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What are
fibroids?
Fibroids are benign (non-cancerous)
tumours. They occur in the uterus (womb). The womb is a hollow, pear shaped
muscle.
For reasons that are currently being researched, a single muscle cell in
the uterus may begin to grow & multiply rapidly. The resulting tumour is
called a fibroid. (The word ‘tumour’ often evokes fear because it is
commonly associated with cancer, but ‘tumour’ in medical terminology simply
means “new growth” or overgrowth of cells).
Fibroids may put pressure on the bladder or intestines. When that happens,
symptoms such as frequent urination, constipation, pelvic pain, or heavy
menstrual bleeding may develop. On rare occasions, a large fibroid may
block the opening of the uterus. In that case, a pregnant woman may need to
have a caesarean delivery.
Development of
Fibroids
The female hormone
Oestrogen stimulates cell growth and therefore where
there is an excess, then the oestrogen receptors i.e.
breast cells and womb cells tend to become over
stimulated. The main purpose of oestrogen in a woman’s
body is to prepare the womb for the implantation of an
egg. Oestrogen sends a chemical message to the smooth
muscle cell lining of the uterus to reproduce in order
to build a thicker muscular lining ready for the egg to
attach. It also tells the ovaries to release an egg.
During pregnancy the womb lining thickens in order to
cushion the developing embryo. If an egg implants on the
surface of the womb then a chemical message is sent out
to produce progesterone and to lower the oestrogen
production. The progesterone levels then send a chemical
message to the muscle cells to slow their reproduction
and started start absorbing nutrients to supply the
placenta with food for the embryo. If no egg is reaches
the uterus then the oestrogen & progesterone levels
drop and then the lining breaks down and is released by
the body as what we call a period. Unfortunately, women
with fibroids are usually estrogen dominant and the
oestrogen in the body reaches high levels throughout the
menstrual cycle and as a result the uterine muscle cells
can become over stimulated and keep reproducing and in
some cases eventually form a firm muscular benign
fibroid.
Medical
Treatments.
There are a number of
options offered by doctors to treat Fibroids, these
include:
Myomectomy - removal of
Fibroids leaving the womb intact.
Laparoscopic
Myomectomy - Fibroids removed by
keyhole surgery.
Hysteroscopic
myomectomy - Fibroids are
removed in cases where the fibroid or polyp is small and
is projecting into the uterine cavity. Telescopic
instruments are used to view the
operation.
Hysterectomy Removal of the uterus and sometimes the ovaries.
This is a last resort and should only be considered if
all other options have failed and the sufferer is not
willing to change her lifestyle or does not want
children. Doctors would then recommend the synthetic
oestrogen HRT (explaining the dangers of this is a whole
other article) Among the substances used to produce some
types of HRT
is Premarin, extracted from pregnant mare’s urine. Unfortunately, a
large number of doctors recommend that a high proportion of
women opt for hysterectomy despite
the fact that there are other options available to treat
fibroids, including the above. Always seek a second
opinion from a different Doctor, if this is suggested.
Such drastic surgery might cure the fibroids. Remember 99.97% of fibroids
are non-cancerous and remain
non-cancerous.
Embolisation This
is a new technique where pellets are inserted to block
the arteries leading to the womb to reduce the blood
supply and therefore reduce the Fibroids. This technique
has apparently been successful; however, there have been
concerns about the long-term effect on women who still
wish to have children. Latest research shows that women
who conceived prior to the embolisation, were able to
conceive after the embolisation. For more details visit
www.fibroids.co.uk . Embolisation is also available
in the UK.
Before the above
surgical treatments, women are usually offered drugs to
reduce the oestrogen production in the body. The drugs
work on the pituitary gland (which control hormone
production) to reduce the oestrogen production; this in
turn reduces the blood supply to the uterus. Because the
oestrogen is reduced, the fibroids shrink during the
treatment. The operation to remove the fibroids is then
carried out with minimal blood loss. The side effects of
this drug treatment include temporary and premature
menopause. However, it can prevent a Myomectomy turning
into a hysterectomy because of heavy blood loss. If the
treatment is stopped, the Fibroids return to their
normal size as the blood supply returns to the uterus.
It is not a cure for Fibroids and is not advisable to
take long term as a treatment for fibroids. Tamoxifen is
also not recommended for fibroid sufferers as it causes
the womb lining to grow and has been known to cause
tumors of the womb.
Very little
progress has been made to find the cause and the
cure for fibroids. As a result, 37% of all women in
the United States undergo hysterectomy by age 60 for
fibroids. Uterine fibroids are the most common reason
for women to undergo hysterectomy in both the United
Kingdom and the USA
Whilst hysterectomy is undoubtedly the correct
management in a small minority of cases, there are
modern, much less invasive and disfiguring alternatives
available from surgeons and radiologists with the
appropriate training.
According to Dr Stanley Birnbaum a gynaecologist at the
Cornell medical centre/ New York hospital, the problem
is “doctors are spending more time performing
unnecessary hysterectomies and not enough time
familiarising themselves with more effective and less
invasive alternatives ……. if the doctor doesn't know how
to perform the new surgery then they will neither
attempt nor advocate it.”
Dr William Ledger an authority on gynaecology at the New
York hospital stated that doctors do respond to what
patients want. When patients ask for a new treatment
they generally received it. However when patients are
unaware of the new treatments, less effective treatments
were offered to them. However, with the current trend of
women obtaining up to date information from reliable
internet sources such as MedlineTM & MedscapeTM, doctors
are finding that patients sometimes know more about
their treatments then they do, this forces them to keep
up to date or lose the patients. In the UK Doctors are
not required to attend courses yearly as in other
professions to update themselves on new medical
treatments. This often leads to gaps in their knowledge.
Why are hysterectomies controversial?
Critics contend that in the past some doctors, with the
goal of preventing uterine cancer, have performed
hysterectomies on women who didn't need them. In very
rare cases, doctors have been charged with using
hysterectomies as a form of birth control or involuntary
sterilization, especially for women of color. There have
also been cases where hysterectomies were performed
without the knowledge or consent of the patient.
For many women, the biggest drawback to a hysterectomy
is loss of fertility. Once you have a hysterectomy, you
cannot conceive, and for many women of childbearing age,
this is a significant loss. Some women experience a loss
of sexual desire, although this problem appears
treatable with hormone therapy. Women who feel pushed
into a hysterectomy may also have a negative reaction to
it. Having uterine fibroids does not increase your risk
of cancer.
Fibroids are a multicultural issue. Fibroids affect 50%
of women of all races, however 50-80% of Afro-Caribbean,
Indo-Asian & Jewish women are affected by this problem.
The reasons for this
Women worldwide have been faced with the unexpected news
that they have fibroids. Most women have never heard of
them prior to their diagnosis. For a woman the idea of a
tumour occupying their womb is frightening especially in
the absence of information about this benign problem.
Some women feel a mixture of emotions, they are
sometimes scared, sometimes embarrassed to discuss it
with friends & family. Unfortunately the lack of
information leads women to accept a hysterectomy
(removal of the womb) for this treatable condition. Many
Doctor's fail to explain that fibroids are not a
life-threatening condition and in fact 99.97% are benign
and they will never become cancerous even if they grow
in size.
Holistic Help
For a good general
overview of holistic health I highly recommend the books Healing
fibroids Naturally,
Fibroid Tumors &
Endometriosis Self Help Book by Dr Susan Lark & Women's
Bodies Women's Wisdom by Dr Christine Northrup.
These books have great information
on Holistic ways of dealing with fibroids. In addition Queen Afua’s
positive uplifting books , written for
African-Caribbean women, called Heal Thyself & her book Sacred Woman explain how to have a healthy lifestyle
can help fibroid symptoms. They are
available from the
Sisternetwork
Bookshop.
Many Holistic
practitioners recommend a number of self -help
activities for those who have been advised by their
Doctors that surgery is unnecessary perhaps because of
the age of the patient or the small size of fibroids.
Meditation and deep breathing can help with Fibroids.
When we are stressed we also tend to tense parts of our
body as a response to physical and emotional stress.
Some people subconsciously tense the pelvic muscles,
which blocks the blood flow and cuts off the supply of
nutrients to our organs. When the oxygen levels drop in
the muscles, lactic acid is produced which causes
cramping & discomfort. The muscles should have a
good blood flow to and from them in order to help toxins
to be removed from them.
Synthetic
foods, and toxins reduce the
effectiveness of your immune system. Eating a healthy
balanced, whole food diet will help to keep you stay
healthy.
This information is not
intended to replace the advice of your Doctor. If you
have menstrual irregularities always seek the help of a
qualified medical practitioner. Always have the
diagnosis of fibroids made my a Medical Doctor. Have
regular medical check-ups for your fibroid. Bleeding
between cycles may indicate other problems so always go
to your Doctor. Always seek an alternative health
practitioner, who is qualified, with previous success
with treating fibroid sufferers.
For more information
click the links below or visit Fibroid Network Charity
at
www.fibroidnetworkonline.com
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