Understanding
Fibroids
What are Fibroids?
Fibroids are benign tumours that embed in the myometrium of the uterus. They can vary in size and can reach up to 15cm plus in size. They are most common in the years that women are reproductive, so tend to be post-menopause. Most of the women that are diagnosed with Fibroids are below 50.
Fibroids can go by a few different names such as leiomyomas, myxomas, uterine myxomas and fibromas. And according to the National Institutes of health (NIH), estimates that 80% of women have them by the age of 50.
causes of Fibroids
There is no known cause of Fibroids to date, science is not quite there yet as to why fibroids develop but science does know that they are linked with oestrogen & progesterone:-
1. Your oestrogen levels my be out of whack and you might have oestrogen dominance. There are a number of reasons for this. Diet & environmental factors can play a big part in this too.
2. Increased risk with obesity also linked to excess oestrogen & progesteronne
3. Earlier menses
4. Family history
5. Contraceptive pill
6. Pregnancy, due to the increased production of oestrogen and progesterone, so may develop and grow rapidly whilst pregnant.
signs and symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
Symptoms can be asymptomatic, meaning you may not realise for a while. Symptoms can be mild to severe, depending at what stage the Fibroids are at. Common signs and symptoms are
- Heavy periods known as Dysmenorrhoea
- Prolonged menses
- Spotting and mid cycle bleeding, known as Menorrhagia
- Iron deficiency, known as anaemia
- Urgency to urinate or frequent urination due to pressure from the bladder or rectum
- Bloating & heaviness felt in the abdomen
- Infertility could be a sign but only in 2-10% of cases is this the case
different types of uterine fibroids
The name of the fibroid is dependent on the location of the fibroid in the uterus:-
INTRAMURAL FIBROIDS: These are the most common and tend to grow within the muscular wall of the uterus. If they grow larger they can stretch the womb.
SUBSEROSAL FIBROIDS: These types form on the outside of your uterus in an area called serosa and can make your womb look bigger on one side.
PEDUNCULATED FIBROIDS: These fibroids develop a stem and slender base that supports the tumour.
SUBMUCOSAL FIBROIDS: They develop in the middle layer called the myometrium of the uterus. These types are not as common as other types.
diagnosis of uterine fibroids
Via a high-intensity focused ultrasound. Also markers in the bloods of oesgroen in the blood can also be an indicator.
COMPLICATIONS
what your doctor may offer you
1. Your doctor may offer you an examination and a high intesnisty ultrasound
2. You may be offered medical therapy to shrink the fibroids such as gonadotropin-releaseinng hormonnes which ususally cause mennopause symptoms. There are als drugs that can block progesteone which can in turn slow or stop the growth of fibroids.
3. You may also be offered pain killers and medicationsn to cotnrol the bleeding.
4. In extreme cases surgery may be offered, this may be offered if you have heavy bleeding and medical management would be offered.
Get educated!
In most cases, the fibroids will reduce after menopause. It’s this kind of information you will want to know in order to make the right treatment and protocol plan for you. Learning about your condition, education puts you in the driving seat of your body.
Key areas to help yourself with are to:-
- Reduce oestrogen levels in the body with the right diet & elimination
- Start a detox and give your body a well-earned break, so the liver can do its best job for you.
- Start to work on alleviating your regular symptoms with a natural medicine approach.
A big part of why the body is here in the first place could be hormone related. So you may want to consider a reboot and look to give your body a break. Regular breaks so that you give your body the best chance to heal. Following a protocol for 3 months will see great effects.
Take the next step to preventing Fibroids,
Join Ultimate Health, Your Journey Starts Here!
At Ultimate Health we look for prevention and treating the cause. We always start by wiping the slate clean with a Reboot. Detoxing the body is the best start you can give yourself to bring oestrogen into balance. Looking to help support your body to heal using natural proven principles. Naturopathic solutions and a protocol that supports your body and every system that it runs. We help you to manage the many multifunctional influences that can cause endometriosis in the first place. Detoxification is key, as well as reducing internal inflammation, detox also balances the hormones in the body and brings you back into balance. If you need a map we have a “one clear path” to support your entire being.
Here are the Pathways we use to support you:
- Detoxification
- Increase fiber intake
- Switch you to the right fats and remove the oils and fats that cause inflammation
- Help with inflammation and reset your system with an anti-inflammatory diet
- Take supporting supplements that will help to reduce the fibroids. Check out Ultimate Health for supporting the supplementation protocol.
- Boost your immune so that your body can balance your hormones and regain your innate drive for homeostasis
- Introduce more isoflavones and lignans important for fibroid reduction
- Eliminate sugar, alcohol, saturated fats (found in all animal product and oils like coconut and palm oil)
- Increase you consumption of phyotestrogens, fibre and vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables & seaweed. Brasica family vegetables have also been shown to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer too by breaking down the cancer-causing forms of oestrogen.
- Eliminate xenoestrogens (estrogne mimickers, that bid to estogen receptors),
References
1. Uterine Fibroids origin from Oestrogen dominance.
2. College of Naturopathic Medicine – Biomedicine training
3. Natural Medicine, (Third Edition) Murray & Pizzorno 0980
4. Gould’s Psyhophysiology for Health Professionals, Hubert & Vanmeter
5. Treatment options. https://www.azuravascularcare.com/infoufe/uterine-fibroid-treatment-options/