Don’t Let Uterine Fibroids Control Your Life: Your Treatment Options

Uterine fibroids affect as many as 80% of women. But most don’t experience symptoms or problems from fibroids, especially when the fibroids remain small. For those who do, the symptoms can range from inconvenient to debilitating. 

Gabriela Olaru, MD, and the team at V Care OB/GYN in New York City diagnose and treat uterine fibroids. We’re here to free you from the control that fibroids have over your life and put you on a path toward lasting relief. 

What are uterine fibroids?

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the tissues of the uterus. They’re not cancerous, but they can create problems. 

Fibroids most often develop during a woman’s childbearing years. You can have one fibroid or many, and they can range in size from a grain of rice to the size of a grapefruit or larger. Fibroids are dense collections of tissue with a firm, rubbery consistency.

Researchers are unsure of the exact cause of uterine fibroids, but there appears to be a link between estrogen and progesterone production and fibroid growth. Women who have a close relative with fibroids also have an elevated risk, as a genetic component seems likely. 

Fibroids can negatively affect your fertility

Women commonly find out they have uterine fibroids during a fertility assessment; infertility is a frequent symptom of fibroids. These growths can develop on the inner or outer areas of the uterus and distort the uterine lining, so it’s not surprising that they can impact fertility. 

If you’re trying to conceive without success, come in for ultrasound imaging. This type of scan can detect fibroids, helping you and your provider decide on a treatment plan. 

There are several uterine-sparing treatment options for uterine fibroids. 

Fibroids can cause heavy bleeding

Heavy bleeding is another common symptom leading to the discovery of uterine fibroids. Women with large or multiple fibroids often experience a dramatic increase in menstrual bleeding. 

Fibroids can also cause your periods to be longer and more painful than usual, or they may become irregular. You might go for months without bleeding, then bleed for weeks at a time. 

Women with uterine fibroids often lose so much blood that they develop anemia, a serious medical issue. Replenishing your iron stores becomes difficult when your periods cause so much blood loss. 

Left untreated, anemia can cause additional health issues, including fatigue, heart palpitations, dry skin, and shortness of breath. 

Don’t let fibroids control your life

Women who have only a few small fibroids and no symptoms may prefer to take a wait-and-see approach. But once fibroids cause problems, you should consider your treatment options. 

Dealing with the pain, bleeding, and abdominal bulk that come with uterine fibroids is a burden women shouldn’t have to carry — especially when treatment is available. 

Some women benefit from birth control solutions to regulate hormones and minimize bleeding. 

Other options include endometrial ablation, which removes a portion of the uterus lining to reduce heavy bleeding, and uterine fibroid embolization, which reduces the blood supply to one or more large fibroids, causing them to shrink.

Surgical options include removing individual fibroids (myomectomy), which we can often do vaginally or laparoscopically. That means few (or no) incisions and a quicker recovery time. When more conservative treatments fail, hysterectomy is a definitive way to eliminate fibroids. 

When you’re ready to learn more about your options, we’re here to help. Contact our office on Manhattan’s Upper East Side by phone or online today to schedule your appointment.