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10 Ways to Treat Uterine Fibroids
10 Ways to Treat Uterine Fibroids
By Amanda Gardner December 12, 2017
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From lifestyle changes to medications to surgery, these are the most effective ways to stop fibroids from growing and get rid of them for good.
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Fibroid treatment, explained
Years ago, removing your entire uterus was the only way to take care of uterine fibroids. Nowadays, there are many options for uterine fibroid treatment. If you have fibroids, take some time to decide on the best uterine fibroid treatment for you.
The benign, non-cancerous overgrowths of the muscle cells in the uterus aren’t malignant, so there’s no need to panic, says Janice Newsome, MD, associate division director of interventional radiology and image-guided medicine at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
Your options are based on your uterine fibroid symptoms. Not everyone with fibroids has symptoms, and whether or not you do usually depends on how big the fibroids are, how many there are, and where they’re located. Signs of uterine fibroids include heavy bleeding, pelvic pressure, having to urinate a lot, back pain, and constipation or diarrhea.
When deciding on a fibroid treatment option, you and your doctor will also take into consideration “the desire for future fertility,” says Jenny M. Jaque, MD, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. Unlike hysterectomies, many other uterine fibroid treatments allow you to still get pregnant later on.
RELATED: The Fibroid Symptoms Every Woman Should Know
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Watchful waiting
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If you have uterine fibroids but don’t have any symptoms or only minor symptoms, doing nothing–while staying alert for any changes–is an option.
“If
