Fibroid Tumors – What Are They?
Fibroid tumors are typically non-cancerous growths inside the uterus, which tend to develop during childbearing years. Many women also have benign uterine fibroid tumors at times during their lifetime. However, you may not even know that you have fibroid tumors because most times they cause no outward symptoms. However, your gynecologist may find fibroid tumors during a routine pelvic examination or prenatal ultrasound test. If detected in time, you can ensure that fibroid treatment options will be discussed with you can work towards the removal of these pesky growths.
You will likely be diagnosed with fibroid if you carry multiple risk factors for this condition. These include being female with fully developed menstruation cycles, obesity, family history, presence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Women who do not produce adequate amounts of estrogen during the normal menstrual cycle or who have their menopausal ages beyond 40 can also develop fibroid tumors. Other risk factors include being African American or Hispanic and those who smoke. Although you may not be overweight or smoking currently, there is a possibility that you may be at risk of developing fibroids in the future. The good news is that the tumors can shrink after menopause and therefore may never develop into fibroid tumors if you maintain a healthy lifestyle now.
Treatment options for benign uterine fibroid tumors include watchful waiting to see if the tumors will cause any symptoms, cutting hormonal medications and/or taking surgical approaches such as removing the entire uterus or just the affected areas. For many women, all three of these options are successful. In some case, hormonal medications are required in order to reduce the size of the fibroids and endometrial growth. Surgical removal of the entire uterus or just the affected areas is often recommended for women with large or potentially harmful fibroid tumors. There are other treatments available, but the one you choose should be discussed with your doctor.