What Uterine Fibroid Diagnosis Means for Your Health

Fibroids are benign 99% of the time, but that doesn't mean they can always be ignored, especially if they're preventing you from getting pregnant or causing you pain. Uterine fibroids are growths that commonly develop on a woman's uterus, many times without causing any symptoms that would make her aware that they are present. Fibroid apparently arises from a single cell that has escaped the usual controls over growth ranging in size from a grape to a small grapefruit Fibroids are treated depending on the age, the severity of symptoms, and whether pregnancy is in the future. Strategies for treating fibroids include: • Medication. Anti-inflammatory drugs & contraceptives containing estrogen & progestin can be used to control abnormal bleeding, but studies show mixed results. • Myomectomy. This involves surgically removing the fibroids & leaving the uterus intact. This procedure is an option for women who still want to have children, but in 20 to 40 percent of cases, the fibroids grow back. • Uterine artery embolization. In this procedure, blood flow to the fibroids is cut off, stopping their growth & causing them to shrink. • Hysterectomy. This involves surgically removing the uterus along with the fibroids.