For something that affects up to 70 to 80% of women by the age of 50, fibroids don’t get the press they deserve. Instead, they exist in a medical blindspot, mostly ignored.
So what are FIBROIDS?
Fibroids are muscular, fibrous growths in the uterus. Fibroids are not cancerous and do not increase the risk for uterine cancer. But, they are annoying and sometimes painful.
So again… they’re not cancerous, but that’s a bit like saying, “Don’t worry this unwanted guess in your house isn’t trying to kill you just rearrange all your furniture and occasionally set things on fire“.
They can appear inside the wall, outside the uterus or inside the cavity where a baby would grow. The problem? No matter where they decide to take up real estate, they all have one thing in common: utter chaos!
The symptoms: why fibroids are the uterus’s worst roommates
- Heavy periods: we’re not talking about, “oh I might need to change my tampon a bit earlier today”. We’re talking about., “I should really start buying my pads in bulk.”
- Pelvic pain, back pain and an eternal dull ache — Like being punched in the abdomen by unseen force that has a personal vendetta against you.
- Bladder and bowel pressure: because why just torment your uterus when you can also mess with your ability to pee normally?
- Bloating and enlarged abdomen ever had someone ask, “when are you due”, when you’re not even pregnant? Fibroids can make that happen.
- Pain during sex. (the final insult)
- ANEMIA from heavy bleeding
- Constipation, diarrhea and rectal discomfort (who the heck needs all that!)
Despite these symptoms, many women go undiagnosed for years, either because they assume their symptoms are “just periods“, ( spoiler alert : they’re not), or because society is still shockingly bad at acknowledging menstrual health. And if you happen to be a woman of color even worse – fibroids disproportionately affect black women so they remain severely under diagnosed and untreated.
Why do fibroids even exist? Science doesn’t quite know why… but we DO KNOW they sure love estrogen. If you’re looking for someone to blame, you can point a finger at genetics and hormones:
Family history? Bad luck. There’s nothing you can do about this one.
High estrogen and progesterone levels? Imbalanced estrogens and progesterone? Congratulations, you’ve just provided fibroids with their favorite fuel source.
Pregnancy? Perfect growing conditions for fibroids!
Fibroids feed off estrogen and progesterone, which is why they tend to grow larger during pregnancy and shrink after menopause when hormone levels drop. However, because life is unfair even post-menopausal women aren’t necessarily in the clear.
Diagnosis: the surprise you didn’t ask for
Most women discovered fibroids by accident. Usually during a routine ultrasound. Perhaps during a routine ultrasound or while investigating why their periods are causing them so much pain and bloating. An ultrasound is the go to method.
Treatment: medically it’s from “let’s monitor it” (do nothing) to “let’s burn it all down” (take drastic actions)
Your approach depends on two things:
- How bad your symptoms are
- When do you plan on having kids?
For smaller or asymptomatic fibroids: the weight and watch method essentially keeping tabs on them while hoping they don’t stage a full-scale rebellion is the norm.
For symptom management:
Medications that work by shutting down estrogen and progesterone production essentially forcing you into a temporary reversible menopause. The downside is hot flashes, bone, density loss, vaginal dryness, etc. not exactly a fun list.
Surgical options: fibroid removal – ideal if you want to keep your uterus intact. Hysterectomy full removal of the uterus – the only permanent solution — not exactly ideal if you’re planning on having kids later. Uterine embolization – essentially cutting off blood supply of the fibroid , causing them to wither away.
Despite affecting millions of women, fibroids remain underdiagnosed and under-discussed, and frankly underappreciated for how much havoc they can wreak. Menstrual health is still wrapped in stigma, meaning too many women suffer in silence convinced that heavy bleeding and crippling pain are just part of the normal experience of having a uterus.
They are not!
So, if your periods are debilitating, your abdomen feels like it’s staging uprising, or you’re constantly exhausted from losing your blood supply every month – get checked. Fibroids aren’t fun, but neither is pretending they don’t exist.
NATURAL APPROACH:
If you suspect you have fibroids or have been told in the past that you have them there are a few things you can do naturally:
- Curcumin has been researched with good as an anti-uterine fibroid supplement. Curcumin can increase the level of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, sod, and glutathione peroxidase) Ideally taking 1.2-1.5 grams of curcumin daily for 3 months showed great results. (PMID 35800452)
- Green tea extract (at least 45% EGGG) also showed a significant reduction in the fibroid volume after taking 800mg daily for 4 months. (PMID 35800452)
- Berberine (especially beneficial if you are insulin resistant) may also inhibit fibroid cell growth. (PMID 37190026)
- Vitamin D3 should be optimized at upper levels. (PMID 37190026)
- DIET: ideally remove all processed foods, seed oils, fatty meats, grains and dairy.
- Natural balance of hormones: there is a link between fibroids and estrogen production. For instance, fibroids can grow large during pregnancy when estrogen levels are high and can begin to shrink during menopause, when estrogen levels are low. Although hormones work in tandem with one another, in cases where one is imbalanced such as when estrogen increases, progesterone can act as an inhibitor. This type of hormone therapy can help stop pain and the growth of fibroids. According to the National Institutes of Health, when estrogen levels are too high, it can cause fibroid tumors to grow and when there is insufficient progesterone present, there are no proper signals to stop this growth. Not only does progesterone curb the effect estrogen has on fibroids, which includes bleeding and pain, it can also, in some cases, inhibit the growth and shrink the size of fibroids.
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