Understanding Uterine Fibroids: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

A fibroid, or leiomyoma, is a type of abnormal growth of the muscle of your uterus. It usually grows in the shape of a ball and can become quite large.
Fibroids are very common, non-cancerous tumors.
The exact cause of fibroids is not entirely clear, but some known factors such as hormonal therapy, pregnancies and family history can affect the size of the tumor and the likelihood of it appearing.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Uterine Leiomyomas
- Fibroids
- Subserous Leiomyoma of Uterus
- Submucous Leiomyoma of Uterus
- Intramural Leiomyoma of Uterus

Signs & symptoms

Fibroids can be asymptomatic, meaning they do not cause any disturbance.
Others may cause symptoms, especially if they are large. The most common symptoms are belly pain, heavy menstrual bleeding and constipation.
Fibroids can also cause trouble getting pregnant.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will question you regarding your menstrual and pregnancies history. He or she will also perform a pelvic examination to check the size and texture of your uterus.
A vaginal Ultrasound will allow your doctor to see the fibroids clearly.

Treatment

The treatment changes according to your symptoms, the size of the fibroid and your family planning. It may include:
-No treatment- if you experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
-Medications- birth control pills and other hormonal medications can reduce the menstrual bleeding and shrink the fibroids.
-Surgery- to remove the fibroids, or if severe- to remove the entire uterus.
-Noninvasive or minimal invasive procedure- using ultrasound or heat waves to shrink the fibroids.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital