Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Fibroids, also known as myomas or fibromyomas, are usually benign (non-cancerous) tumors or growths that develop from the muscle layers of the uterus. They are the most common tumors with one in every four women in the child bearing age.
Who is most likely to have Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids are the most common in women in their reproduction years, aged 30 to 40, but can occur at any age, affecting at least 20% of all women (Christian Nordqvist May 2009). They occur most often in African American women than Caucasian women.
There are four types of Fibroids
• Intramural Fibroids o These are located in the wall of the uterus and are the most common type of fibroids
• Subserosal Fibroids o These are located outside the wall of the uterus and can develop into
Pedunculated fibroids (stalks) and become very large fibroids
• Submucosal Fibroids o Are located in the muscle beneath the lining of the wall of the uterus.
• Cervical Fibroids o Are located in the neck of the womb (of the cervix)
(Drugs.com)
Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
• Heavy painful menses
• Backache
• Constipation
• Discomfort in lower abdomen
• Frequent urination
• Painful sex
• Pregnancy and Labor difficulties
• Fertility and repeated miscarriage problems
Causes of Fibroids
Fibroids occurrences are not exactly known. A woman’s reproductive years produce estrogen and progesterone levels that are high. High estrogen levels, during pregnancy, fibroids tend to swell. During menopause when estrogen levels are low, fibroids may shrink. Heredity also plays into the factor whose mothers and sister have had fibroids. Overweight and obese women are at a hi...
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Chapman, A., & Ter Haar, G. (2007). Thermal ablation of uterine fibroids using MR-guided focused ultrasound-a truly non-invasive treatment modality. European Radiology, 17(10), 2505-11. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00330-007-0644-8
Davis, A. J. (2003). Are uterine fibroids the norm? Journal Watch.Women's Health,doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/WH200304090000001
Rebar, R. W. (2012). Large uterine fibroids linked with adverse obstetric outcomes. Journal Watch.Women's Health,doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/WH201202160000004
Stewart, E. A. (2001). Uterine fibroids. The Lancet, 357(9252), 293-8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199035461?accountid=158514
Walker, C. L., & Stewart, E. A. (2005). Uterine fibroids: The elephant in the room. Science, 308(5728), 1589-92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213618695?accountid=158514
In most cases, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is missed diagnosed. One of the most common missed diagnoses is cancer because of the tumor like knots when the doctors go in to try to remove the “tumor” they cause more damage because flare-ups typically develop after a person experiences trauma to the body, such as a fall, small bump or even a small burse. Also illnesses, such as the flu may also trigger flare-ups. In one case of FOP they did so much damage that they had to remove the patience arm. Experts estimate that the rate of misdiagnosis of FOP may be 80% or higher.
Eftekhari, N., Mirzaei, F., & Karimi, M. (2008). The prevalence of hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Gynecological Endocrinology,24(5), 289-291.
Fibromyalgia seems to affect mostly women, although men and children can also get it. It is estimated by the that about three to six percent of the U.S. population has fibromyalgia.(Source 4) Yet another source states that it is three to six million people in the U.S. or as many as one in fifty Americans. (Source 1) All of these sources agree that women make up to eighty or ninety percent of fibromyalgic patients.
The diagnosis of this syndrome is mostly clinical. Various sets of clinical features have been used to identify PCOS in studies globally. It was estimated in one study that about 70% of women with anovulation and normal serum gonadotropin levels suffer from PCOS(1), whereas 50% of those with PCOS are overweight(5). Some studies also used ultrasound imaging in diagnosing PCOS and reported a prevalence of 21% to 22%. In a study from North America PCOS with oligomenorrhea alone was found to be prevalent in about 4.4% Whites and 21% Indian women, whereas prevalence of PCOS as defined by both oligomenorrhea and hyperandrogenism ranges from 3.4% to 9% in different ethnicities.(6)
Fibromyalgia, also known as fibromyalgia syndrome and fibromyositis, is a chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, socially, and mentally. It can affect any area of the body and affects multiple areas. This disorder is most common in women, but it can also affect men and children of all ethnic groups. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of twenty and fifty. People who have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, or Spinal Arthritis have an increased risk of developing Fibromyalgia. This disorder cannot be transmitted from person to person.
There are a lot of women suffering from different types of prolapses with uterine being one of the most common and they do not seek medical attention due to being embarrassed or just scared. It is somewhat considered taboo and isn’t spoken of as often as say, having a hysterectomy or other female conditions. Most women are unaware of the symptoms and therefore don’t seek medical attention before it becomes a more serious issue that will most likely require surgery to fix.
Koop, Everett. "Abortion Risks and Procedures." The Life Center. Texas Department of Health, 2003. Web. 25 Feb. 2014
Breast cancer can be caused by a variety of factors. Up until recently, many doctors believed breast cancer was strictly related to heredities. Research has shown that a woman whose mother, sister, or daughter has had breast cancer is two to three times more likely to develop the disease (“Breast Cancer Causes…”). Inherited genes mutations can be passed from parents to children, but they don’t make cancer inevitable. The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history (Mayo Clinic Staff). Researchers have found a link between breast cancer and a woman’s amount of exposure to estrogen and progesterone over her lifetime. Women who began their period before age 12 or started menopause at an older age are more likely to develop breast cancer (Mayo Clinic Staff). Women who have never had children or had children after age thirty-five are also at greater risk (Mayo Clinic Staff). Any of these situations will alter the hormone levels of a woman’s body. In relation to this risk factor, doctors believe that growing older is one fac...
Storck, Susan, MD. "In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Feb. 2012. Web.
In the U.S., more than one thousand men are affected by breast cancer every year and about two hundred thousand women are affected by breast cancer every year. Women are most likely to get diagnosed with it in their forties and fifties while some may be diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, if they started their menstrual cycles at an early age like 14. Typically, men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their sixties or seventies. Historically speaking, breast cancer has been around for hundreds of years. Thankfully, the treatment has improved.
Uterine Fibroids is a common medical condition that occurs generally in women in reproductive age. Fibroids are considered as benign tumors that grow up in the muscular wall of the uterus. Fibroids are also called leiomyoma or myoma. The size of the fibroids may vary from small sizes (apricot seed) to large sizes (similar to a melon). When fibroids rise up to a large size “The uterus expands to make it look approximating to a 6 or 7 months of pregnancy”. (Gynecologists). They also can grow up as an abnormal whole unit attach to the uterus or develop similar to grapes in different areas around the uterus. (See figure 1)
When I asked aunt Connie about her health history, she mentioned that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, a condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity which increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, there a possibility that this condition increased her chances of suffering from type 2 diabetes.
It regresses so that by the age of 20 only a small number of men have palpable vestiges of gynecomastia in one or both the breasts. Gynecomastia of aging also occurs in otherwise healthy men. Forty percent or more of aged men have gynecomastia. One explanation is the increase in age in the conversion of androgens to estrogens in extra-
The exact cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, but there are many risk factors that lead to what causes this cancer to grow rapidly, killing off thousands of women each yea. Endometrial cancer is usually found in women in the ages of 50s or 60s. Women, who are obese, fifty pounds over their ideal weight, are ten times greater at risk than women that are not obese. Body fat produces estrogen and the higher level of estrogen is believed to increase the risk of cancer. This is believed because women with excess fat have higher levels of estrogen. Women that have not been pregnant are at three time’s higher risk. Women who have their p...
During a normal menstrual cycle, the lining of your uterus thickens and then sheds when a fertilized egg doesn't attach, resulting in your period. But when this lining starts to grow outside of the uterus, like on your ovaries or inside the pelvic cavity, it becomes inflamed, grows, and essentially has nowhere to go, says Ghadir. The result is severe pelvic pain, usually during your period, along with significant scarring to the surrounding tissue. It may also lead to large cysts on your ovaries called endome...