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The Curious Bag
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Fibroids, or uterine fibroids, are non-cancerous growths that originate in the smooth muscular tissue inside the uterus. While in many cases fibroids are tiny and painless, they sometimes trigger symptoms of serious discomfort and pain.
Facts
According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors also refer to fibroids as myomas, leiomyomas and fibromyomas. They affect as many as three-quarters of all women at one time or another.
Causes
Pain from uterine fibroids typically occurs when they multiply on or inside the uterus, or when they grow to excessive size. They may also trigger pain if they grow too large for their blood supply and begin to die, or if a hanging fibroid twists and cuts off its own blood supply.
Additional Factors
Fibroids may also trigger pain with menstruation or during sexual intercourse, according to the MedlinePlus website.
Considerations
The hormones progesterone and estrogen seem to trigger fibroid growth, and fibroids typically increase in size until menstruation begins.
Significance
In some cases, a mass of fibroids may reach several pounds, or grow enough to fill the interior of the uterus.
Source:
The Mayo Clinic: Uterine Fibroids (Pages 1-3)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Uterine Fibroids
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