Women that suffer from painful menstruations and heavy bleeding may suffer from fibroids. Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on a women’s uterus. Many times, these tumors can become quite large, which is why they cause pain and heavy periods. Most of the time fibroids are benign and even though they can be very uncomfortable and painful, there are things that you can do.
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What Causes Fibroids?
Doctors are unsure why fibroids develop, but there are several factors that contribute to their formation.
Family History
Many times if your mother, sister, or grandmother has a history of fibroids, more than likely you will have them too.
Hormones
Women produce estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries, these cause the uterine lining to regenerate during each menstrual cycle and may stimulate the growth of fibroids.
Pregnancy
When a woman becomes pregnant, the production of estrogen and progesterone increases, which may cause fibroids to develop and grow fast.
Overweight
Women that are overweight are three times more likely to get fibroids.
Symptoms
The symptoms of your fibroids can depend on where they are located, the size, and the number of tumors you may have. Many times you don’t have symptoms, especially after menopause, when they tend to shrink. Here are some of the symptoms:
- Pain the pelvis and lower back
- Increased menstrual cramps
- Increased urination
- Pain during sex
- Long periods
- Pressure or fullness in your lower abdomen
- Swelling or enlargement of abdomen
Treatment
Many times doctors recommend that women get on the pill or are given medications to regulate their hormone levels, which often shrink fibroids. If a fibroid is too big, the doctor may recommend that the patient get them surgically removed. In worst cases, women get a hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus, when other treatments don’t work.
What Can You Do At Home?
Pain management is key when it comes to fibroids. Many women suffer from heavy periods and menstrual cramps that prevent them from going to work or doing everyday activities, for these types of problems we recommend the following:
- Heat: Using a heating pad or warm compresses on your abdomen acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It wont’ reduce the fibroid, but it will relieve the pain.
- Yoga: Meditating and practicing yoga can keep you healthy, plus it can help maintain your menstrual cycle regular as well as your hormones.
- Fish: Eating certain types of fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring and other fish rich in Omega-3s are known to be effective for healing fibroids.
- Dandelion Root: You can find this as a tea, which helps flush out excessive estrogen from the body and even dissolve fibroids.
- Milk thistle: This can can also remove excess estrogen and shrink fibroids.
- Turmeric powder: This yellowish powder helps with inflammation.
- Apple cider vinegar: Drinking two tablespoons of ACV in water can help treat fibroids as well, not to mention that it’s a great detox drink.
- Ginger: You can find ginger tea, but the actual root when taken with warm water is great to reduce pain and inflammation in the ovaries and uterus.
- Garlic: Using garlic in everyday foods is a must. It’s a good source of vitamin B6, C, and minerals that help balance female hormones, but it also helps prevent fibroids from growing.
- Lemon Juice: Drinking lemon water is a great way to detox your liver, but when you add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and one teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water, it can help reduce the symptoms of fibroids.
Make sure you talk to your doctor about doing home remedies. The first thing you have to do is to locate the source of the problem and then you can begin treatment with the help of your doctor.