Fibroids: What Every Black Woman Should Know

While the name may sound like some kind of alien life form, in reality, fibroids are pretty common. Growths comprising your connective tissues and muscle cells, fibroids occur in the majority of women. Nearly half of women of childbearing age currently have them, and more than ¾ of women at that age will develop them.

Fibroids are found inside and outside the uterus. While it doesn’t sound like fun having these uterine ‘growths,’ here's the good news: almost all of them are non-cancerous. In fact, virtually 99 percent are benign.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t complicate things!

Signs and Symptoms to Look For

While rarely life-threatening, fibroids can threaten the life of an unborn baby. In fact, if you’re pregnant and have fibroids, your likelihood of preterm delivery is greater, and many women have to undergo a C-section to deliver. Sometimes, miscarriages also occur.

Black women especially should be vigilant. Roughly ¼ of Black women will have fibroids before the age of 25 and about 80 percent will have them by the time they turn 50, up from 70 percent for white women. Fortunately, your body will give you many signs that you may have fibroids.

These include:

Intense or abnormally long periods
Bleeding when not having your period
Discomfort or bloating of the abdomen
Pain in the pelvis or lower back
Frequent or troublesome urination
Constipation or bowel straining
Pregnancy complications
Difficulty conceiving
Pain or discomfort during sex

Now, many of us will experience some of these symptoms for no other reason than we’re humans and sometimes things happen. But, if you experience a cluster of these symptoms, and they persist, it’s a good idea to contact your doctor.

If you suffer any sharp, sudden pains - like your abdomen is being stabbed - and painkillers don’t work, call for emergency medical care immediately. In some cases, fibroids may lead to serious vaginal bleeding and can be quite a nasty surprise!

Weakness, heavy fatigue, and feeling like you’re going to faint are also signs that you’re having a severe symptom.

Thankfully, these reactions are very rare, and in most cases, you can diagnose and treat your fibroids without serious issues.

How Are Fibroids Diagnosed & Treated?

Your physician has many tools at his or her disposal to diagnose a potential fibroid. Typically discovered during examinations of your pelvis, fibroids can also be detected through a variety of tests. Pelvic ultrasounds, MRIs, and a hysteroscopy are all used to determine the presence of fibroids.

The hysteroscopy is essentially a visual examination of the cervix using a hysteroscope to see inside. Your doctor may also perform a hysterosalpingography, which is a particular X-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Taken together, all of these tests will allow your doctor to make a proper diagnosis. Women with high estrogen levels and certain genetics may be predisposed to developing fibroids.

So what can you do about it?

When it comes to fibroids, the treatment options are numerous. Oftentimes, you won’t even need treatment. Many fibroids are very mild and your doctor will simply monitor them with regular visits and screenings. If the symptoms remain at a certain level, and your fibroids don’t worsen, you may avoid treatment altogether.

Typically, fibroids stop changing around menopause, which could be anywhere from your 40s to your 60s.

However, if fibroids present problems, you have many ways to handle them. Medications, surgical procedures, and even the removal of the uterus - called a hysterectomy - are all potential treatments for fibroids.

Let’s briefly cover some of these treatments:

Painkillers - anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen can help with excessive bleeding and treat women who only experience occasional pain and discomfort.

Hormone therapy - Because high estrogen levels may contribute to fibroids, hormone treatments work by reducing your estrogen levels and inducing a type of artificial menopause. These treatments may include patches, injections, pills, or intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Surgical procedures - Various surgeries and minor procedures can relieve pain, address the fibroids, and allow you to remain fertile. These procedures usually remove the fibroids entirely, shave them down, or shrink them by cutting off their blood supply.

Hysterectomy - The most serious type of treatment, a hysterectomy is for women who have exhausted all their options. Because this surgery removes the entire uterus, it also removes the possibility of having a child. That said, the hysterectomy also prevents fibroids from ever coming back.

As you can see, you have options. Most of them are pretty straightforward, even some of the surgical procedures. So don’t worry. Black women, White women, Hispanic women, Asian women - all women deal with this! The vast majority will be absolutely fine, and live normal, happy, healthy lives.