Uterine fibroids may affect up to 80% of women during their reproductive years and the reason why we use the word, “maybe,” is that most of these benign growths pose no issues and go undetected. For those women who do develop symptomatic fibroids, these side effects can range from mild to severe and often require treatment.
As specialists in the field of problematic uterine fibroids, Dr. Ulas Bozdogan and the team here at Advanced Endometriosis Center would like to focus on the issue in this month’s blog post. In the following, we outline nine symptoms of fibroids to help you determine whether your problems may be related.
Let’s start with one of the more obvious symptoms — pain or discomfort. This pain can occur during sexual intercourse, or it may manifest as a dull ache in your lower back or abdomen. Moderate to severe cramping during your periods may also be a sign of uterine fibroids.
Another common sign of uterine fibroids is heavy bleeding during your menstrual cycles and your periods may last longer, as well (more than seven days). In extreme cases, this heavy bleeding can lead to anemia.
As if heavy and prolonged bleeding weren’t problematic enough, you may also experience spotting in between periods.
If a fibroid grows large enough, you may feel pressure in your lower abdomen. This pressure may not be painful, but you may sense a heaviness in your pelvic region.
With a larger fibroid, not only can you feel some pressure, but you may also notice a visible enlargement in your lower abdomen.
If a uterine fibroid presses up against your bladder, you may urinate far more frequently as a result.
When fibroids press up against your rectum, you may experience constipation. In addition to constipation, you may feel pain or discomfort during bowel movements.
If you’re dealing with a steady discharge from your vagina, this can be related to many issues, including uterine fibroids.
Women with problematic uterine fibroids are six-times more likely to need a Cesarean section than women without fibroids. This is because your body releases hormones during your pregnancy that can make existing fibroids grow larger.
If any of the symptoms above sound familiar, it’s a good idea to have us perform a full evaluation. Even if we find that uterine fibroids aren’t present, we still need to get to the bottom of your issues.
If we do find fibroids, we have extensive experience successfully treating fibroids with medications or surgery, including an advanced technique called robotic myomectomy.
For expert evaluation and treatment of uterine fibroids, book an appointment online or over the phone with Advanced Endometriosis Center today. We have locations in New York City and Hackensack, New Jersey.
