Uterine fibroid, what is it? Main symptoms and treatment

What do you know about uterine fibroids? The name may be scary, but its occurrence is more common than imagined. Also known as uterine fibroid or leiomyoma, myoma is a benign tumor. Capable of affecting 50% of women overall and 70% in their reproductive period, it’s extremely likely that you know someone who has dealt with one.

Despite its benign nature, fibroids cause different symptoms that must be monitored carefully. There are varied reasons for its appearance, the cause is mostly unknown, and the lesion behaves anomalously in each organism.

As soon as it is identified, it is necessary to carry out responsible medical monitoring, so that it is possible to treat it. Even though the word “tumor” triggers some alarms, its treatment is viable, and once diagnosed, it becomes easier to choose how to remedy the problem.

The appearance of the lesion can occur in more than one region of the uterus, and once specified, it is possible to carry out specific treatment and assess its severity. Check out everything you need to know about uterine fibroids below.

What is uterine fibroid?

Myoma is a benign tumor that appears in the myometrium, one of the layers of the uterus, the richest in muscle cells. With a size ranging from a few centimeters to absolutely microscopic, it is common for the lesion to not even cause symptoms. When present, however, they manifest themselves in the form of bleeding, colic, a feeling of heaviness in the pelvic region, pain during sexual intercourse, anemia, constipation and even difficulty getting pregnant.

Despite the symptoms, most women who have fibroids will not experience them for the entire duration of their fertile life. Soon after, the tumor should regress as soon as menopause and hormonal levels decrease: this is the case for 75% of them. The other 25%, however, must present at least one of the characteristics of the tumor, even if it is of low impact. Uterine fibroids can appear in several different regions, but three of them are most common.

1 – Subserous

It usually appears on the outside of the uterus, in addition to forming a protuberance outside of it. When tiny, their external factor makes symptoms associated with pain such as colic minimal and eliminates the possibility of infertility. Despite this, if the fibroid exceeds 5cm, the probability of compromising the pregnancy is greater, in addition to increasing the effect of weight on the pelvic region, affecting the bladder and stimulating urinary urgency.

2 – Intramural

It appears on the inner walls of the uterus, distorting its shape and generating strong cramps when larger than 5cm. When the uterus is distorted, the likelihood of the tumor interfering with pregnancy becomes greater, reducing its chances.

3 – Submucoso

Submucosal myoma develops inside the uterine cavity, just below the endometrium. Because it is in this region, where the embryo implants, this tumor is the most associated with cases of infertility and bleeding.

How to diagnose uterine fibroids?

Before proceeding with any treatment, it is essential to seek help from a doctor. This should happen after the manifestation of some of the most common symptoms, such as heavier than normal and unregulated menstrual bleeding, cramps, constipation or anemia.

Subsequently, a gynecological examination must be carried out, so that it is possible to assess the situation of the female genital organs, with the help of palpation of the abdomen, which allows the contour of the uterus to be analyzed in the case of external fibroids.

On the other hand, regarding the specific exams carried out during the consultation in addition to the touch exam, in case of an anomaly, it is recommended to perform an abdominal or transvaginal ultrasound. Others that are even more characteristic are those that help in the evaluation of the uterine cavity, such as sonohysterography, hysteroscopy and hysterosalpingography.

Uterine fibroid treatment

After the exams have been carried out, there are some possible ways to treat the injury. Firstly, you need to decide with your trusted doctor the severity of the problem: milder cases do not require more drastic measures, and it is also necessary to assess whether the fibroid can continue to increase in size.

One of the most efficient solutions, for those who do not want to get pregnant, is to perform the procedure of inserting an IUD, an intrauterine device that releases hormones, as it interferes with menstruation and interrupts it.

From the same point of view, other possible options to treat the case are prescribed medications, both oral and injectable, such as hormone-free anti-inflammatories, hormone and progestin inhibitor drugs, steroids that can be both synthetic and natural, present in contraceptives.

As for cases associated with infertility, where the tumor can interfere with pregnancy and embryo implantation, it is recommended to completely remove the fibroid through a myomectomy, or surgery to remove the fibroid. The operation is considerably easy and can be performed using hysteroscopy, where no cuts are made. In addition, there is also laparotomy, laparoscopy and even embolization of the uterine arteries.

Uterine fibroid prevention options

So that the uterine fibroid does not become a problem to be dealt with, it is possible to prevent the appearance of the lesion with some precautions, even if none of them are 100% effective due to the uncertain nature of the tumor. These are called primary and secondary preventions, lifestyle habits that help with long-term well-being and health.

1 – Have a balanced diet

There are studies that indicate that high consumption of fat and red meat increases the chances of developing a uterine fibroid. However, including greens, vegetables, fruits and lean meats in the week’s menu helps the body’s antioxidant levels, responsible for protecting the uterus from possible injuries like this.

Avoiding sweets, pasta, excessive refined sugar and white bread also helps maintain balance. As a result, the insulin spikes they cause do not unbalance homeostasis and do not increase the risk of fibroids.

2 – Practice physical exercise

Did you know that moving your body regularly can reduce your inflammatory process? Therefore, exercise not only prevents the development of a fibroid, but also pre-malignant and malignant tumors.

3 – Reduce alcohol consumption

As nothing in excess is beneficial, alcohol also leaves no other alternative. Therefore, ingesting it is bad for all organs in the body, in addition to increasing the risk of cell proliferation, which causes tumors.

4 – Consult a doctor

Firstly, it is extremely important to maintain regular visits to the gynecologist. With your preventive exams up to date and conversations with a doctor, you will be informed about what is happening inside your own body, in addition to early diagnosis offering more options to remedy the problem before it even happens.

Was this article useful to you? If so, you might also be interested in Stings in the uterus – Main causes and tests to detect

Sources: Vida Bem Vinda, Tua Saúde, Women’s Health Institute

Images: Clínica Frederico, Febrasgo, Casa e Jardim, Women’s Health Brasil, Veja, Infinita