Uterine fibroids symptoms, signs with menopause (fibroma): treatment with folk remedies

A benign neoplasm in the uterus is detected in 87% of women of different ages. Moreover, uterine fibroids are especially pronounced in menopause, when the female body is exhausted by hormonal changes. Indeed, according to statistics, it is during this period that the disease is diagnosed in half of the patients, and without appropriate therapy it leads to the removal of the uterus or consequences incompatible with life.

What is myoma (leiomyoma, fibroids)

Myoma is a hormone-dependent formation of a benign nature, localized mainly in the uterine cavity. Outside, it is a rounded knot with a glossy shell. The tumor can be barely noticeable, or it can reach impressive sizes (when it develops into cancer).

A small mass is rarely symptomatic. If there are several tumors (myomatosis) or they begin to grow, the pathology is manifested by pain, bleeding and other characteristic signs.

Depending on the size of the neoplasms, myoma is divided into the following types:

• small (no more than 2 centimeters);
• medium (from 2 to 6 cm);
• large (over 6 cm).

By localization, the tumor is classified into types:

1. Intraligamentary - the tumor originates and develops between the ligaments of the uterus.
2. Submucous - the node is found on the inner side of the genital organ, under the mucous membrane.
3. Subserous (subperitoneal) - the node develops on the outside of the uterus, expands towards the pelvic region.
4. Intramural - a tumor formed between the inner muscle layers grows towards the abdomen, which leads to an increase in its size.

With multiple forms of fibroids, often progressing during menopause, more than two nodes of different types and sizes are formed in the uterine cavity.

Some women refuse to remove the tumor in the climacteric period, believing that the extinction of reproductive function is the best amulet against its development. Alas, this applies exclusively to the process of the onset of fibroids, which becomes impossible with insufficient production of estrogen (it is this hormone that contributes to the occurrence of benign neoplasms). So uterine fibroids are formed either at a young age or at the very beginning of menopause - premenopause.

Reasons for education

It is believed that uterine fibroids with menopause cannot develop due to a deficiency of female sex hormones. It's a delusion. Moreover, a tumor that has arisen long before menopausal age suddenly begins to "wake up" and give symptoms.

The main reasons for the formation of hormone-dependent nodules include:

1. Hereditary predisposition (mom, grandmother, own aunt was diagnosed with fibroids in menopause).
2. Violation of the hormonal background (as you know, menopause is the extinction of ovarian activity, leading to a deficiency of estrogen, progesterone and an increase in FSH concentration).
3. Late pregnancy and childbirth (first), refusal to breastfeed the child.
4. Stagnation of blood in the pelvic region.
5. Diabetes.
6. Overweight.
7. Lack of regular sex life or poor quality sex.
8. Infectious (venereal) diseases or inflammatory pathologies of the organs of the reproductive system.
9. Uncontrolled "sitting" on hormonal drugs.
10. Alcoholism.
11. Abortions and other operations on the uterus (with complications).
12. Early onset of menstruation (before 11 years) or late menopause (after 60 years).
13. Pathologies of parts of the endocrine system: pituitary gland, ovaries, thyroid gland.
14. Living in an ecologically unfavorable area.

Attention! In women who smoke, pathology is detected especially often.

As a rule, nodules appear in childbearing (fertile) age, long before the onset of menopause (mainly at the age of 30). But with the onset of a difficult menopause or after the onset of menopause, the uterine fibroids begins to increase in size.

How is the disease diagnosed?

It happens that a woman who has fibroids at the age of 25-30 learns about her problem in old age. And the reason for going to a gynecologist is pain in the abdomen, lower back, spotting and a number of other signs. This is not surprising, because for many years, fibroids can "sleep" in the uterus, and a woman who neglects routine gynecological examinations is not aware of the problem.

The fact is that at the initial stage of development, myomatous nodes are too small and cannot be detected without the help of a specialist. Barely noticeable neoplasms do not press anywhere and do not cause discomfort and it is impossible to suspect the presence of a problem.

The reason for a visit to a specialist is an enlarged node, which reduces the functionality of nearby organs. This often happens with menopause, because it is during this period that the signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids appear brighter.

With the onset of premenopause, the serous membrane of the uterus becomes looser, easily deformed, which is why the abdomen begins to grow in many patients. This does not always happen uniformly and quite often is not accompanied by a general set of pounds. You should not postpone the visit to the gynecologist if the following symptoms are added to the rounded tummy:

• intimacy is painful, accompanied by bleeding;
• abundant, prolonged, rather painful periods begin to come (an important sign of fibroids, especially in postmenopausal women, when the menstrual cycle has finally stopped);
• the lower abdomen and lower back "ache" (it is difficult for a woman to stand on her feet for a long time);
• constant urge to urinate (triggered by compression of the bladder);
• difficulties with bowel movement, constipation (caused by pressure on the rectum);
• a feeling of fullness in the pelvis, painful urination;
• the volume of vaginal secretion increases;
• uterine bleeding occurs periodically (serious blood loss can lead to the development of iron deficiency anemia: fainting, pallor of the skin, dizziness, "flies" in the eyes);
• acute, growing abdominal pain occurs in case of rupture, twisting, necrosis of fibroids and requires immediate surgical attention.

It is important to understand that the progression of the tumor process is not always accompanied by all of the above symptoms and it is impossible to understand whether your fibroids are growing with menopause.

Call your doctor right away if you feel a distended pelvic or painful urination. Perhaps the alarm will turn out to be false - this is not fatal.

Remember that early detection of a tumor and its treatment is the best prevention of complications.

Medical fact! More than 800,000 Russian women lose their uterus every year due to untreated fibroids.

A rapid increase in the tumor can be triggered by the uncontrolled use of synthetic hormones, the presence of concomitant pathologies of the genital organ or appendages. In 5% of patients, the rapid growth of fibroids in menopause indicates the risk of malignancy and requires urgent therapy.

Does myoma always grow in menopause?

Do not think that the growth of a tumor in the climacteric period is predetermined. Doctors say that the regression of uterine fibroids in menopause occurs more often than in the childbearing period (the node begins to regress under the influence of estrogen deficiency). However, it is still not worth relaxing, and after the diagnosis is made, it is necessary to monitor the "behavior" of the neoplasm.

Diagnostic measures

Only a gynecologist can diagnose uterine fibroids with menopause and determine if surgery is needed. Therefore, the task of a woman is to contact a specialist at the first symptoms of pathology.

Yes, quite often a tumor is detected during a routine examination. But as life shows, many women with extinct reproductive function forget the way to the antenatal clinic, thereby exposing their bodies to serious risks.

After listening to the patient's complaints, the doctor examines her in the gynecological chair and if there is a suspicion of myoma (the uterus is enlarged, with a bumpy surface), prescribes an ultrasound examination of the organs of a small pelvis. The available technique displays the size, shape and location of the neoplasm. And also can be used:

1. Radiography (with contrast).
2. Doppler ultrasonography.
3. Laparoscopy (used to collect material for histological analysis if the node is located on the outside of the uterus and grows into the abdominal cavity).
4. Hysteroscopy (an invasive diagnostic method is prescribed when the node is located submucosa, but is performed under anesthesia and has many contraindications).
5. Colposcopy.
6. If the tumor is large or grows rapidly, threatening to degenerate into a malignant, the patient is prescribed MRI (in addition to reliable information about the tumor, the technique shows how myoma relates to neighboring organs).
7. Even the most highly qualified specialist will not be able to determine the benign quality of a tumor by eye. For these purposes, the patient is prescribed a targeted biopsy.

Remember! Fibroma, uterine fibroids or other diseases with menopause are not diagnosed according to the signs described in the Internet reviews. Only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective, safe treatment.

Treatment methods

Fibroids with menopause sometimes go away on their own. The tumor resolves if the size of the node is less than 3 cm and there are no prerequisites for the growth of the neoplasm.

However, you shouldn't relax anyway. After all, it is impossible to predict the further development of events. Regardless of the age at which the diagnosis was made, the dynamics of the neoplasm must be monitored and, in which case, strictly follow the recommendations of the attending physician.

Conservative (therapeutic) treatment is prescribed in such cases:

• slow tumor growth;
• lack of severe symptoms;
• knot sizes up to 12 cm.

To stop the development of the neoplasm, the doctor prescribes drugs with norethisterone. They are taken in an annual cycle, from 3 months to six months. To achieve the best results, potassium iodide electrophoresis is administered to the suprapubic area.

But conservative therapy is unlikely to be effective without the following measures:

• compliance with hygiene standards;
• rational nutrition (mainly raw vegetables and fruits);
• maintenance iron preparations (if anemia develops).

If uterine fibroids are combined with the initial stage of endometriosis or endometrial hyperplasia, hormonal drugs are taken for 6-9 months with pauses of six months.

Surgical intervention is necessary for such conditions:

• large sizes of myomatous nodes;
• the rapid increase in the tumor;
• severe pain syndrome, which reduces the patient's performance and quality of life;
• a combination of uterine fibroids with endometriosis or a tumor process in the ovary;
• necrosis, twisting of the knot;
• submucosal location of the neoplasm (a serious indicator, without trying to cure the tumor with hormones).

The node does not always resolve, so surgical removal of the tumor shows the best results. Myomectomy (genital-preserving surgery) can be of three types:

1. Abdominal removal (no more than 4 nodes with preservation of the uterus).
2. Laparoscopic removal (for subserous, intramural neoplasms).
3. Hysteroscopic removal (for a tumor located on the uterine lining).

It is not always possible to preserve the uterus after menopause. The advanced stages of pathology, when the fibroid grows quickly and noticeably, do not lend itself to drug treatment or myomectomy. In this case, the risk of the tumor degenerating into cancer is too great and the complete removal of the affected organ is vital. This surgical treatment is called a hysterectomy.

Traditional medicine recipes

Combining the drugs prescribed by the doctor with the treatment of fibroids in menopause with folk remedies, you can enhance the effectiveness of therapy, and sometimes achieve the absolute disappearance of education. The best results are shown by decoctions, infusions and douching from the following gifts of nature:

• boron uterus;
• aloe vera;
• potato;
• burdock;
• stinging nettle.

Be sure to coordinate the use of folk recipes with your doctor. Otherwise, you are not immune to the development of dangerous complications.

Complications

Now the main question: is myoma dangerous in the menopausal period, and what complications can it lead to?

It is important to understand that we are talking about a benign tumor that has a tendency to grow and degenerate into an oncological process.

Even if malignancy during menopause does not occur, the grown node will squeeze the surrounding organs, reducing their functionality.

Due to the compression of the vessels, tissue nutrition will be disrupted and hypoxia will develop in the body.

Uterine bleeding leads to anemia, but this is at best. At worst, large-scale blood loss can be fatal.

Prophylaxis

There is no absolute prophylaxis against the development of fibroids. The only thing that a woman can do, with the onset of menopause, is to reduce the number of factors that provoke tumor growth. Namely:

1. Give up alcohol and cigarettes.
2. Avoid a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle (it would be nice to sign up for yoga, do gymnastics or do race walking).
3. More outdoor activities.
4. Create a work and rest schedule (and observe it).
5. Prevent the buildup of extra pounds.
6. Self-isolate from nervous people, avoid stress.
7. To cure in a timely manner, not to heal diseases (so that they do not become chronic).
8. Undergo regular preventive examinations by specialists.

As you can see, uterine fibroids during menopause are far from harmless and can lead to the development of dangerous conditions. So, timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease are the best allies in the fight for women's health.