THERE IS NO MEDICINE FOR CURING FIBROIDS....SAYS GYNECOLOGIST

Out of every 5 woman 1 has fibriod.  Fibroids affect at least 20% of all women at sometime during their life. Women aged between 30 and 50 are the most likely to develop fibroids. A  Gynecologist at the Sukura Community Hospital ,Dr Osei Assigbe disclosed this  at a health talk on fibrod organised by the Ladies Fellowship of the Mataheko Branch of the Faith  Evangelical Mission . Dr Osei Assigbe was quick to say "there is no medicine which can cure  fibroids, instead these medicine are meant to shrink the fibroids". He therefore cautioned the General Public to beware of People who claim they have cure for fibroids.

So what is Fibroid
Dr Assigbe explained that fabroids are non-cancerous (benign) tumors that grow from the muscle layers of the uterus (womb). They are also known as uterine fibroids, myomas, or fibromyomas. Fibroids can vary in size, from that of a bean to as large as a melon. <br>
 Overweight and obese women are at significantly higher risk of developing fibroids, compared to women of normal weight.

Types of fibroids
There are Four types of fibroids.

1)Intramural :These are located in the wall of the uterus. These are the most common types of fibroids.

2)Subserosal fibroids :These are located outside the wall of the uterus. They can develop into pedunculated fibroids (stalks). Subserosal fibroids can become quite large.<br>
3) Submucosal fibroids: These are located in the muscle beneath the lining of the uterus wall.

4) Cervical fibroids :These are located in the neck of the womb (the cervix).<br>

 Causes of fibroids
Experts cannot come to a common consensus about why fibroids occur. During a woman's reproductive years her estrogen and progesterone levels are high. When estrogen levels are high, especially during pregnancy, fibroids tend to swell. When estrogen levels are low fibroids may shrink, e.g. during a woman's menopause. Heredity may also be a factor. Women whose mothers and/or sisters have/had fibroids have a higher risk of developing them too.

How to know you have fibroid
Most women have no symptoms. That is why most patients with fibroids do not know they have them. When symptoms do develop, they may include: Anemia (as a result of heavy periods) ,backache , Constipation ,Discomfort in the lower abdomen (especially if fibroids are large) Frequent urination ,Heavy painful periods ,pain in the legs
 Painful sex ,swelling in the lower abdomen (especially if fibroids are large) Other possible symptoms of uterine fibroids include: Labor problems Pregnancy problems <br>
Fertility problems, repeated miscarriages <br>

Diagnosis of fibroids
In most cases, the symptoms of fibroids are rarely felt and the patient does not know she has them. They are usually discovered during a vaginal examination<br>

Treatments for fibroids
If the woman has no symptoms and the fibroids are not affecting her day-to-day life she may receive no treatment at all.
Even women who have heavy periods and whose lives are not badly affected by this symptom may also opt for no treatment. During the menopause symptoms will usually become less apparent, or disappear altogether as the fibroids usually shrink at this stage of a woman's life. When treatment is necessary it may be in the form of medication or surgery.

Surgery to treat fibroids
 When medications to shrink the fibroid have not worked, the patient may have to undergo surgery.

The following surgical procedures may be considered: <br>
Hysterectomy - removing the uterus. This is only ever considered if the fibroids are very large, or if the patient is bleeding too much. Hysterectomies are sometimes considered as an option to stop recurrences of fibroids (stop them coming back). Hysterectomies have two possible side-effects: 1. Reduced libido. 2. Early menopause.

Myomectomy - the fibroids are surgically removed from the wall of the uterus. This option is more popular for women who want to get pregnant (as opposed to a hysterectomy). Women with large fibroids, as well as those whose fibroids are located in particular parts of the uterus may not be able to benefit from this procedure. <br>


Endometrial ablation - this involves removing the lining of the uterus. This procedure may be used if the patient's fibroids are near the inner surface of the uterus. <br>
UAE (Uterine Artery Embolization) - this treatment stops the fibroid from getting its blood supply. UAE is generally used for women with large fibroids. UAEs effectively shrink the fibroid.

 Magnetic-resonance-guided percutaneous laser ablation - an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is used to locate the fibroids. Then very fine needles are inserted through the patient&apos;s skin and pushed until they reach the targeted fibroids. A fiber-optic cable is inserted through the needles. A laser light goes through the fiber-optic cable, hits the fibroids and shrinks them.

The Gynecologist refuted allegations that fibroids are the major cause of infertility and pregnancy problems. He said there are several contributing factors to that and not fibroids. "Fibroid has a slight chance of making you infertile or have pregnancy problems" he indicated.

Dr Assigbe also refuted allegations that the less days you menstrate determines your risk of getting fibroid. He said "it is  normal to menstrate four or five days but not normal to  menstrate every two weeks".

Advise
Dr Assigbe urged the public to visit the hospital as soon as they notice symptoms of fibroids. He said" dont wait for the fibroids to become bigger before visiting the hospital".Adding that" early detection leads to early treatment"