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.
RELATED: Living with Fibroids: Surgery Isn’t The Only Way To Stop Them
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.