Fibroid tumors are actually tumor growths which occur in the uterus. In most cases, the growth is benign or non-cancerous. Fibroid tumors are most common in women who are in their 30’s and 40’s. The tumors are actually made of fibrous tissue, hence, its term, “fibroid tumor”.
Most often, fibroids develop as multiple masses which do not manifest any symptoms.
Fibroid tumor symptoms may be hard to detect in women who have smaller tumor growths.
However, some women have larger fibroids which could be similar to the size of a grapefruit or totally encompassing the abdominal area.
The large tumors could actually weigh as heavy as 50 pounds. For the record, the heaviest fibroid tumor ever declared weighed 140 pounds.
The fibroid tumor symptoms are actually hard to monitor since the etiology of the condition is presently unknown. However, several factors are related to the development of fibroids.
Surely, fibroids do not grow before the body produces estrogen. Consequently, fibroids continue to develop while estrogen is present in the body.
During pregnancy, the tumors grow more hastily due to the extra estrogen produced. However, the growth subsides when a woman reaches the menopausal period when estrogen is no longer utilized.
The relationship of estrogen and the growth of fibroids may seem to be quite obvious. However, some skeptics question such assumption since some women who have fibroid tumors have normal estrogen levels.
The diagnosis of fibroids is actually discovered during a gynecological exam when a physician feels a lump or a mass. Since the fibroid tumor symptoms might be mistaken for other condition, a physician usually orders a sonogram in order to come up with an accurate diagnosis.
Although the condition generally does not manifest any symptoms, 25 percent of women who have the illness experience certain symptoms such as abnormal, heavy bleeding, painful menstruation and larger abdomen in cases of larger fibroids.
Larger fibroid tumor symptoms may include the inability to control urination. However, as the fibroid growth progresses, a woman may experience the inability to urinate. This is due to the pressure that the mass creates against the bladder or the renal system.
In addition, if the mass grows backwards, it may impede the normal passage of digested foods and may cause backache. If the lower GI tract is compressed, it may result to constipation. In these cases, the thing to do in order to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms is to undergo surgery for the removal of the fibroids.
Due to the uncomfortable fibroid tumor symptoms, several treatment options are actually available. For smaller fibroids, myomectomy could be done. Myomectomy is the removal of the tumors one by one. For larger fibroids, hysterectomy might be advised.
Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. For women who want to have children in the future, undergoing a hysterectomy might be a great ordeal. Before undergoing such major procedure, certain considerations should be taken into account.
Usually, hysterectomy is recommended for those who develop severe anemia that does not respond to other treatments. In addition, if the large fibroids cause compression of other organs, hysterectomy is the treatment of choice.
Currently, some advancement in science has paved the way towards more modern options. Presently, some make use of Lupron in order to shrink the tumors. This is especially useful for women who wish to have children of their own. However, one downside of Lupron is that as soon as the treatment is stopped, fibroids grow back again.
Before going through some treatment modalities, it would be best to explore the options available today. The good news is, people in the health and science arena are exploring ways to make the treatment options more beneficial for the clients.