Uterine fibroids: What you should know

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The uterus is frequently home to benign tumours or noncancerous masses of tissue that develop in the uterine walls. Up to 80 per cent of women between the ages of 30 and 50 develop fibroids.

Here's what else you need to know about uterine fibroids.

1. Uterine fibroids are often symptom-free and require no treatment.
Although some fibroids are large enough to fill the uterine cavity and weigh several pounds, many are as small as a pinhead. Only about one-quarter of women who have fibroids develop symptoms.

But when symptoms do develop, the most common is heavy or prolonged bleeding during the menstrual cycle. Fibroids may also cause cramps, and large ones can produce a sensation of fullness or pressure in the lower abdomen. If they press against the bladder, they can cause frequent urination.

2. Fibroids can affect fertility.
Fibroids can block the fallopian tubes and prevent sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg. After conception, fibroids may impair the ability of the embryo to implant in the uterus. A woman who brings her baby to full term may have fibroids blocking her vagina, possibly making natural birth difficult; cesarean section rates are higher among women with fibroids, notes Dr. George Vilos, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Western Ontario in London. Fibroids are also associated with higher rates of miscarriage and premature labour.

However, there's a 20 per cent reduction in the prevalence of fibroids after each pregnancy, says Vilos. This is because the uterus continues to contract, compressing blood vessels in the area where the placenta was attached and cutting off the blood supply to fibroids. “Fibroids cannot tolerate the lack of blood supply,” notes Vilos.

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