Uterine fibroidsalso known as leiomyomasare fairly common.
No group is hit harder by uterine fibroids than Black women.
A woman may have one or all of these types, especially if she has multiple fibroid tumors.
Catherine McQueen / Getty Images
Fibroids can range in size from that of a pea to that of a football.
They typically grow and expand within the muscular walls of the uterus.
Signs and symptoms of intramural fibroids include:
Intramural fibroids are sometimes mistaken for pregnancy or weight gain.
Julie Bang / Verywell
They can cause abdominal fullness if the fibroid places pressure on surrounding organs.
Subserosal Fibroids
Subserosal fibroids typically develop outside of the uterus along the outer uterine wall.
They rarely cause abnormal uterine bleeding or interfere with a womans typical menstrual flow.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
The most common symptoms of subserosal fibroids are pelvic pain and pressure.
These special types of subserosal fibroids are called pedunculated fibroids.
Pedunculated fibroids can grow into the uterus cavity or outside of the uterus into the pelvis.
These are called pedunculated submucosal fibroids and pedunculated subserosal fibroids, respectively.
Some women may experience one or more symptoms, while others may not have symptoms at all.
Uterine fibroid degeneration pops up if a fibroid outgrows its limited blood supply.
It is likely that the genesis of fibroids is multifactorial in nature.
The reasons for the disparities are unclear, although research offers some clues.
You may be asked to undergo imaging soon after to help diagnose the condition.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Treatment
Treatment for fibroidscan range from no treatment at all to surgery.
Additionally, fibroids are benign, non-cancerous growths and rarely develop into cancer.
Tranexamic acid may also be used to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding.
If your symptoms do not improve, you may want to follow up with your healthcare provider.
This procedure is usually performed in an outpatient setting.
Special consideration should also be given to differences in socioeconomic status and pain management.
Other helpful resources include:
Frequently Asked Questions
How painful are uterine fibroids?
If your fibroids are large, you may even experience difficulty lying down, bending over, or exercising.
Why are Black women more likely to develop uterine fibroids?
Of note, some Black women may normalize the experience of fibroid symptoms.
As a result, the aforementioned symptoms may actually be underreported.
Many girls are raised to believe painful, heavy periods are just a part of life.
By asking detailed questions about period symptoms, healthcare professionals can help avoid needless suffering and delayed treatment.
Do uterine fibroids go away?
Uterine fibroids can spontaneously regress when estrogen levels are low, as is the case post-pregnancy and during menopause.
Limiting red meat intake and processed foods have also been shown to decrease fibroid symptoms.
Uterine fibroid embolization can also be used to disrupt the tumors blood supply, stunting its growth.
Fortunately, treatment is available so you do not have to suffer from your fibroid symptoms indefinitely.
Fibroids dont have to be a nightmare scenario.
Published 2014 Jan 29. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S51083
What Are the Risk Factors for Uterine Fibroids?National Institutes of Health.
National Institutes of Health.
Office on Women’s Health.
Drugs Today (Barc).
2019 Aug;60(8):791-795. doi:10.3349/ymj.2019.60.8.791
