Beware, these 3 symptoms of uterine fibroids or benign uterine tumors!

The uterus is an important female organ. That is why, women must keep their uterus in tip-top and healthy condition. Unfortunately, this important female organ is very susceptible to benign tumors, also known as fibroids. Although they sometimes appear without symptoms, there are three important signs that can point to fibroid disease. What are the symptoms of uterine fibroids? Here's the explanation.

What are uterine fibroids?

In medical language, uterine fibroids are also called leiomyomas or myomas. Uterine fibroids are a type of benign tumor that grows in the uterus. Without realizing it, these fibroids can continue to grow slowly, from being the size of a pea to the size of a small watermelon.

Until now, experts do not know the cause of uterine fibroids. Experts suspect this can be caused by hormonal factors or genetic factors.

Environmental conditions are presumed to have an impact on fibroid growth. The reason is, a number of studies have proven that chemicals that are scattered in the environment can interfere with the female hormone estrogen. This hormone estrogen can open up opportunities for tumor growth, including uterine fibroids.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 80 percent of women aged 40 to 50 years are susceptible to uterine fibroids, as reported by Healthline. That is, this disease is quite rare in young women.

Even so, young women do not necessarily feel free of fibroids. Especially for those of you who are obese, you are at risk of 2 to 3 times more likely to develop fibroids due to being overweight, than women who are not obese.

Signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids that women should watch out for

The severity of uterine fibroid symptoms depends on the location, number, and size of the fibroids. If the fibroid tumor is small, you may not experience any symptoms until the fibroids are enlarged. This is why most women tend not to complain about anything, even though they already have fibroids in their uterus.

Once the fibroids continue to grow bigger, the three symptoms of uterine fibroids will usually start to appear, including:

1. Abnormal bleeding

Abnormal bleeding is one of the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids. All types of uterine fibroids commonly cause excessive bleeding during menstruation. Because of the rapid flow of blood, women with uterine fibroids can experience severe anemia.

However, it is the submucosal type of fibroid that causes the most abnormal bleeding during menstruation. In fact, the small size of the submucous fibroids can make the sufferer experience severe anemia due to bleeding.

If you have had very heavy menstrual periods from the previous months, then check with your doctor immediately to find out if this is due to fibroids or not.

2. Pelvic pain

An easily recognizable symptom of uterine fibroids is pelvic pain. Pelvic pain due to uterine fibroids is of two types, namely cyclic and non-cyclic pelvic pain.

Cyclic pelvic pain is a persistent type of pelvic pain associated with the menstrual cycle. Since fibroids are formed from the smooth muscle of the uterus, they obviously interfere with blood flow during menstruation. This is why fibroids will cause stomach cramps known as dysmenorrhea.

Apart from the pelvis, pain in the lower back can also indicate a growth of uterine fibroids. The reason is, fibroid growth tends to press on the muscles and nerves of the lower back. Sometimes, the pain will even extend to the groin or upper thighs.

Uterine fibroids can also cause pain during sexual intercourse, also known as dyspareunia. However, this also depends on the location of your fibroids.

3. Pressure on the lower abdomen

The growing size of the fibroids will affect the shape and size of your uterus. The bigger the fibroids in the uterus, the bigger the shape of your uterus will automatically be.

The enlarged fibroids will put pressure on the organs in the lower abdomen, including the bladder. The bladder will be encouraged to continue to "empty itself" even though urine is not filled. This is why, women with uterine fibroids often complain of urinating more frequently.

In addition, fibroids also make the stomach look enlarged or swollen. This is because the fibroids also put pressure on the rectum or large intestine. As a result, you also have difficulty defecating or even become constipated. Stool that is not smooth is what makes feces continue to accumulate in the large intestine and makes the stomach look enlarged.

So, if you experience one or more of these uterine fibroid symptoms, then immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment.

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