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Nearly 70 percent of women will suffer from uterine fibroids in their lifetime, although they will only cause symptoms in about 25 percent of women. Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that grow on the walls of the uterus. Fibroids can grow as a single tumor, or there can be many of them. They range in size and quantity from being as small as an apple seed to as large as a grapefruit. Those women who do have symptoms from fibroids often find it very difficult to lead a normal pain-free life. In extreme cases, surgery is necessary. Fibroids are responsible for more than 200,000 hysterectomies each year.
Some risk factors are out of your control, but there are many you can manage. There are a lot of things you can do to balance your hormones naturally, which is a key part of natural fibroid prevention and treatment before considering surgery. No one knows exactly what causes uterine fibroids, but it is generally known that hormones, particularly estrogen, are known to play a part.
Four things you should know about uterine fibroids:
1. Certain groups of women are at a higher risk
Age- Fibroids become more common as women age, especially during the 30s and 40s through menopause. After menopause, fibroids usually shrink due to the change in hormone levels.
Family history- If your other female blood relatives have fibroids, this dramatically increases your risk of also developing them.
Ethnic origin- African-American women have a much higher risk of developing fibroids than women of other races or ethnicities.
Obesity- Women who are overweight are two to three times more likely to develop fibroids compared to women who maintain a healthy weight.
Eating habits- Eating a lot of red meat, fish or poultry that is non-organic and raised with the use of hormones can significantly increase the risk of developing fibroids.
Early menstruation- Women who began menstruation prior to the age of 10 are at a higher risk for fibroids than those who started after the age of 10.
Birth control- Taking birth control pills can make fibroids grow more quickly because of the increased estrogen level in the body. Foods that are high in estrogen, and chemicals that mimic estrogen may also play a role in the development of fibroids.
2. Many women have no symptoms or side effects
Most fibroids do not cause any symptoms, but some women with fibroids may have issues such as:
Heavy bleeding (which can cause anemia)
Painful menses
Feeling of fullness in the pelvic area
Swelling of the lower abdomen
Frequent urination
Pain during sexual intercourse
Lower back pain
Complications during pregnancy and labor
Reproductive problems such as infertility
3. Fibroids do not always lead to infertility
Fibroids affecting fertility really depends on the number, location, and size of the fibroids. Less than three percent of cases of infertility are solely due to fibroids (without any other factors).
4. You don’t have to have surgery
In the past, when you found out you were suffering from fibroids that caused very heavy bleeding and pain, it was thought that a hysterectomy was the only option. Now there are other options such as working with a Naturopathic Doctor to balance your hormones naturally to help shrink and decrease the symptoms associated with fibroids. You can balance your hormones by avoiding foods that promote the development of fibroids such as processed foods and meats, refined sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.
As always, a healthy and well-balanced diet is the best way to keep fibroids at bay. You should eat a nutrient-rich diet with organic foods, green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, beta-carotene, and iron-rich foods to help minimize your risk of developing fibroids. You should also avoid excessive exposure to environmental toxins that act like estrogen in the body, these include pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, bleach, food preservatives, harmful cleaners, and food dyes. If possible you should also use natural, unbleached feminine care products as well as organic body care products and makeup to minimize your risk.
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