09/06/2023
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids, which your doctor may call leiomyomas or myomas, are muscular tumors that can grow on your uterus. They rarely turn into cancer, and if you get them it doesn’t mean you’re more likely to get uterine cancer.
Fibroids can vary a lot in size, shape, and location. They can show up in your uterus, uterine wall, or on its surface. They can also attach to your uterus by a stalk- or stem-like structure.
Some are so small that your doctor can’t even see them with the naked eye. Others grow in big masses that can affect the size and shape of your uterus.
Uterine fibroids usually appear in women of childbearing age -- generally between 30-40 years old, but they can show up at any age. They’re more common in African-American women than in white women, and they also tend to show up earlier and grow quicker in African-American women. Doctors don’t know why that is.
Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
Fibroids may cause very mild symptoms, no symptoms at all, or symptoms that are severe. The most common symptoms of uterine fibroids include:
Heavy, prolonged, or painful periods
Pain in the lower abdomen or back
Painful s*x
Frequent urination
Discomfort in the re**um
Causes of Uterine Fibroids
Experts don’t know exactly why you get fibroids. Hormones and genetics might make you more likely to get them.
Hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are the hormones that make the lining of your uterus thicken every month during your period. They also seem to affect fibroid growth. When hormone production slows down during menopause, fibroids usually shrink.
Genetics. Researchers have found genetic differences between fibroids and normal cells in the uterus.
Other growth factors. Substances in your body that help with tissue upkeep, such as insulin-like growth factor, may play a part in fibroid growth.
Extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM makes your cells stick together. Fibroids have more ECM than normal cells, which makes them fibrous. ECM also keeps growth factors in it and causes cells to change.
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