How long can a woman carry a fibroid?

Answer 1

Fibroids can occur anytime after the first menses begins, but typically begins after childbirth. Fibroids are finger-shaped tissue which grows from the uterine wall. During a menstrual cycle, hormones can make fibroids engorge--get bigger -- and decreasing hormones help to reduce a fibroid-- get smaller.

However, some fibroids continue to grow throughout a woman's life. She may have heavier bleeding, bleeding between periods, a heaviness in the lower abdomen/pelvic area, and may have pelvic pain. But most women are still unaware of the source of the problem until she has a pelvic exam. During the manual part of the exam, a physician presses on the outside of the lower abdomen while having his/her 2 fingers in the vagina. This is a form of palpation--feeling the internal structures in the body. Fibroids feel different than a normal uterus so most physicians feel the problem through palpation. But a woman may need to have a pelvic ultrasound to confirm the problem.

Doctors often recommend surgery for large fibroids or if they cause heavy bleeding. One risk with heavy bleeding is chronic anemia and tiredness, and surgery is the only solution.

However, most surgeons still want to do a partial hysterectomy -- removing the uterus with the fibroids. But a newer procedure can shrink the fibroids, although it is very expensive and not always covered by insurance. If a woman desires to have children, she should push her doctor and surgeon to consider an alternative to partial hysterectomy.

Other women develop many small fibroids and never experience any significant problems from childbearing years to old age. Being told you must get rid of the uterus is not always necessary. You should get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion; consider what your blood tests show regarding anemia; gather information; ask many questions; and only then decide for a particular remedy. It may be possible to avoid surgery altogether and keep the uterus.

On the other hand, fibroids can make it more difficult for the egg to implant because fiboids make the wall of the uterus more "uneven". If the egg can't implant, pregnancy cannot occur. Also, a fibroid may easily bleed during pregnancy or in labor, so a woman could go into shock more easily from blood loss.