LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Fibroids
built 621 days ago
Fibroids are most common in women in their 30s - 50s, towards the end of the reproductive years. They are more common in women of Afro-Caribbean origin, who ... tend to be affected at a younger age. Fibroids are more likely to be found in women who have had no children or who only have one child. Obesity (being very overweight) is also associated with an increased risk of developing fibroids. They do not appear to run in families.
Source:
Fibroids are benign growths in the uterus. Depending on their location, symptoms of fibroids may be heavy menstrual bleeding, pain, or pressure on the bladder, bowels or back. Fibroids are the most common bening tumor in humans, affecting 40% of women over 40 years of age. They are the reason for one third of all hysterectomies [removal of the uterus] performed each year in the United States. Slightly larger numbers of African American women are affected with fibroids, but they cause suffering for women of all ages and ethnic groups.
Source:
Fibroids can cause extremely heavy periods, which can continue for seven to fifteen days. As you know, every month the lining of the uterus thickens in preparation for pregnancy. When pregnancy does not occur, this tissue, - the endometrium, is shed during menstruation. When the endometrium breaks away form the inner wall of the uterus, a network of corkscrew-shape arteries called the spiral arteries open and begin to bleed. (The illustration to the right shows a cross-section of uterus with the cavity filled with endometrium and the spiral arteries leading to the endometrium. The illustration shows some of the endometrium breaking away from the wall and the spiral arteries open and bleeding.)
Source:
Fibroids can dramatically increase in size during pregnancy. This is thought to occur because of the increase in estrogen levels during pregnancy. After pregnancy, the fibroids usually shrink back to their pre-pregnancy size. They typically improve after menopause when the level of estrogen, the female hormone that circulates in the blood, decreases dramatically. However, menopausal women who are taking supplemental estrogen (hormone replacement therapy) may not experience relief of symptoms.
Source:
Fibroids are usually discovered when your health care provider performs a pelvic examination and feels lumps in your uterus. To make an accurate diagnosis, your health care provider will perform either a CT scan or an ultrasound. These are non-invasive procedures that allow the viewing of your internal organs.
Source:
Fibroids can be tiny or very large and a woman may have one or many. Their growth is stimulated by the hormone oestrogen, which is released from the ovaries during the reproductive years. Fibroids tend to become smaller after the menopause when oestrogen levels fall.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Fibroids