|  | Conditions Treatments | Gynecological Disorders

Uterine Fibroid Remedies

Uterine fibroids are estimated to affect up to 75 percent of women. They are noncancerous and often cause no symptoms, and so may not require any treatment. But for some women, fibroids can cause discomfort, pain, heavy menstrual bleeding and other problems. If you suffer from fibroids, there are a number of remedies and treatment options available.

  1. Symptoms

    • The most common symptoms of uterine fibroids are heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure or pain, frequent urination or difficulty emptying your bladder, constipation, or backache or leg pain. Severe pain is rare, but can occur if a fibroid outgrows its blood supply, or when a fibroid hanging outside the uterus twists on its stalk. If that happens, the fibroid tissue begins to die, causing pain and fever. See your doctor promptly if you have severe or unexpected bleeding, or a rapid onset of sharp pelvic pain.

    Monitor Progression

    • The recommended course of action may be simply to monitor the condition, especially if you're nearing menopause. Your doctor may be able to feel the fibroids during a routine pelvic exam. Ultrasound may be needed to confirm the diagnosis, and can also be used to monitor the number and size of the fibroids. If the fibroids grow slowly and symptoms are manageable, your doctor may not recommend additional treatment.

    Medications

    • Several medications can be used to treat symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding or pelvic pressure. Most target the hormones that control your menstrual cycle. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists cause your estrogen and progesterone levels to drop. Fibroids usually shrink after menopause. Progestin-releasing IUDs, oral contraceptives or androgens can help control bleeding and relieve symptoms but do not shrink fibroids.

    Non-surgical Procedures

    • Several procedures can shrink or eliminate fibroids. Myolysis is a laparoscopic procedure that uses an electric current or a laser to destroy fibroids. Endometrial ablation can be effective in stopping heavy bleeding by using a specialized instrument inserted in the uterus to destroy the uterine lining. Some patients may be candidates for uterine artery embolization, which involves injecting small particles into the arteries that supply blood to the uterus. This cuts off the blood flow to the fibroids and causes them to shrink.

    Surgical Procedures

    • With myomectomy, your surgeon removes the fibroids but leaves the uterus in place. You may be able to become pregnant after this surgery, but there is a risk of the fibroids returning. If your fibroids are small, and there are relatively few of them, you may be a candidate for a laparoscopic procedure, but if you have large fibroids, you may require abdominal myomectomy, which involves an open incision.

      Hysterectomy, or the complete removal of the uterus, is the only proven permanent solution. Hysterectomy sometimes can be done as a laparoscopic procedure, but it most commonly requires a full abdominal incision and is major surgery. The ovaries may or may not be removed, depending on your individual situation and your doctor's recommendation.

Gynecological Disorders - Related Articles