A description of uterine fibroids, including a look at what they are, how they develop, the symptoms they display, and how they can be treated. Learn how uterine fibroids can affect a woman's fertility, and how they can cause problems during pregnancy.

Uterine Fibroids is a medical term for benign cysts, tumors or growths on the uterus. The growths are not cancerous. It is unusual for benign uterine fibroids to develop into cancerous tumors, so, although painful, they do not tend to be life-threatening to the sufferer.

It is not known exactly why uterine fibroids develop. However, they are thought to be related to hormonal imbalance. What happens is, sometimes, for some reason, one or more of the muscle fibers that make up the uterus start growing larger, eventually producing a few small, pea-sized tumors deep in the walls of the muscle of the womb.

Generally, at this early stage, they are not detected by either sufferer or doctor, because they are often asymptomatic. However, as time passes, they can develop and slowly grow to the size of an orange, a grapefruit, and, it has been known, even to the size of a football! Of course, by this stage, the patient is aware of the growth in her reproductive organs, either by externally detecting a lump in the lower abdomen or by experiencing other symptoms, such as

• heavy, painful or irregular periods, or all three;

• blood spotting between menses;

• bloating and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhoea and pain when defecating;

• stomach and lower back pain;

• painful sexual intercourse;

• problems with urination, or being unable to urinate;

• and infertility.

Uterine Fibroids are not a major cause of infertility, only causing approximately 3% of sterility. When uterine fibroids are to blame for infertility, the infertility is usually caused by a fibroid being located in an area that affects the mucus of the lining of the womb. This, as a result, creates a hostile environment for the embryo and prevents proper implantation and development. Fibroids may also become enlarged and block or distort the optimum shape of the fallopian tubes, thus leaving the sperm and the egg unable to meet and fertilize.

Uterine fibroids can even be responsible for problems during pregnancy. It is thought that, by distorting the shape of the uterus, uterine fibroids can threaten the life of a developing baby. They can also interfere with the position of the fetus in the womb, as well as cause premature or painful labor, and bleeding.

Uterine fibroids can be, and often are, surgically removed. Other treatments that alleviate pain and symptoms of the condition include prescribing the patient with the oral contraceptive pill, various analgesics, ultrasound fibroid destruction, hormone therapy, and, as a last resort, hysterectomy.