HOW TO PREVENT UTERINE FIBROID

– Peter Zipamoh Jr.

Medbud Solutions, November 2021

Uterine Fibroids, which are medically known as leiomyomas or myomas, are muscular tumors that can grow on your uterus. Unlike most medical myths have stated, they rarely turn into cancer — and if you get them it doesn’t mean you’re more likely to get uterine cancer.

Fibroids come in different sizes, shapes, and position. They can grow in your uterus, uterine wall, or on its surface. They can also attach to your uterus by a stalk- or stem-like structure.

In regards to size, some are so tiny that they can’t be seen with the naked eye. While others are very large and come in big masses that can affect the size and shape of your uterus.

Statistically, Uterine fibroids are common in women of childbearing age (between 30-40 years old), but they can show up at any age. They’re more common in African-American women than in white women, and they also tend to show up earlier and grow quicker in African-American women.

Why? That is still unknown to the medical world.

So what causes Uterine Fibroids?

Just like it’s mostly associated with women with African decent, scientists still don’t have a clear cause of Uterine Fibroid.

However, there are a couple of causative reasons for fibroid.

These include:

⁃ hormones: progesterone and estrogen are the hormones that make the lining of your uterus thicken every month during your menstrual cycle. They also affect fibroid growth. When hormone production slows down during the age of menopause, fibroids usually shrink.

⁃ genetics: you’re more likely to get fibroid if your mom or sister has had them

⁃ substances that help with upkeep of tissue growth

Uterine Fibroids can be diagnosed using ultrasound, Hysterosonography, Hysterosalpingography, Hysteroscopy or MRI scans.

This is why regular check up is important as early detection can ease the treatment process.

Treatment can be done through prescribed— medication, various types of surgery if at an advance stage or waiting it out if you have only mild symptoms as Fibroids aren’t cancerous, and they grow slowly or not at all. They also may shrink or go away after menopause.

There are medical research that believe certain lifestyle habits can reduce your chances of uterine fibroids.

How can I prevent Uterine Fibroid?

Regular exercise, eating vegetables, meals rich in vitamins + fiber and avoiding high sugar diets

How do I know I have symptoms of Uterine Fibroid and when should I go to the doctor?

The most common symptoms of Uterine Fibroid include:

⁃ lower abdomen or back pain

⁃ pain during sexual intercourse

⁃ frequent urinating

⁃ pain in the rectum

You should see your doctor you have chronic pelvic pain, difficulty urinating or inability to control urine flow, very heavy and painful periods, lump or mass in your abdomen.

Finally, regular check up is important not just for Uterine Fibroids but for your general health.

Thanks for reading our blog and stay connected for more health tips.

(If you’re nurse, medical student/doctor, public health professional etc in Nigeria and currently doing research on Uterine Fibroid, please click the link below to get statistical information on Prevalence of Uterine Fibroids in Nigeria )

References

⁃ Ukwenya V, Maduemezia N, Afolayan O, Alese O, Thomas W. Prevalence of uterine fibroid in a South-Western Nigerian population: A sonographic study. J Exp Clin Anat [serial online] 2015

⁃ webMD