[Discussed Below are Symptoms and Things That Can Increase Your
Risk]
A uterine fibroid is a noncancerous tumor or growths of a woman's
uterus (womb) and often appear during child bearing years.
As many as 3 out of 4 women have uterine fibroids sometime during
their lives, but most are unaware of them because they often cause no
symptoms. Women of African descent are two to three times more
likely to develop fibroids than women of other races.
SYMPTOMS
In women who experience symptoms, the most common symptoms of
uterine fibroid may include:
1. Heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding sometimes with blood clots
2. Pelvic pressure or pain
3. Frequent urination and urgency
4. Pressure on the rectum, resulting in constipation
5. Difficulty emptying your bladder
6. Infertility, which is defined as an inability to become pregnant after
one year of attempting to get pregnant; and/or
7. A pelvic mass discovered by a health care practitioner during a
physical examination
8. Backache or leg pains
FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT FIBROID DEVELOPMENT
1. Hereditary: If your mother or sister had fibroids, you're at increased
risk of also developing them
2. Race: African heritage (occurring 3-9 times more often than in
Caucasian women)
3. Weight: Being overweight obesity increases the chance of
developing fibroids.
4. Pregnancy: Never having given birth to a child. Pregnancy and
childbirth seem to have a protective effect and may decrease your risk
of developing uterine fibroids.
5. Menstruation: Onset of the menstrual period prior to age 10
6. Contraceptive: Use of oral contraceptives may lower risk