Fibroids Specialist

What are fibroids?

Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that develop on the walls of your uterus. The tumors can grow individually or in a cluster, ranging in size from microscopic to as large as a grapefruit.

While the cause of fibroids isn’t well understood, your genetic history plays a role. You may also be at increased risk for developing fibroids due to changes in your hormones, especially as you age.

What are the symptoms of fibroids?

Many women have fibroids without any symptoms of complications. However, if fibroids grow large enough, they can interfere with your health and even lead to an abnormal deformity in your uterus.

Some of the most common indications you may have uterine fibroids include:

• Heavy bleeding
• Painful periods
• Frequent need to urinate
• Persistent lower back pain

You may also experience reproductive issues, including infertility, due to large fibroids.

How are fibroids diagnosed?

When you have fibroids that cause no symptoms, you may only learn you have them through a routine pelvic exam. Your Nile Women's Health Care provider may also recommend a diagnostic ultrasound to evaluate the location and size of your fibroids.

You may also need a hysteroscopy, a nonsurgical procedure that involves inserting a slender scope through your vagina to identify fibroids.

In some cases, minimally invasive laparoscopy is necessary to evaluate fibroids. This procedure involves inserting a thin scope into a small incision in your abdomen. The scope has an attached light and camera that sends images of your inner structures to an external monitor.

How are fibroids treated?

If you have fibroids that don’t cause symptoms or interfere with your reproductive health, you may not need any treatment. Your Nile Women's Health Care provider continues to monitor existing fibroids to ensure they aren’t growing larger.

Women nearing menopause may not need treatment at all, as fibroids often go away naturally following the transition to menopause.

If you have pain and other symptoms due to fibroids, you may use over-the-counter medications to ease the discomfort. Birth control pills can also be beneficial for reducing symptoms like heavy or abnormal bleeding.

When large fibroids are causing pain or interfering with your general health, you may need surgery. Myomectomy is a minimally invasive, laparoscopic procedure that focuses on removing fibroids through a small incision in your abdomen. It doesn’t harm healthy tissue inside the uterus or pelvis.

Very large or obstructive fibroids may require a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the uterus, and possibly other reproductive structures, like your ovaries and fallopian tubes. 

A hysterectomy is often a last resort for women who have completed their families and can’t find relief of fibroid pain with other therapies. 

To find out more about options for treating painful fibroids, schedule a consultation at the Nile Women's Health Care office nearest you by phone or through the online tool today.