Symptoms of uterine fibroids

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

A woman's uterus consists of muscle layers, the densest of which is the myometrium. It develops uterine fibroids. A hormonal-dependent benign tumor develops in the form of nodes on a thick layer of muscles. Myoma of the uterus, the symptoms and signs of which were determined in women 35-50 years old, is getting younger in recent years, and gynecologists find the neoplasm in women younger than 25 years old.

Clinical picture

Fibroids are a common pathology; they are not inflammation or swelling. This is hyperplasia of a thick layer of mesenchymal muscles. The reasons for its appearance are cell mutations, which occurs due to damaging factors.

It looks like a tumor composed of an interlacing of muscle and connective tissue.

The early stages of development of fibroids on the tissues of the uterus do not give a vivid picture. Symptoms of the disease appear in the later stages. A characteristic manifestation is menorrhagia, in which the quantity and quality of discharge during menstruation changes. At this stage, uterine fibroids are treated with folk remedies, in agreement with the doctor.

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Symptoms depending on the location

The main symptom of the appearance of a neoplasm is a violation of the menstrual cycle. They become long-lasting, abundant when the myoma is submucous, localized in the uterine cavity, under its mucous membrane. With this localization of fibroids, bleeding occurs outside the menstrual cycle.

The patients are worried about pulling, aching pains in the lower abdomen. They go on constantly, or appear with periods. Submucous fibroids cause sharp, cramping pains. Growing to large sizes, myoma presses on neighboring organs, then symptoms of frequent urination, chronic constipation are added.

Subserous myoma gives severe pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the lower back. Neoplasms stretch the ligaments of the uterus, with increased growth, they put pressure on the nerve nodes located in the small pelvis. This disrupts the circulation of blood in the nerve plexuses, which causes sharp, intense pain.

An emergency is the case when the subserous node "on the leg" is twisting this leg, squeezing the node itself. Such cases are manifested by a sharp deterioration in the condition, the development of peritonitis is possible. This situation requires urgent surgical attention.

When the interstitial nodes localized in the thickness of the myometrium are small, their symptoms are manifested by painful menstruation. The growth of the neoplasm causes aching pain. If necrosis begins on the nodes, the pain becomes severe, the temperature rises, signs of intoxication appear. Treatment for uterine fibroids depends on the symptoms and signs of its manifestation.

Uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts

During the diagnosis, it is important for gynecologists to determine what worries a woman. Indeed, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids have similar symptoms and manifestations. Treatment will depend on the establishment of an accurate diagnosis - uterine fibroids, differentiated by examination methods from a cyst on the ovaries.

The main method of differential diagnosis is ultrasound of the pelvic organs, internal gynecological ultrasound with the introduction of a sensor into the vaginal cavity. In acute cases, the method of diagnostic laparoscopy is used, which determines the presence of uterine fibroids with menopause or torsion of the ovarian cyst.

Symptoms during pregnancy

Sometimes uterine fibroids are detected by a gynecologist after the start of pregnancy in a woman. Such patients are managed by experienced doctors. If the myomatous node is localized close to the placenta formation site, the muscle tissue of this area may contract from the synthesis of biologically active components. This interferes with the normal development of pregnancy.

Fetal malnutrition may begin, the fetus may freeze. Premature birth occurs from the fact that the pregnant uterus is filled with a growing neoplasm. Because of this, the pressure inside the uterus rises, the fetal bladder bursts, and early childbirth occurs.

Large fibroids are the cause of infertility, they close the lumens of the tubes, neck, and impede the movement of sperm. When the nodes do not exceed 3 cm in diameter, which corresponds to the size of 8 weeks, pregnancy can begin. In the absence of growth, such a neoplasm does not interfere with the course of pregnancy, the development of the fetus. With sufficient maturation of the fetus, in order to avoid birth risks, doctors perform a cesarean section with the simultaneous removal of the uterus.

How to treat uterine fibroids?

Treatment is conservative, operative. The choice of the method is determined by the size of the neoplasm, the rate of its growth, the presence of concomitant diseases, and the woman's age. The decision on the tactics of treating uterine fibroids depends on its size.

At the initial stage of neoplasm development, drug, alternative treatment is used. If they help stop the growth of the tumor, the treatment continues in the same direction. When the growth of the neoplasm does not stop, they resort to surgical intervention.

Fibroid treatment without surgery

Conservative therapy includes the appointment of drugs containing hormones. Its goal is to postpone the operation, wait for menopause, at which the uterine fibroids with menopause, judging by the symptoms and signs, begins to regress.

Without surgery, fibroids are treated with a set of measures, which include diet, intake of immunomodulators, herbal medicine, correction of the menstrual cycle, permissible physiotherapy, elimination of bleeding, and taking medications on hormones.

Various hormonal drugs are prescribed:

• gestagenic - Norkolut, Dyufaston, Premolut, courses of ½ year;
• androgenic - Danazol, Gestrinone, in courses of 6-8 months;
• gonadotropin agonists - Releasing hormones, Buserilin, Zoladex, courses from 3 months to six months;
• oral contraceptives on hormones - Yarina, Janine, Regulon;
• an intrauterine device Mirena containing a gestagen, which is placed for up to 5 years.

The basis of conservative treatment is the use of hormonal drugs by internal intake and injections. This also includes symptomatic pain relief, treatment of anemia. Such therapy inhibits the growth of the tumor; it is impossible to get rid of it with conservative methods.

Therefore, without surgery, myoma is treated for women of older childbearing age, when at the onset of menopause, myoma of the uterus begins to regress for all symptoms and signs.

FUS ablation of fibroids

One of the methods of treating fibroids is based on intense heating of the neoplasm with ultrasound, which transfers high energy exactly to the site of the nodes. After intense radiation, destruction of pathological tissues begins, thermal necrosis sets in. This method is combined with an MRI machine, which allows you to localize the direction of the temperature beam, regulate its heating and the rate of evaporation of the affected tissues.

This method is used to destroy a limited area without damaging healthy tissues. During the procedure, no instruments are inserted into the body cavity, no anesthesia is required.

Gynecologists are planning FUS ablation for the following reasons:

1. Conserve organs.
2. Prepare myoma nodes for transcervical myomectomy.
3. The effectiveness of the method at large nodes.

FUS ablation preserves organs and leaves a woman a chance for a successful pregnancy.

Uterine artery embolization (UAE)

The operation involves injecting beads of plastic or gelatin into the arteries of the uterus to stop the supply of blood to the areas affected by the fibroids. In case of malnutrition of the tissues of the nodes, their aseptic lysis occurs, the muscles are replaced by connective tissues. UAE is performed under local anesthesia.

This procedure is not shown to everyone, it is used in the treatment of patients over 40 years old who have been diagnosed with submucous nodes, the disease is accompanied by frequent bleeding. Women of reproductive age do not have UAE. The reason is the desire to leave women the chance to have children.

Folk remedies

Along with the drug treatment of the first stages of fibroids, folk remedies are used. Gynecologists are sure that there are no effective folk remedies for curing fibroids. Nevertheless, women hope to get rid of the symptoms and signs of uterine fibroids by treatment with folk remedies. A woman should discuss any chosen alternative method with her doctor.

Prescriptions recommended by doctors:

1. Infusion of hazelnut leaves. Method of preparation: 1 glass of dry leaves is poured into a liter thermos, poured with boiling water overnight. In the morning, filter the infusion. Method of application: drink a third of a glass 4 times a day. The same infusion douches 2 times - in the morning and at night, if the fibroid has settled on the cervix. Hazel gives results in 3 weeks - pain and discomfort go away. The treatment should be carried out for six months.
2. Pine nuts. Method of application: eat 30 g of peeled nuts in the morning; it should be remembered that nuts increase the weight, but the size of the nodes decreases significantly.
3. Sunflower oil. Method of application: in the morning, take 1 tbsp. l. oils, without swallowing, keep it in the mouth for 20 minutes. Gradually, the oil will become white and liquid, then it is spit out, the mouth is rinsed. Rinse once, in the morning, for a week. After a week break, you can repeat it.
4. Decoction of Borovoy uterus herb. Cooking method: take 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs, pour 1 glass of boiling water, keep in a water bath for 5 minutes. Insist in a warm place for 3 hours, filter. Method of application: drink, starting from the 4th day of menstruation, 1 tbsp. l. within a month. The same broth douches for 10 days.
5. A decoction of the plant Red brush. Method of application: take 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs, pour 1 glass of boiling water, soar for 15 minutes in a water bath. Insist in heat for 1 hour, filter. Be sure to top up to a full glass, add honey. Method of application: drink 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 1, 5 months.

Self-medication is contraindicated. Folk remedies treat uterine fibroids with different symptoms and signs only in agreement with the doctor.

When is the operation to remove the uterus for fibroids indicated?

Often, uterine fibroids are found on a prophylactic examination, the gynecologist notes an advanced stage of development. However, women do not see symptoms in themselves, they only ask if the abdomen grows from the development of fibroids. Treatment of uterine fibroids by symptoms and signs will be effective only with menopause. For young women, the doctor immediately raises the question of the operation.

The indications for surgery are:

• enlargement of the uterus for more than 12 weeks;
• diagnostics of submucous fibroids;
• combination of fibroids with adenomyosis, neoplasms on the ovaries;
• frequent bleeding, the development of anemia;
• twisting of the leg;
• necrotization of the neoplasm;
• the birth of a myomatous tumor of the submucous type;
• suspicion that the neoplasm is becoming malignant.

In accordance with the size, location, type of fibroids, doctors choose the type of operation, decide whether one fibroid will be removed or together with the uterus. To resolve the issue of surgery for uterine fibroids, doctors consider its size, learn from the patient the symptoms and signs of the disease.

Diagnostics

One of the goals of diagnostics is to differentiate fibroids from tumors on the ovaries, from uterine cancer. The diagnosis of uterine fibroids is made by a gynecologist from the very first examination of a woman on a chair, with a reliability of up to 90-100%.

Additional examination:

1. Ultrasound of the pelvic organs. An informative method that gives the doctor an idea of the size, location of nodes, deformation of the uterus, an increase in the thickness of the endometrium, a combination of fibroids with hyperplasia.
2. Hysteroscopy. This is an examination with a device - a hysteroscope, which sees the cervical canal, the uterine cavity. It is used when the growth of submucous and interstitial fibroids is suspected. Allows for biopsy.
3. Laparoscopy. It is used in difficult cases, recognizes secondary changes in the nodes - internal hemorrhage, the appearance of necrotic areas.
4. Curettage of the uterine cavity. It is performed for any fibroids, provides information about endometrial pathologies, excludes the likelihood of uterine cancer.

With the same symptoms, the diagnosis reveals the most accurate type of myoma, its condition and development.

Preventive actions

Prevention of uterine fibroids includes proper diet, work and rest, stress avoidance. An important preventive method is pregnancy and childbirth up to 25 years of age. It is necessary to undergo a timely examination by a gynecologist.

By timely detecting the symptoms and signs of uterine fibroids, you can get rid of it in the initial stages.