According to the statistics of gynecological examinations in recent years, the number of women suffering from uterine fibroids has been increasing year by year, and the age of onset has shown a younger trend. The main manifestation is abnormal menstruation, but most patients have no obvious discomfort and are often accidentally found during gynecological physical examinations. Known as the "No.1 Tumor" in women, uterine fibroids affect 30% of women over 30 years old.
Prevention of Uterine Fibroids
The prevention of uterine fibroids should be done in the following ways:
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Undergo regular gynecological censuses. Married women should have a gynecological examination and B-ultrasound examination every year to detect small uterine fibroids in a timely manner.
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If uterine fibroids are found, B-ultrasound can be performed to understand the thickness of the endometrium and whether the myometrium is involved; hysteroscopy can also be performed to directly observe the uterine cavity, take living tissue for pathological examination, or use laparoscopy to assist in diagnosis. For larger fibroids, active treatment should be taken.
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If uterine fibroids grow rapidly in a short period of time or continue to grow after menopause, great vigilance should be paid to the possibility of malignant transformation of uterine fibroids.
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There are many treatment methods for uterine fibroids, and the specific treatment plan varies from person to person. Some women are found to have multiple uterine fibroids during gynecological physical examinations, and the tumors have grown to the extent that surgery is necessary, but they have no obvious discomfort. Therefore, gynecological examinations should not be ignored.
Common Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in women, formed by the proliferation of uterine smooth tissue, mostly occurring in middle-aged women. About 70% to 80% of uterine fibroids occur in women aged 30 to 50, and there has been a trend of younger onset in recent years. According to our statistics, about 25% of women over 30 have single or multiple fibroids of varying sizes in the uterus. Due to the lack of obvious uncomfortable symptoms in the early stage for many people, they fail to attract enough attention. Uterine fibroids usually grow unconsciously and have no obvious symptoms in the early stage, but careful women can still find some subtle changes in their bodies. Once the body has the following symptoms, it is necessary to pay attention.
Vaginal Bleeding
Vaginal bleeding is the most common symptom of uterine fibroids, occurring in half or more of the patients. Subserosal uterine fibroids rarely cause vaginal bleeding. When intramural uterine fibroids are large, they can cause menorrhagia or prolonged menstrual periods due to affecting uterine contraction or increasing the area of the endometrium. If it is a submucosal uterine fibroid, there will be irregular vaginal bleeding with endless dripping.
Abdominal Mass
Lower abdominal mass is often the main complaint of patients with uterine fibroids, accounting for as high as 69.9%. Sometimes it may be the only symptom of the fibroid. The abdominal mass is usually found after the fibroid grows out of the pelvic cavity, and is often obvious when the bladder is full on an empty stomach in the morning.
Pain
About 40% of patients present with abdominal pain, 25% with low back pain, and 45% with dysmenorrhea; some also present with lower abdominal distension or low back soreness, which are mostly not very severe. For example, individual cases of red degeneration of uterine fibroids will cause severe abdominal pain accompanied by fever. Acute severe abdominal pain also occurs when the pedicle of a subserosal uterine fibroid twists.
Compression Symptoms
Different compression symptoms can be produced according to the location and size of uterine fibroids. For example, if a uterine fibroid grows on the anterior wall of the uterus, it can compress the bladder, causing frequent urination, urgent urination, and even urinary retention; if it grows on the posterior wall of the uterus, it can compress the rectum, causing constipation; uterine fibroids occurring in the broad ligament can compress the ureter, internal and external veins, and nerves, leading to ureteral obstruction, hydronephrosis, lower extremity edema, or neuropathic pain.
Abnormal Leucorrhea
The enlargement of the uterine cavity, the increase of endometrial glands, accompanied by pelvic congestion or inflammation will increase leucorrhea. When submucosal uterine fibroids have ulcers, infections, bleeding, or necrosis, bloody or purulent and foul-smelling leucorrhea will be produced in a large amount.
Infertility and Miscarriage
Infertility may be the reason for consultation, and uterine fibroids are often found during examination. There are many reasons why uterine fibroids cause infertility. The rate of spontaneous abortion is higher than that of the normal population, with a ratio of 4:1.