In this week’s episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni are discussing what you need to know about uterine fibroids. Did you know that by the age of 50, almost two-thirds of women experience fibroids? Listen in to discover risk factors, racial disparities, conventional and natural treatments available for fibroids. What are uterine fibroids? Fibroids are noncancerous tumors that grow in the uterus and range from pea to football sized. Fibroids disproportionately impact women of color. Black women are diagnosed with fibroids roughly three times as frequently as white women, develop them earlier in life and tend to experience larger and more numerous fibroids that cause more severe symptoms. In the US, nearly a quarter of Black women between 18 and 30 have fibroids compared to about 6% of white women. By age 35, that number increases to 60%. Potential causes and risk factors: * Estrogen dominance, as estrogen can feed the growth of fibroid - see Episode 21 and 22* Xenoestrogens and hormone disrupting compounds - for more info see Episode 65* Commercially-Raised Animal Products:* Plastics & Canned Goods (many have plastic lining)* Personal Care Products (makeup, lotion, & perfumes)* Oral Contraceptives or birth control pill* Pharmaceutical medications* Food Additives & preservatives* Styrofoam products* Laundry & Dishwashing detergents* Household cleaners & air fresheners* Pesticides & Herbicides* Perimenopause due to with lower progesterone levels* Weight gain, as your fat cells make more estrogen* Poor liver detoxification of hormones* Low vitamin D status - impacted by your skin tone and levels of melanin in your skin * Vitamin D deficiency occurs 10X in Black women compared women from other cultures* Vitamin D inhibits uterine fibroid growth* Stress - see Episode 24 for more info on stress and your adrenal glands Signs and Symptoms: * Heavy menstrual bleeding* Menstrual periods lasting more than a week * Anemia and fatigue* Pelvic pressure or pain, can be during intercourse* Frequent urination* Difficulty emptying the bladder* Constipation* Protruding abdomen or bloating* Backache or leg pains 3 locations: * Subserosal – on the outside surface of your uterus* Intramural – within the muscular wall of your uterus* Submucous – bulging into your uterine cavity May impact your fertility in the following ways: * Block fallopian tubes, cervix* Reduce where implantation can occur* Increase risk of miscarriage* C-section may be recommended for birth Conventional Treatments: * Uterine Fibroid Embolization * Non-surgical; outpatient procedure* Incision in upper thigh with catheter inserted into femoral artery using x-ray to guide/locate blood supply to fibroid* Microscopic inert particles injected into vessels that nourish the fibroid to block blood supply resulting in fibroids shrinking * Myomectomy: * Fibroid only taken out* Black women 2x more likely to get complications like excessive blo...
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