Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumours that develop in the uterus. As many as 1 in 4 woman may have fibroids during their childbearing years. They can vary in size, from microscopic, to large masses that fill the entire uterus and weigh several pounds. Sometimes a single fibroid is present, but is it much more common to see more than one develop.
Although most fibroids don’t impact fertility, they contribute to approximately 10% of infertility cases. This is dependent on the location in the uterus as well as the size of the fibroid. In some cases, fibroids can prevent implantation of an embryo into the uterine wall, and other times the size or location may cause occlusion of the reproductive tract, preventing sperm and egg from travelling through the fallopian tubes where conception occurs. Women with fibroids also experience miscarriages about 3 times more often than women without fibroids.
Symptoms:
- Heavy menstrual bleeding with possible clotting
- Bleeding between periods
- Abdominal fullness, gas or constipation
- Pelvic cramping or pain with periods
- Increase in urinary frequency
- Infertility
- Recurrent miscarriages
Considerations
- Hormone testing, including thyroid
- Nutritional status, including iodine, iron, B12
- Inflammation/Inflammatory markers
- Detoxification status
- Lymphatic congestion
Goals of Treatment:
- Fibroids are the result of excess estrogen (naturally occurring and xenoestrogens from the environment) and an impaired ratio of estrogen to progesterone. It is essential to balance these hormones by assisting the liver in detoxifying. Nutrition and herbal medicine can lower estrogen and increase progesterone to improve the imbalance. Thyroid hormones may also play a role in the development of fibroids.
- Fibroids are also associated with increased inflammatory processes in the body. Decreasing inflammation through diet, anti-inflammatory supplements and exercise is also beneficial.
- Fibroids can lead to anemias which must be monitored through blood work and corrected through diet and appropriate supplementation.
- Excess hormones create sluggishness of the detoxification and lymphatic systems, which exacerbates hormonal imbalances.
While treatments can often stop the growth and even shrink smaller fibroids, it is important to set realistic goals. Larger fibroids may require surgical removal, especially if they are interfering with fertility. Even if this is the case, treating the underlying causes of fibroids is important as they will surely grow back if these issues are not addressed.
