Uterine fibroma

The uterine fibroma is a non-cancerous (benign) formation of the uterus. Known also as myoma, leiomyoma, fibromyoma or myofibroma, the formation is made up of smooth muscle tissue or of fibrous tissue. It may vary in size from a pea to a melon, an event in which also the abdominal area is deformed. It also generates a number of specific symptoms, but they do not appear in every case:

• heavy and prolonged menstruations (menorrhagia)
  
• sometimes menstruations accompanied by clots discharge
• hemorrhages between menstruations (metrorrhagia)
• strong menstrual pains (dysmenorrhea)
• leukorrhea (heavy vaginal discharge that cannot be accounted for by an infection)
• pelvic pain or pressure
• discomfort or pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• constipation and distension caused by the pressure exerted upon the large intestine
• difficult intestinal transit
• lumbar pains or pains in the lower limbs (if the tumor exerts pressure upon certain lumbar nerve endings)
• urinary incontinence, frequent urination and sometimes renal blockage (caused by urethral blockage)
• burning in urination
• urinary infections
• the uterus grows in size and the abdomen acquires the aspect of pregnancy
• conception difficulties or sterility (if the tumor blocks the access to the uterine tubes or to the uterine cavity)
• anemia – caused by the menstrual hemorrhages
• fatigue caused by anemia
• when the vascularization of the fibroma is obstructed, there may occur strong pains
• if the cells of the fibroma migrate to the neighboring tissues, the pains are accompanied by fever episodes

When pregnancy was confirmed, the fibroma may cause spontaneous abortion or premature delivery (due to the pressure exerted by the fibroma upon the uterus or the placenta).

The tumour can consist of one or several excrescences. In the latter case the disease is called uterine polyfibromatosis. The location of the fibroma defines its type but it also gives a particular symptomatology:

• submucous – the fibroma develops under the inner wall of the uterus. This type of fibromas cause most often heavy hemorrhage during menstruation, infertility and spontaneous abortion (where there is a pregnancy)
• intramural – the most frequent type. It grows inside the uterine wall and it expands, making the uterus look larger than normal
• subserous – it grows outside the uterine cavity or the membrane lining the uterus. It presents a risk of torsion

Causes

The growth of the uterine fibroma is influenced by the levels of the estrogen and of the progesterone in the body. Dysfunctions of the pituitary gland, of the thyroid or of the ovaries may cause the growth of the fibroma. Among the risk factors we may mention age, obesity, repeated abortions and local infections. Statistics show that there are more such cases in the women who have never given birth as well as in the African-American and the African-Caribbean women. As far as age is concerned there has been a greater incidence in the women between 30 and 40 years. The presence of a uterine fibroma may be associated with thyroid, breast nodules and/or polycystic ovaries.

Treatment

The traditional medicine treatment implies the regulation of the neuro-hormonal functions by traditional procedures, because the uterine fibroma occurs due to an excessive secretion of estrogen and it grows when there is an increased secretion of progesterone in the body. The regulation of the progesterone and estrogen levels is made by acting upon the thalamus, the pituitary gland and the thyroid. Thus the growth of the fibroma is stopped. Its resorption is done by removing the existing energy void. A tumor occurs when there is excessive matter in the origin tissue, a misbalance caused by an energy void. The optimum levels of matter and energy are restored by acupuncture procedures. The active substances in the herbs help the action of acupuncture and support the healing process.