9/12/2023 0 Comments Grapefruit size uterine massThe first thing many women with fibroids consider is whether they need to take any action at a given time. This may help the woman feel more in control of her health care which, in turn, increases the likelihood that she will make the best decision for herself from among her various options. Most importantly, avoiding unnecessarily frightening terms normalizes the situation. Using different words or ways to describe fibroids will not stop a woman’s bleeding or make her pain go away, but it can impact the way she feels about the situation, and influence how she addresses her fibroid-related symptoms. When a woman hears that her uterus is carrying the weight of a five-month fetus-or contains a grapefruit-sized tumor-her anxiety is bound to increase, making thoughtful decision-making more difficult. A fibroid’s size is also often compared to different types of fruit, such as plums, oranges, or grapefruits. Instead, women should receive a proper explanation of fibroids, so that they understand what they are beyond just knowing that they are ‘tumors.’Ī woman with fibroids may also be told that her uterus’ size is comparable to that of a pregnant woman’s uterus at a certain stage of pregnancy. But, telling a woman that she has a tumor in her uterus sounds misleadingly alarming, and is unlikely to alleviate her fears-even when a provider emphasizes that the tumor is benign. The Power of Languageīefore delving into treatment options, it is worth exploring the intimidating (and often insensitive) language used to describe fibroids. Like many women’s health issues, there is no magic bullet for fibroids, and no ‘one size fits all’ treatment. These women often need to search for the best solution to their fibroid-related problems. For other women, some of the symptoms of fibroids can significantly reduce their quality of life. These women often find that fibroids do not affect their quality of life or physical health in any way. Most women with fibroids have no symptoms and remain unaware of the condition until a gynecologist makes an identification during a routine pelvic exam. While many women with fibroids have healthy and uneventful pregnancies, fibroids can contribute to reproductive problems such as early onset of labor, miscarriage, or difficulty conceiving. Other possible symptoms of fibroids include anemia, a constant urge to urinate, constipation, pelvic pressure (a ‘full’ feeling in the lower abdomen), pain during intercourse, and lower back pain. The two main symptoms from which women usually seek relief are heavy bleeding and abdominal pain. While fibroids have no known cause, African American women are three to five times more likely to develop them than are women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Fibroids are extremely common, potentially affecting three-quarters of all women of reproductive age. ![]() Submucosal fibroids grow underneath the uterine lining intramural fibroids grow between the muscles of the uterus and subserosal fibroids are formed on the outside of the uterus. In the vast majority of cases, women can take the time needed to consider all of their options and find the treatment plan (if one is even necessary) that works best for them.įibroids (medically known as uterine leiomyomas) are benign lumps of muscle and tissue that grow in and around the uterus. The truth is that fibroids, while sometimes painful, are almost never a cause for worry. While this is a perfectly reasonable question, finding the answers often leads her to embark on a confusing journey in which she is likely to receive misleading information about treatment options and often becomes more anxious than she was before. Taken from the September/October 2006 issue of the Women's Health Activist Newsletter.
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