The body can do many things. It can tell you when danger is near or protect you from sickness. It cleans out any waste and toxins and in some cases can even clean itself. Your body is something that does so much and it’s important to know what it does and what can happen to it. Obviously, you know that you have to eat right, exercise, reduce stress and just take care of yourself overall. Even though you may do all of that, there are still some things that can end up happening, like women developing fibroids. When fibroids develop, we were taught that they will develop in the uterus. Yes, this is true but did you know that fibroids can develop in other places in your body? Yes, they can and here’s how it works.
How Fibroids Develop
Most commonly known to be found within the uterus, fibroids are a noncancerous growth that usually develops during the childbearing years in women. Think of it as an empty pimple growing in your uterus. There's nothing in it, it’s benign but it develops due to certain biological factors.
In some cases, you can experience a single fibroid developing and in other cases, there’s the possibility that multiple can develop at a time. These growths can also range in size.
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Some can be so small to where the human eye cannot detect them. Some can grow to be extremely big and change the shape of your uterus due to the enlargement of the fibroid. There’s even the possibility that the fibroid can grow so big that it stretches the uterus to touch the rib cage, which can add extra weight to the body. However, this typically happens in extreme cases and is not as common.
How They Affect Your Body
Thankfully fibroids are noncancerous and rarely if not ever, lead to uterine cancer. Though, even if they may not be cancerous, they can still cause disruption to your body and your daily life.
Usually, the symptoms that come with having fibroids are what affect your life. When living with fibroids, one of the most common issues that many women face is heavy or heavier menstrual cycles. These growths can cause heavy bleeding during that time of the month. Another way it can disrupt your cycle is by causing it to last more than a week.
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You can also experience the constant urge to urinate, a lot of pressure and pain in your pelvis, constipation, difficulty emptying the bladder, and even pain in your legs or backaches. Fibroids can even lead to anemia.
RELATED: Can Uterine Fibroids Come Back Once Removed?
Is Your Uterus The Only Place Fibroids Can Grow?
Fibroids are specifically for the uterus. Usually, they grow inside of the uterus but there are some instances where fibroids can grow outside of the uterus. They still grow in the reproductive area of a woman but it’s not near the uterus. These are called subserosal fibroids. Subserosal fibroids grow on the outside of the uterus instead of inside. The reason why this type of fibroid may cause more worry is because it has the ability to affect other nearby organs like the bladder and cervix, depending on the size and how many may develop.
This also makes your symptoms different from intramural (fibroids that develop on the uterine wall) and submucosal (fibroids that develop in the uterine cavity) fibroids. This is where the symptoms that cause frequent urination, pelvic pain and backaches come from. Other symptoms caused by a subserosal fibroid are pain during sex, abdominal pain and cramping, or feeling very full and heavy. It’s also the cause of weight gain and your clothes feeling too tight.
RELATED: Fibroids 101: What They Are, What They Do & How To Treat Them
Can You Prevent These Growths From Happening?
Sadly, there is no way to prevent fibroids from developing because there is no main cause of why they develop. However, there are some biological factors that can put you at risk.
They can be hereditary. If your mother or sister had a history of fibroids, then you’re at a higher risk of developing fibroids.
They can also develop due to race. Black women are at a higher risk of developing fibroids and suffering from severe symptoms compared to other races.
Your hormones are also a reason why these growths have formed on or around your uterus because estrogen and progesterone promote fibroid growth.
Though you may not be able to prevent them from growing, it’s great that they have the possibility to not affect you if they do develop even with symptoms. In the circumstance that your symptoms become too much, then schedule an appointment with a specialist so you can learn about the next steps to the removal of the fibroid(s).
Sometimes the body can do things we don’t want it to do so it’s important to know your options and be prepared.
