Most of the time, uterine fibroids don’t turn into cancer. Also known as leiomyomas, they don’t increase your cancer risk as well. While non-serious, they can cause years of discomfort due to their number, size, and location.
Longer menstrual periods are among their most bothersome effects. Such symptom is also combined with heavier flows. Whether they’re on their period or not, women who have leiomyomas may feel pelvic pain, too.
There’s the risk of urinary problems as well. Frequent urination is the most common. There’s also the possibility of incontinence and retention.
Why Fibroids Don’t Always Trigger Urinary Problems
To be clear, many women who have those fibroids don’t suffer from any effect. It’s partly because they only have one. It could also be due to the fibroid’s small size.
If it’s the intramural type, there’s also a chance that it won’t have any effect at all. Such type refers to the fibrous growth that’s restricted within the uterine walls. This means it doesn’t project into the uterine cavity, unlike the submucosal type. It also differs from the subserosal type which bulges outside the uterus.
How Fibroids Cause Urinary Problems
Of the three types of leiomyomas, subserosal is the one that triggers urinary problems. The said type may project into the nearby bladder after all. It may bulge towards the rectum and cause constipation.
As the fibroid bulges, it decreases the size of the bladder. In the process, it also lowers the organ’s capacity to hold urine. As a result, women who have such fibroids end up urinating more often.
Having many subserosal uterine fibroids may further lead to incontinence or retention. The same goes for having one fibroid yet as big as an orange.
The placement of the fibroids also plays a role in causing urinary problems. Those located near the opening can serve as blockages. As such, they’ll make it hard for urine to flow out of the body. Those bulging into the bladder’s roof are the ones that cause leaks and frequent urination.
The fibroids won’t directly cause urinary tract infections. However, they can increase your risk for having such.
Those fibrous growths can further push down the urethra. As a result, bacteria can reach the tract a little faster. Afterwards, they can thrive therein and cause infections.
Worse, such kind of UTI can keep on recurring. After all, some women only focus on relieving the infections. They don’t manage the actual cause which is the fibroid.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have recurrent UTIs or another urinary problem, you should undergo a pelvic exam. Pelvic exams are done to detect fibrous growths in the uterus. These exams usually involve ultrasound and MRI.
If these aren’t enough, the doctor may try out other imaging techniques—one of which is hysteroscopy. This test involves the use of a small, lighted telescope inserted into the uterus.
After proper diagnosis, your doctor will advise you about treatment options. These include surgical removal. Minimally invasive and non-invasive surgeries are available though, and there are also medications you can try.
If you have big or multiple uterine fibroids, surgery is often the better choice. For small ones, medications may be enough.
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