Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in or on your uterine wall. Even though they usually aren’t cancerous growths, they can still cause pain, pressure or discomfort. And although it’s rare, fibroids can turn malignant, giving you another, more important reason to visit a center for uterine fibroids.

Fibroids may not cause any symptoms at first, but as they progress, you may experience some painful symptoms. Once they become calcified, they may or may not continue to aggravate you with:

Pelvic pressure or pain
Heavy periods or periods lasting a week or longer
Bleeding between periods
Frequent urination
Pain while having sex
Leg pains or backache
Constipation

Some women may experience fewer symptoms once the fibroid has become calcified. Discuss your symptoms with a uterine fibroid specialist in NYC to find out your specific prognosis. Your fibroid doctor may run some tests in addition to an examination to reach a diagnosis.

Causes and Risk Factors

Uterine fibroids appear to be caused by a combination of factors. Factors that may contribute to the growth of fibroids include:

Female hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, which stimulate the growth of fibroids
Genetic changes that create different than normal uterine muscle cells
Other growth factors

Although doctors don’t know for sure the exact cause, the best fibroid doctor is one who will discuss the risk factors that may have an influence on the growth and development of fibroids.

If close relatives have had fibroids, you’re at risk for developing them. Black women develop fibroids more frequently than women of other races. A variety of environmental factors also seem to contribute to the growth of fibroids. Examples include:

Obesity
Vitamin D deficiency
Early onset of menstruation
Use of certain birth control methods
Approaching menopause
Certain dietary factors, such as eating a lot of red meat and a low amount of vegetables
Heavy alcohol consumption

Diagnosing Fibroids

Your gynecologist may suspect a fibroid if a firm, irregular mass is discovered during a routine pelvic exam or from an ultrasound. To find out for sure if you have fibroids, see a fibroid doctor at a fibroid clinic where more specialized tests can be run.

A “fibroid specialist near me” in NYC offers much more expertise than a general practitioner. A series of diagnostic tests — such as x-rays, a transvaginal ultrasound and MRI — aids your fibroid doctor in making a diagnosis. For confirmation, he or she may remove and evaluate a sample of tissue from your uterus.