Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids also known as leiomyomas are growths comprising of the connective tissue and muscle from the wall of the uterus. Uterine fibroids are typically not cancerous. A uterus is a pear-shaped upside down organ locating in pelvis of a woman. The normal size of uterus is somewhat similar to a lemon. Uterus is commonly known as the womb and it is the residing place for the growth and development of a baby during pregnancy. Uterine fibroids can grow as a single growth or nodule or in a group of nodules. The clusters of uterine fibroids can vary in size from 1 mm to more than 20 cm in diameters or even bigger in some cases. For the comparison, uterine fibroids can get as big as the size of a watermelon. A majority of the women get uterine fibroids after the age of 50 years.
Fibroids in uterus can develop inside the main cavity of the uterus or on the outer surface as well by clustering within the uterine wall at fist. Uterine fibroids can be different in terms of the number, size and location on and within your uterus. A patient might experience a lot of symptoms due to uterine fibroids and these symptoms might be similar to another woman with the same condition. The treatment plan will eventually depend on a person’s symptoms and severity of the symptoms because uterine fibroids can be greatly unique. Fibroids of uterus are actually a lot more common type of growth in a woman’s pelvis. Around 40 to 80% of the females suffer from uterine fibroids. The most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include heavy periods and severe abdominal pain. [1]
However, a majority of the women with uterine fibroids do not face any symptoms from their fibroids so it hinders the diagnosis of the condition on time. Women with smaller fibroids are usually asymptomatic so they do not realize that something is wrong with them. There is a variety of risk factors that can play a part in your chances of getting uterine fibroids. Some of these risk factors include early onset of menstruation, obesity, family history of uterine fibroids, late age for menopause, and not having children. There are a number of places both inside and outside of the uterus where fibroids can develop. The size and location of the uterine fibroids is a lot important for devising a treatment plan. Other common medical terms for uterine fibroids are fibromas, myomas, and uterine myomas.
Fibroids are normally round-shaped growths that might look similar to nodules of smooth muscle tissues. In certain cases, uterine fibroids might get attach to a thin stem and give the appearance of a mushroom. Although it is extremely rare for uterine fibroids to turn into a cancerous tumor by going through changes but there are some chances of it to happen actually. There is no diagnostic test that is one hundred percent predictive to detect rare fibroid-related cancers in women. Moreover, people with rapid growth of uterine fibroids or the fibroids that develop during menopause must get medical evaluation immediately.