Fibroids are benign, non-cancerous uterine tumors. They are common among women during their childbearing years. The Mayo Clinic estimates that up to 75 percent of all women will experience fibroid tumors at some point in their lives, although, because fibroids rarely cause symptoms, most women are not aware that they have them. Fibroids are not typically linked to uterine cancer, nor do they increase a woman's risk of cancer. However, in some cases they can be painful, inhibit the ability to become pregnant, or result in exceptionally heavy periods. Treatment of fibroid tumors range from doing nothing to complete hysterectomy, but can include non-surgical treatment.
Instructions
1. Have a complete physical examination by a qualified physician. Before fibroids can be treated they must first be properly diagnosed, because there are different kinds of fibroids that may respond to different kinds of treatments. Fibroid growths frequently do not cause any symptoms and may only be diagnosed through a pelvic exam followed by an ultrasound, x-ray or other imaging technique.
2. Discuss treatment options with your physician. Options may include treatment with hormones and other medications, surgery, or a variety of non-surgical procedures including: laparoscopic myolysis, a procedure that uses an electric current to destroy fibroids by shrinking the blood vessels that feed them; cryomyolysis which freezes fibroids with liquid nitrogen; uterine artery embolization, a technique performed by an interventional radiologist; and focused ultrasound surgery which employs focused high-frequency, high-energy sound waves to destroy the fibroids.
3. Take your time to think over all of your options. Get a second opinion. Consider the effects each type of treatment, including non-surgical treatments, will have on your body, on your ability to have children, and on your mental and emotional well-being. Fibroid tumors are usually slow growing and are not cancerous, so you should have plenty of time to make an informed decision.
Tags: cause symptoms, destroy fibroids, different kinds, fibroid tumors
