Uterine Fibroids are common non-cancerous lumps which form inside the muscular wall of the uterus. There are three types of fibroids sub mucosal, intramural or subserosa. The most common type of fibroid is the intramural which is where the fibroids grow inside the lining of the uterus. Subserosa the fibroids grow on the outside of the uterus. Sub mucosal are least common they grow in the inner lining of the uterus.
The cause is unknown; however it appears that hormonal imbalance in oestrogen and progesterone can encourage fibroid growth, which leads to pain, abdominal distension, heavy bleeding, clotting and emotional irritability during menstrual cycles. Abdominal distension seen in women with uterine fibroids is closely associated to intramural fibroids. Intramural fibroids form in the lining of the uterus and grow inwards resulting in the uterus to expand in size thus the abdominal distension. As the fibroids cause the uterus to be enlarged this puts pressure on the bladder and bowel. The bladder sits above the uterus and the rectum is below the uterus with the intestines encompassing it. Due to the close proximity of these organs and the way fibroids can grow can lead to the frequency of urinating and abnormalities in bowel function. The presence of emotional irritability prior to menstruation indicates there is oestrogen dominance, which is also related to uterine fibroids. Excess intake of sugar, caffeine and/or alcohol contributes to emotional irritability along with hormonal imbalances as the liver is not optimally functioning to metabolise and regulate oestrogen and progesterone. Heavy bleeding indicates the fibroids are making the uterus become bigger leading to a larger uterus lining which has to bleed each month. The pressure alone from the fibroids can also interfere with blood flow. Heavy bleeding can also indicate that anti clotting factors are not able to control the flow this would explain why women with fibroids can clot during menstruation. Pain felt with uterine fibroids is possibly related to the way the fibroids move and grow such as twisting of fibroids can cause extreme pain in the abdomen, lower back, legs and pelvis. If you or someone you know has any of the symptoms listed above, then it might be worthwhile investing in seeing a Naturopath and Nutritionist like me, who can check if you have a hormonal imbalance that is promoting your symptoms and once validated through pathology testing, then an individualised treatment plan for you can be created and put into action. |
CopyrightAll Health and wellness articles are copyrighted to Believe To Achieve Holistic Health. Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|