Noncancerous growths of the muscle tissue surrounding the uterus are known as uterine fibroids. This is a common disease which about 70 to 80% of women contract by the time they are 50 years of age. The uterine fibroids can sometimes be very big and cause heavy periods as well as severe abdominal pain while at other times, uterine fibroids give no signs or symptoms whatsoever and go away on their own. This is why it is crucial to know what type of uterine fibroids you have and how to diagnose them. Here are the types of uterine fibroids and how to diagnose them;

Types
There are three main types of uterine fibroids. They are;

1. Intramural fibroids
The most common type of uterine fibroids are intramural fibroids. They typically appear in the endometrium and may grow larger which results in your womb getting stretched.

2. Subserosal fibroids
Subserosal fibroids are called so because they form on the serosa. The serosa is the outside of your uterus. Sometimes, Subserosal fibroids may grow so large that your uterus appears bigger on one side.

3. Pedunculated fibroids
Pedunculated fibroids tumors are basically Subserosal fibroids with a stem. A base which supports the tumor is called the stem.

Diagnosis
There are a number of tests done to diagnose uterine fibroids. They are;

1. Pelvic exam
A pelvic exam is a thorough inspection of a woman&#x2019;s pelvic area. The organs which are in the pelvic area include the cervix, ovaries, uterus and vagina. Normally, this and the next test in this article are enough to diagnose uterine fibroids.

2. Medical history
The history of your periods as well as the other symptoms you have will often be enough to diagnose the uterine fibroids. If your medical history is not enough, then you might need to undergo a pelvic exam.

3. Pelvic ultrasound
An ultrasound is when high-intensity sound waves are used to produce images of the pelvic area. This is only done when a pelvic exam and your medical history are not enough to diagnose uterine fibroids.

Types and Diagnosis of Uterine Fibroids

Many women develop uterine fibroids by the time they hit the age of 50 years and above. These are non-cancerous growths that may occur in the uterus. Most women go through severe bleeding and pain as well as discomfort as a result of these fibroids. Age, family history of the same condition, obesity or being overweight, eating habits and even ethnicity play a large role in deciding the risk of each individual patient. These fibroids can grow in the submucosal, intramural and subserosal areas.

Following are the common side effects of uterine fibroids:

    Frequent urination: Due to the pressure of the fibroids on the uterus, the patient may experience a constant feeling of fullness in the lower pelvic area of the body, which may lead to frequent filling of the bladder. This gives rise to frequent trips to the washroom for urination. 
    Heavy Bleeding: Severe bleeding is one of the most common causes of the presence of these kinds of fibroids. The patient may experience a lot of bleeding during menstrual periods, as well as pain and cramps the rest of the time. The periods will also be very painful when there are fibroids in the uterus or the uterine lining.
    Painful Intercourse: It is a well-known fact that any kind of infection or growth as well as sores and other such ailments can lead to vaginal dryness as well as pain during sexual intercourse. This is true for uterine fibroids as well, which can lead to severe pain during sexual activity. These fibroids can also give rise to pain in the lumbar or lower back region.
    Abdomen Swelling: The abdomen may go through significant swelling in such a condition and the patient may even look like she is pregnant. The growth can push the shape of the abdomen outwards and create a full feeling.
    Pregnancy Complications: The presence of uterine fibroids can give rise to several complications during pregnancy and even after child birth. One of the most common problems in this case is bleeding, followed by more severe outcomes like miscarriage. The women suffering from uterine fibroids are at greater risk of undergoing a caesarean section for the delivery of the baby. The baby may also be born breech and a premature delivery may take place. 
    Infertility: This is also a rare side effect of the uterine fibroids and is generally seen only in very severe cases. 
    Cancer: Only one in every 1000 cases might transform into malignant tumours. These uterine fibroids are generally known to be non-malignant. 

Any symptoms must be reported to a gynaecologist at the earliest to avoid any serious complications.

Common Side Effects of Uterine Fibroids

The uterus is set up inside the pelvis with different muscles, tissue, and tendons. Due to pregnancy, labour or complicated delivery, in a few ladies, these muscles tend to weaken. Additionally, as a woman ages and with a loss of the hormone oestrogen, her uterus can drop into the vaginal canal, bringing about the condition known as a uterine prolapse.

The following conditions can bring about a prolapsed uterus:

Pregnancy with complicated or even ordinary delivery through the vagina.
Weakness in the pelvic muscles with the increase in age.
Weakening and loss of tissue after menopause and loss of normal oestrogen.
Conditions leading to increased weight in the abdomen, for example, constant coughing (with bronchitis and asthma), straining along with constipation, pelvic tumours (uncommon), or clogging of liquid in the abdomen.
Being overweight puts extra strain on pelvic muscles.
Previous surgery in the pelvic region leading to loss of outer support
Smoking
However, this condition can be treated effectively:

Self care at Home: You can strengthen your pelvic muscles by performing Kegel workouts. You do these by contracting your pelvic muscles, as though attempting to stop the stream of urine. This exercise makes the pelvic muscle strong and gives some support. Have your specialist train you on the best possible approaches to exercise your muscles.
Medications: Oestrogen (a hormone) cream or suppository ovules or rings embedded into the vagina help in strength and endurance building of the tissues in the vagina. However, oestrogen is just for use in some of the postmenopausal ladies.
Surgery: Based on your age and whether you wish to conceive a child naturally, surgery can repair the uterus or remove it. The uterus as in many cases can be expelled with a hysterectomy. During the surgery, the specialist can repair the hanging or saggy vaginal dividers, urethra, bladder, or rectum. The surgery might be performed by an open abdomen procedure, through the vagina, or through little cuts in the abdomen or vagina with particular instruments.
Other Therapy: In case that you do not need surgery or have a poor possibility for surgery, you may choose to wear a steady gadget, called a pessary. It is worn in the vaginal tract to strengthen the falling uterus. It can be utilised briefly or can be long-lasting. They come in different shapes and sizes and should be fitted according to the person. In case that the prolapse is extreme, a pessary may not work. Prolapse surgery is always preferred by vaginal route. Likewise, pessaries can disturb the insides of the vagina and may bring about a noxious release.
It can be prevented in the following manner:

Decrease your weight.
Try to avoid constipation by consuming a high-fiber diet.
Do Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles.
Stay away from heavy lifting or straining.

Prolapsed Uterus -  7 Conditions That Can Cause It!

Fibroid tumour is the abnormal cell growth in the uterus and they are mostly benign. Fibroids usually affect women in the age bracket of 30 - 40. Fibroid tumours are of three types, depending on their location:

Submucosal fibroids: The tumour develops under the lining of the uterus
Intramural fibroids: The growth is found amongst the muscles in the wall of the uterus
Subserosal fibroids: The growth develops on the wall of the uterus right in the pelvic cavity
Causes behind it
The exact cause of fibroids in not known clearly. But certain factors have been discovered that might influence their formation. These factors include:

Hormones: Progesterone and estrogen are the hormones responsible for recreating the uterine lining during every menstrual cycle. These hormones might trigger the formation of tumour.
Family history: If any member in your family; your mother, grandmother or sister has/had fibroids in their uterus, you may also develop it.
Pregnancy: Your body produces excessive progesterone and estrogen when you are pregnant, which may cause an increase in the size of a pre-existing small fibroid. Myomectomy can be done by giving incision on the abdomen or by laparoscopy depending on the size and location of the fibroids.
Signs You are suffering from it

Heavy bleeding along with blood clots during or between your periods
Lower back or pelvic pain
Elevated menstrual cramping
Frequent urination
Pain during sex
Longer than normal periods
Bloating or pressure in lower abdomen
Enlargement or swelling of the abdomen
How it can be treated?
Your doctor will formulate the right treatment depending on your age, the mass of the fibroids and your overall health. Your doctor may choose a combination of treatment to cure your fibroids, and they include:

Medication: Gonadotropin releasing hormones (GnRH) agonists, birth control pills and ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory medicine) are prescribed. GnRH agonists reduce the level of progesterone and estrogen in your uterus.
Surgery: Myomectomy and hysterectomy are two common surgical procedures to treat fibroids. Myomectomy is performed by removing the fibroids only by making an incision on the abdomen. But hysterectomy completely removes the uterus. The latter is reserved for serious cases.
Non-invasive surgery: Forced ultrasound surgery, myolysis (shrinking fibroids with laser or electric current), cryomyolysis (fibroids are frozen) and endometrial ablation (an instrument uses heat, hot water, microwaves or electric current to destroy fibroids) are some non-invasive surgical procedures.

Fibroid Tumours - 8 Signs You are Suffering From it

Definition

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years. Also called leiomyomas (lie-o-my-O-muhs) or myomas, uterine fibroids aren't associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer.

Uterine fibroids develop from the smooth muscular tissue of the uterus (myometrium). A single cell divides repeatedly, eventually creating a firm, rubbery mass distinct from nearby tissue. Fibroid location, size and number influence signs and symptoms:

TYPES

 	Submucosal fibroids: Fibroids that grow into the inner cavity of the uterus (submucosal fibroids) are more likely to cause prolonged, heavy menstrual bleeding and are sometimes a problem for women attempting pregnancy.
 	Subserosal fibroids: Fibroids that project to the outside of the uterus (subserosal fibroids) can sometimes press on your bladder, causing you to experience urinary symptoms. If fibroids bulge from the back of your uterus, they occasionally can press either on your rectum, causing a pressure sensation, or on your spinal nerves, causing backache.
 	Intramural fibroids: Some fibroids grow within the muscular uterine wall (intramural fibroids). If large enough, they can distort the shape of the uterus and cause prolonged, heavy periods, as well as pain and pressure.

Symptoms

In women who have symptoms, the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include:

 	Heavy menstrual bleeding
 	Prolonged menstrual periods - seven days or more of menstrual bleeding
 	Pelvic pressure or pain
 	Frequent urination
 	Difficulty emptying your bladder
 	Constipation
 	Backache or leg pains

 	Abnormal menstrual bleeding, such as:
o	Heavier, prolonged periods that can cause anemia
o	Painful periods.
o	Spotting before or after periods.
o	Bleeding between periods.

 	Pelvic pain and pressure, such as:
o	Pain in the,abdomen pelvis, or low back.
o	Pain during sexual intercourse.
o	bloating and feelings of abdominal pressure.

 	Urinary problems, such as:
o Frequent urination
o	Leakage of urine (urinary incontinence).
o	kidney blockage following ureter blockage (rare).

 	Other symptoms, such as:
o	Difficulty or pain with bowel movements.
o	infertility. Sometimes, fibroids make it difficult to become pregnant.
o	Problems with pregnancy, such as placental abruption and premature labor.
o	miscarriage.

Tests and diagnosis

Ultrasound
Magnetic resonance imaging
Hysterosonography
Hysterosalpingography
Hysteroscopy

Uterine Fibroids - All You Should Know!

It is perfectly normal for women to experience the periodic monthly bleeding cycle. However, if a woman experiences uterine bleeding which is abnormal and dysfunctional, it could be a symptom of infection. Other causes of abnormal uterine bleeding include hormonal imbalance, infection in cervix and cancer of the uterus. Many women can also experience abnormal uterine bleeding during first trimester of pregnancy.

The following are considered to be abnormal or dysfunctional uterine bleeding:

A menstrual cycles occurs between 21 to 35 days, anything shorter or longer than this is abnormal
No period for 3 6 months (amenorrhea) is abnormal
Spotting or bleeding between periods
Spotting or bleeding after intercourse
Bleeding that is heavier or lasts longer than usual
Spotting or bleeding after menopause
What can cause such a situation?

Some of the common causes leading to abnormal bleeding are as follows:

Miscarriage
Ectopic pregnancy
Pregnancy
Cervical or uterine infections
Fibroids
Hormonal imbalances
Problems with blood clotting
Polyps
Polycystic ovarian
Endometrial hyperplasia
Cancer of the reproductive tract
How to Diagnose it?

Most women tend to ignore abnormal bleeding, taking it as something to do with age or hormones. A detailed physical examination and history is done to understand menstrual cycle patterns and family history. In addition, the following would be used.

Ultrasound: The pelvic organs are examined through sound waves to locate the problem area
Hysteroscopy: Through a thin device that is inserted into the vagina, the doctor takes a look at the inside of the organs and identify the cause for the bleeding
Endometrial biopsy: The uterine lining tissue is removed and examined under microscope to look for tissue changes that could be causing the bleeding
How Best to Treat It?

This would depend on the reason for the abnormal bleeding. However, in most cases, combinations of the following are useful in treatment.

Hormone replacement can be done depending on the age and gynecological history, the type and the dose of the hormone would be decided upon. These could be in the form of tablets, vaginal creams, injections, or through an intrauterine device
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen are useful in reducing bleeding and controlling cramps during excessive menstrual bleeding.
Antibiotics may be useful if there is infection of the pelvic organs.
Polyps, cysts, cancers, and other growths can be removed via hysteroscopy and sent for biopsy to confirm they are not cancerous.
Endometrial ablation where the endometrial tissue is treated with heat can be used to control bleeding permanently.
Hysterectomy would be done if other forms of treatment have failed. This could depend on their gynecologic history and other considerations as she cannot get pregnant after this.
Do not ignore if you see a change in the pattern of your uterine bleeding. It definitely calls for medical attention and if identified early, can be managed in much simpler ways. 

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding - How Best to Diagnose It?

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