What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Fibroids?

Fibroids are a very common occurrence in women. If you are suffering from fibroids you can find the help you need from Dr. Anya Rose and Dr. Megan Gau of Rose Women's Health. They provide comprehensive and compassionate women's healthcare.

Fibroids are very common, and it is estimated that 20-70% of women will have them at some point. Almost all fibroids are harmless. They are typically not cancerous, they are solid tumors that develop on or in the uterus. Why some women get fibroids and others don't is unknown, but studies suggest that genetics may play a role as well as high levels of estrogen.

Signs of fibroids

Your gynecologist may be the first one to see the signs of a fibroid or fibroids. They can feel them on your uterus during a routine pelvic exam. When they first start, you may not have a lot of symptoms, or you may think that the symptoms you are having are normal signs of aging or just being a woman. 

If you are having difficulty getting pregnant, 5-10% of women will discover that they have fibroids. While they may not be causing any symptoms, they can affect fertility. Fibroids do not render you infertile. They may be a contributing factor, however, and you do have treatment options. 

The good news is that menopause will in many cases helps with fibroids. They need estrogen to grow and as it decreases they may even shrink. 

Symptoms of fibroids

For some women, there are no symptoms, and you won't even know that you have them before they are discovered by your GYN. For other women, with fibroids you may experience one or more of these:

• Prolonged or heavy periods (enough to cause anemia).
• Bleeding between periods.
• Painful periods
• Pain during sex
• A feeling of abdominal fullness
• Lower back or pelvic pain.
• Needing to urinate frequently or not being able to empty your bladder
• Bowel changes, including constipation  
• Complications during pregnancy

If you have signs or symptoms of fibroids, you have options. Talk to your doctor about the treatments that are available. Many people will not require treatment at all but you or your doctor may decide that the symptoms are disrupting your life and need to be addressed. 

If you have any of the symptoms of fibroids in Arcadia, CA and they are causing disruption in your life, Dr. Rose and Dr. Gau of Rose Women's Health will discuss the treatment options available to you. Call the office for an appointment at (626) 461-7071.