Natural Remedies for Fibroids

Fibroids are growths of tissue on the wall of the uterus or womb.A common female reproductive disease, they affect approximately, 25% of all women over the age of 35 years old. Although they usually occur in women between 30 and 50 years of age, they can occur in women as young as in their 20's. Compared to Caucasian women, African-American women have a far more likelihood of getting them. Some researchers estimate one in two African-American women wll develop fibroids at some point in their lives.

Although scientists don't understand why, a fibroid tumor starts out as a muscle cell and changes into a fibroid tumor. Some scientists believe the muscle cells may be pre-programmed at birth to change into a tumor, and when a girl enters puberty, these cells may responds to the higher levels of female hormones. Rarely, do these tumors turn into cancer. However, if they do turn into cancer, it is called leiomyosarcoma. Approximately, 1 in 1000 women who have fibroids develop this.

A woman can have just one fibroid or they can occur in groups. In fact, women can have dozens of fibroids.They can be as small as a pencil point or as big as a watermelon or even a full-term baby.

 Fibroids can grow in different parts of the uterus and are named accordingly. For instance, fibroids that growth within the wall of the uterus are called intramural fibroids. They can be as small as a pencil point or as large as a basket ball. Fibroids that grow outward from the uterine wall into the abdominal cavity are called subserous or subserosal fibroids. Fibroids that grow inward from the uterine wall into the uterine cavity are called submucous or submucosal fibroids. A fibroid that is attatched to the uterus by a plant-like stalk is called a predunculated fibroid.

In more than half of the wormen who have fibroids, there are no symptoms. However, the other half of the women they may experience:

• Heavy or long mestrual periods
•  Pain in the pelvis. Since fibroids can grow outward from the uterine wall, if they put press on other organs, they can produce pain. Furthermore, if the fibroids do not have enough of a blood supply, they can die. Sometimes, this degeneration can cause pain for days to weeks.
• Painful intercourse
• Urinary frequency or constipation - If the fibroids press against the bladder or bowel, a woman may have the urge to urinate frequently feel constipated, or have a lack of appetite.
• Kidney infections or kidney damage - These can occur when the fibroid presses on the ureters and partially blocks the flow of the urine. Although with kidney damage, there usually isn't any symptoms.

Unlike other female diseases, fortunately, fibroids do not usually affect fertility. Ajpproximately, only 1 in 15 women with infertility have fibroid, and fibroids only cause infertility in 2% to 3% of the cases. When it does affect fertility, it is usually due to couple of different reasons. One, the fibroid may block the fallopian tube. Two, firoids may affect the implanation of the egg. And three, if a woman does become pregnant and carry a baby to term, fibroids may increase the risk for miscarriage, premature labor, placental abruption, delivery problems, and postpartum hemorrhage.

From your reported symptoms If your physician suspects you may have fibroids, he or she may order an abdominal ultrasound, a trans-vaginal ultrasound, an MRI, or a hysteroscopy to confirm the presence of them. Once detected fibroids, fibroids can be treated if they are growing rapidly, if the fibroids are putting pressure on other organs, if they are causing abnormal bleeding or pain, if they are causing infertility, or if they are cancerous.Treatment options may depend on your symptoms. These treattments include:

• If you have no bothersome symptoms, and fertity isn't an issue, you usually don't need to anything except monitor the situation. However, if you're having problems with irregular bleeding or you have a history of ovarian cancer, you may want to have an ultrasound, an endometrial biopsy, or a D&C to rule out any abnormal cells. Furthermore, you may also want to have a blood count done to rule out anemia.
• If you're concerned about fertility, and the fibroids are causing changes to your uterus, you may want to consider a myomectomy. A myomectomy surgically removes the fibroid or fibroids from the uterus. There are three types of a myomectormy: an abdominal myomectomy, a laprascopic myomectomy, and a robotic myomectomy.
• A uterine fibroid embolization is another way to treat fibroids. In this procedure, a catheter is inserted into an artery in the uterus. Tiny particles made of plastic or gelatin are injected into the catheter, and they enter the artery that sends blood to the fibroid. Consequently, the particles stop the flow of blood to the fibroid, and the fibroid shrinks and dies. Although this procedure has an 85% success rate and is very safe, it can cause severe cramps for a few hours after the procedure and infections and injuries occasionally occur.
• An MRI focused ultrasound can destroy fibroids by using intense beams of ultrasound.
• Treating with medications can be used to shrink fibroids and reduce pain. The most common medication to use for treatment are gonadropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) medications. GnRH agonists can be used to shrink fibroid. These drugs mimic menopause and block the production of estrogen. They can shrink fibroids by 1/3 to 1/2 of their original size. Unfortunately, these drugs can cause the same side-effects as menopause. They can include: hot flashes, vaginal dryness, irregular vaginal bleeding, joint and muscular pain, headaches, thinning hair, sleep problems, mood changes, and loss of sex drive.
• Sometimes, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs are used to re iduce the bleeding. In some women birth control pills may also help control the bleeding.
• Although a hysterectomy is theonly way to permanent get rid of fibroids, they are seldom done anymore. If you doctor does recommend one, be sure to get a second opinion.  

Don't suffer with the bleeding, pain, and infertility from fibroids anymore. End the worrying about pregnancy-related complications or your fibroids turning into cancer today. Rather than contemplate the risk of invasive surgeries or the side-effects of drugs, there are alternative treatments. Lifestyle changes in conjunction with the foods you can eat can shrink fibroids up to 86%.