A benign neoplasm that is formed from the tissues of the myometrium is called uterine fibroids. The myometrium is the middle muscular layer in the uterus. The insidiousness of this disease lies in the development of endometrial hyperplasia, and sometimes in degeneration into a malignant tumor.
What is uterine fibroids?
Today it is a fairly common disease. As a result of its development, single neoplasms or multiple nodules occur simultaneously. Uterine fibroids, by the nature of their occurrence, are dependent on hormonal imbalance in a woman's body, when the amount of estrogen in the blood exceeds the allowable values. A feature of the course of the disease is the constant growth of the tumor. Because of this, the menstrual cycle is disrupted. In addition, intermenstrual discharge becomes much more intense, sometimes with blood impurities. The disease is accompanied by constant heavy bleeding.
Bleeding with uterine fibroids todayconsidered one of the most common pathological processes. Monthly prolonged bleeding with profuse blood loss leads to iron deficiency anemia and other ensuing consequences. Therefore, the presence of such disorders in the body cannot be ignored.
Provoking factors
Here are some of them:
- The formation of uneven endometrium, and as a result - its incomplete rejection.
- Inadequate contraction of the uterus, and bleeding, not completely clamped uterine arteries.
Against the background of blood loss, the reproductive organs of a woman suffer from oxygen starvation and iron deficiency anemia develops. In this regard, the risk of breakthrough bleeding that threatens the life of a woman will increase. How to stop uterine bleeding with fibroids? You need to go to an ambulance. However, it is also important to provide first aid.
Varieties of uterine fibroids
In medicine, there are several types of fibroids that have common features that differ from each other in the place of localization:
- Subserous fibroids are located under the serosa of the uterus. Formed from muscle tissue. The neoplasm grows towards the peritoneum, and in the case of a significant size it is able to compress the organs located nearby. In this case, the menstrual cycle remains unchanged and regular.
- Subendothelial fibroids are closer to the inner layer of the uterus.
- Fibroids on the wall of the uterus. More often located on the back wall, increasing, expanding the boundaries of the uterus.
- Sumbucose - develops in the deep layer. Manifested strongbleeding with fibroids, how to stop which not everyone knows.
In turn, subserous fibroids are divided into subtypes:
- Intramural - is a nodule on a thin stalk that affects the pelvic region. It grows through the muscular layer of the uterus, covering the inner layers and deforming its body. The number of formations can be single or multiple. The size of the nodules also varies from small to large. This type breaks the cycle of menstruation.
- Interstitial - located on the surface of the uterus.
- Subserous pedunculated myoma is a dangerous species. Since the nodule is fed through the leg, its torsion leads to the development of a purulent-inflammatory process.
Reasons why intramural fibroids develop:
- first birth in adulthood;
- lack of childbirth;
- abortion;
- caesarean section;
- presence of polyps and erosions;
- chronic diseases of the genitourinary system;
- high levels of estrogen in the blood provokes the development of nodular neoplasms;
Very often, with the onset of the climatic period, myomatous nodes resolve in women. This is due to the fact that the level of estrogen at this time is markedly reduced.
Risk groups
Women with poor heredity, as well as with deviations in work, are at risk of fibroids:
- endocrine system;
- metabolism (overweight);
- circulatory system.
Clinicalpicture
Often, some types of fibroids do not show themselves for a long time, especially at the initial stages of development, which only aggravates the situation. More often, their detection occurs by chance at a preventive examination by a gynecologist. Therefore, every girl and woman, starting from the age of puberty, is obliged to visit a gynecologist and monitor her reproductive he alth.
The degree of manifestation of symptoms directly depends on the localization of myomatous nodes and the rate of their growth. For example, the symptoms of fibroids might be:
- weakness in the body;
- diagnosed anemia;
- regular pain in the lower abdomen;
- sharp pains during menstruation requiring painkillers;
- breaking the cycle;
- intermenstrual spotting;
- frequent urge to urinate;
- systematic constipation;
- pain in the back and lower extremities;
- infertility;
- pain during intercourse.
If you suddenly have abundant bleeding during menstruation, accompanied by severe pain, most likely this indicates the presence of developing fibroids. You need to schedule a visit to the gynecologist.
How can I tell the difference between bleeding and menstruation?
Distinguish uterine bleeding with fibroids from heavy menstruation can be on certain grounds. Some of them:
- Suddenly arising pain in the area of reproductiveorgans extending to the lower back.
- Presence of blood clots in menstruation. Bleeding from fibroids causes large, hard clots that resemble chicken livers.
- Excessive fatigue and weakness, when each step is given with great difficulty, apathy. Decreased hemoglobin level in the blood.
- Long flow.
A woman must be made to think about irregular cycles, pain and bleeding. What to do with myoma, when these symptoms appeared? An urgent visit to the doctor will save you from serious consequences.
Irregularities in menses
Provoking conditions that lead to menstrual irregularities:
- Enlargement of the endometrium in the inner cavity of the uterus occurs unevenly. At the end of the cycle, when the cells are ready to be rejected in the form of menstruation, some of them come out, and some remain inside the uterus. Due to this set of circumstances, the endometrium is not able to fully renew itself and grows unevenly.
- Prolonged and profuse blood loss occurs due to the pathology of the uterus. When the uterus contracts, it must occlude the spiral arteries. As a result of systematic bleeding, its function decreases, and the arteries continue to bleed.
Bleeding caused by fibroids is not only an unpleasant sensation, but also a danger to a woman's he alth. First, heavy menstruation provokes malaise. At the next stage, intermenstrual bleeding appears. As a result, the female body weakens, loses a lot of blood and strength. Anemia causes sudden attacks of dizziness andfainting state.
Myomatous nodes make it difficult to conceive a child. Pregnancy does not occur or is interrupted. Ultimately, infertility sets in. With years of inactivity, the risk of fibroid degeneration from a benign neoplasm to a malignant tumor increases. Therefore, it is important not to delay a visit to the doctor if you have similar symptoms.
Diagnosis of fibroids
To identify the causes of deviations from the norm (unstable cycle, heavy menstruation and pain), the patient is prescribed a full examination, which includes the following studies:
- Ultrasound diagnosis of the state of the pelvic organs of a woman (ultrasound).
- A blood test for hormones.
- Complete blood count.
- Examination on the gynecological chair and taking a smear.
- Examination of vessels by angiography.
- MRI of abdominal and pelvic organs.
Every woman should know and explain to the doctor the nature of her menstruation. For example, situations where a menstrual pad fills up completely in an hour are not normal and require medical attention. It is possible that this is not menstruation, but uterine bleeding. Typical symptoms of uterine bleeding in fibroids:
- the period of critical days has dragged on and lasts more than a week;
- discharge accompanied by voluminous blood clots;
- abdominal cramps;
- low hemoglobin in the blood;
- disability during this period, weakness and poor he alth.
Basicallyuterine bleeding is accompanied by submucosal fibroids. A type of submucosal uterine fibroids provokes the growth of the endometrial layer, as well as an increase in the size of the uterus.
Important! Blood loss exceeding 70-80 ml of blood per day is a reason for urgent hospitalization.
Can bleeding with myoma be a signal of a possible degeneration of a neoplasm into a malignant tumor? Yes, if a woman who was previously diagnosed with fibroids is already in menopause, and she is worried about spotting. This is a bad sign.
Causes of bleeding
Here's what doctors say, why a woman is worried about heavy discharge:
- exceeding the amount of estrogen in the blood;
- unevenly growing layer of the endometrium;
- reduced functions of uterine contractions;
- Intensive growth of fibroids;
- increase in the size of the uterus due to the growth of the neoplasm.
First Aid
In case of heavy bleeding with myoma, the first thing to do is call an ambulance. Next, if possible, a cold object should be applied to the lower abdomen. It can be ice or frozen foods. Drink hemostatic drugs, for example:
- "Vikasol" (vitamin K), which increases blood clotting;
- "Dicinone" - a hemostatic agent;
- "Tranexam" - reduces blood loss.
If there is no first aid kitsuch medicines, it is necessary to purchase them. The hospital uses medications with a hemostatic effect to stop bleeding in uterine fibroids. After providing first aid, the patient is prescribed treatment.
How to stop bleeding from uterine fibroids?
There are two treatment options:
- Medication process - therapy with hormonal and non-hormonal agents.
- Surgical intervention - curettage of the uterine cavity or removal of fibroids. In extreme cases, the uterus is removed.
Girls of childbearing age admitted to hospital undergo curettage (cleansing of the uterus). Special tools scrape off the top layer of the endometrium. The disadvantage of the method is that it is a provocative moment in the occurrence of subsequent bleeding. However, the method is effective for treating bleeding fibroids if the nodules are small and with clear boundaries. Therefore, it is used to this day. Unfortunately, with multiple nodes, scraping is not an effective method.
Then the patient is prescribed drugs that strengthen the walls of blood vessels, reducing their degree of fragility. Additionally, medicines are used to increase blood clotting.
Hormonal drugs are prescribed in three cases:
- when the patient's age has not reached puberty;
- to normalize the hormonal background of a patient of reproductive age and older;
- when a short time has passed since the last scraping, specificallyless than six months.
To avoid such conditions, it is necessary to treat uterine fibroids, and not the numerous consequences of the disease in advanced cases.
Indications for removal of uterine fibroids
When conservative therapy fails, the question of surgical removal of uterine fibroids is raised. The indications for the operation are the following situations:
- large fibroids;
- sumbucose type;
- rapid growth of fibroids;
- anemia due to heavy blood loss;
- inability to bear a child or infertility.
Surgical methods for removing uterine fibroids
Gynecologists use these methods:
- Laparoscopy - removal of a neoplasm through punctures in the abdominal cavity with special devices.
- Hysteroscopy - removal of fibroids through the vagina.
- Uterine artery embolization is a method based on the deprivation of nutrition of fibroids with the help of specific drugs that are injected into the artery. By stopping the flow of blood, the fibroid dies.
- Hysterectomy - removal of fibroids along with the uterus (the method is used in extreme and advanced cases).
- FUZ-ablation - the destruction of fibroid cells by ultrasonic waves.
Single nodules are not difficult to surgically remove because their borders are clear and they are demarcated from the body of the uterus.
