Many women with fibroids have questions.
- Why did I get this kind of tumor?
- How fast will it grow?
- What can I do to slow down or stop the growth in my fibroids?
While we don’t know what causes women to develop fibroids, we have some clues about what increases your fibroid risk. In the past, people thought that vaginal infections could increase your risk for fibroids.
But recent studies suggest that bacterial vaginosis or other infections don’t increase your odds of developing fibroids.
With one theory disproved, others remain. It’s clear that Black women develop fibroids more often than women of other races. And, while research is ongoing, we think that could be due to chemicals in hair products targeting Black women, as well as other environmental factors.
We also have an understanding of what these tumours are and what factors may increase your risk of developing fibroids. We also know certain factors that affect fibroid growth. To help you gain a better understanding, let’s start at the beginning, with a basic explanation of fibroids.
This x-ray reveals a fairly large uterine fibroid
What are Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that develop in the wall of your uterus. Fibroids can grow alone or in clusters; they vary in size, from microscopically small to rare cases where they grow to the size of the fully-developed fetuses.
Some symptoms of Fibroid Are
- Heavy menstrual
- Painful periods
- Bloating in the pelvic region
- Lower back pain
- Painful sex
- Frequent need to pee
What Can Speed Up Fibroid Growth?
While your genes will play a role in how quickly fibroids grow, hormones like estrogen and progesterone also affect the growth of these tumours. Without these two hormones, fibroids are unable to grow which is why, in the past, causing a woman to experience menopause was considered the only cure for fibroids. Thankfully, we now know better and can offer women less dramatic treatment options.
How Big Will My Fibroids Become?
It’s difficult to know how big a fibroid tumour will become–growth varies from person to person, predict how big a fibroid will grow or what causes a fibroid to grow rapidly. In some cases, fibroids even disappear without treatment.
This, however, is not common: most fibroids will grow larger unless you opt for medical intervention.
So, just how big will your fibroids become? Honestly, the size limit is based only on your body’s ability to expand. Fibroids can stretch and enlarge your uterus to accommodate their own growth. In fact, some fibroids get so big that you appear to be in the second trimester of pregnancy!
In extreme cases, fibroids will grow so large that doctors can only treat them with surgery. For this reason, it’s important to begin researching fibroid treatment options as soon as you receive a diagnosis.
Can I Slow Fibroid Growth?
Certain steps, like adopting a fibroid-friendly diet, may slow the growth of these tumours.
Research suggests that dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream may inhibit fibroid development. Green tea has also been shown to slow fibroid growth and, in some cases, even kill off existing fibroid cells.
