) may change the uterus' shape, making it harder for the woman to get pregnant.
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Leiomyosarcoma - this is extremely rare. It is a form of cancer and can develop inside the fibroid

 

Fibroid could lead to noticeable swelling on the body due to the swelling of lower abdomen

Ways to Prevent developing Fibroid

• Exercise regularly or control your weight as studies show that obesity puts you at a higher risk.
• Refrain or  reduce using birth control pills , hormone replacement drugs, spermicides and  anything that is likely to increase the level of estrogen in your system.
• Try and reduce the consumption of red meat - could eat more of fish instead
• Eat lots of green vegetables
• Reduce stress levels
• Talk to Your doctor about taking a digestive enzyme medication that would assist in the breakdown of fibrin, thus eradicating the fibroid tumor

How are fibroid diagnosed?

In most cases, fibroid symptoms are rarely felt and the patient does not know she has them. They are usually discovered most times through medical examination

What are the treatments for fibroid?

If it happens that the woman has no symptoms and the fibroids are not affecting her day-to-day life she may receive no treatment at all. Even women with heavy periods whose lives are not badly affected by the symptoms may also opt for no treatment. During menopause, symptoms will usually become less apparent or disappear altogether as the fibroid usually shrink at that stage of a woman's life.

When treatment is necessary it would be in the form of either medication or surgery.

Treating fibroids with medication

  
GnRHA - GnRHA (gonadotropin released hormone agonist), administered by injection. GnRHAs make the woman's body produce much lower quantities of estrogen, which makes the fibroids shrink. GnRHA stops the woman's menstrual cycle. It is important to remember that GNRHAs are not contraceptives, and they do not affect a woman's fertility when she stops treatment. 

Other drugs may be used to treat fibroids; however, they are less effective for larger fibroids.

These include: 

Tranexamic acid - they are presented in tablet form and are taken by the patient from the day pre menstrual period starts for up to 4 days

Anti-inflammatory drugs - these medications are taken for a few days during the patient's menstrual period. They may include such drugs as ibuprofen.

Contraceptive pill - these are used to stop menstruation from occurring.

Surgery to treat fibroid

When medications do not work, the patient may have to undergo surgery. The following surgical procedures may be considered:

Hysterectomy - removing the uterus. This is only ever considered if the fibroids are very large, or if the patient is bleeding too much. It has two possible side-effects; Reduced libido and Early menopause.

Myomectomy - the fibroids are surgically removed from the wall of the uterus. This option is more popular for women who want to get pregnant (as opposed to a hysterectomy). Women with large fibroid, as well as those whose fibroid are located in particular parts of the uterus may not be able to benefit from this procedure.

 Endometrial ablation - this involves removing the lining of the uterus. This procedure might be used when the patient's fibroids are near the inner surface of the uterus. This procedure is considered as an effective alternative to a hysterectomy.

UAE (Uterine Artery Embolization) - this treatment stops the fibroid from getting its blood supply. UAE is generally used for women with large fibroids. UAEs effectively shrink the fibroid. A chemical is injected through a catheter into a blood vessel in the leg - it is guided by X-ray scans.

A sample look of a fibroid removed after surgery

At the moment there is no real fact or evidence to explain why fibroids are more common in women of African descent (mainly black) than women of other races.  We should therefore use the prevention tips to reduce our risk of growing it. Stay healthy my people, eat well and exercise.

Photo credit: us.insightec.com, www.shrinkingmyfibroids.blogspot.com, www.fibroidsecondopinion.com, umanitoba.ca