Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD

What are uterine fibroids?

*Uterine fibroids grow on the inner or exterior muscle walls of the uterus. The cervix can sometimes be involved, too. These benign or noncancerous growths are abnormal muscle cells, and are not really fibrous at all. They can be small (pea-sized)or quite large (grapefruit or cantelope-sized). Most shrink after menopause, but up to 30 percent of all women have these muscle cells gone awry.

When fibroids create problems

Fibroids may cause no trouble at all, in fact, you may not even know you have them, unless they cause heavy bleeding, anemia, infertility, fatigue, increased vaginal discharge, or painful intercourse. As the fibroid grows, it can stretch the uterus lining and cause more bleeding than usual. Depending on where the fibroids are, they can press on your bowels, bladder, or urethra (causing urination problems). If you have heavy bleeding (use more than one tampon or pad an hour---consult your health care provider. Heavy bleeding is a major reason physicians suggest a hysterectomy. (For a small percentage of women, heavy bleeding can be due to drinking too much or having liver disease.)

What causes fibroids?

Because fibroids develop when women are in their thirties and forties, it is suspected that estrogen is involved. But not all women develop fibroids, so it could also have a genetic factor, and maybe even a nutritional one. Emotions may also play a role as may thyroid insufficiency. Like most conditions, fibroids are probably caused by an interaction of many factors.

What self-care measures can you take?

*avoid estrogen birth control pills; consider other measures such as a diaphragm and/or condoms

*eat a high fiber, whole-foods diet that includes five serving of fresh vegetables and fruits daily

*eat sea vegetables and use kelp in your diet to help with thyroid function

*eat soy foods that can exert an estrogen-like effect that helps regulate hormonal irregularities

*avoid fried foods, animal fats and hydrogentated fats and oils and refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol

*eat fresh pineapple--the bromalein helps reduce inflammation in the body

*eat plain yogurt with active cultures or take a digestive enzyme to help with digestion---this is especially good for bloating

*grind flaxseeds in a coffee grinder and put in salads, soups, or drinks to reduce inflammation

*exercise daily--yoga may be most helpful

*morning and night spend at least 15 minutes picturing your fibroids turning into liquid and leaving your body

*cook with iron pots to make sure you get sufficient iron

*take a multivitamin and multimineral to ensure you get all nutrients in a balanced format

*foot reflexology has helped dimish pain and may even reduce the size of a fibroid

*look into Reiki, therapuetic touch, body work, acupuncture, and meditation

*if none of these ideas work for you, talk to a surgeon about removing only the fibroid, not the uterus

This article is for information purposes only. For treatment, consult your health care practitioner.

Sources and Resources:

No More Hysterectomies by Dr. Vicki Hufnagel

Dr. Carolyn Dean's Complementary Natural Prescriptions for Common Ailments

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living by Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, ALlan Spreen, MD, CNC, and James LaValle, RPh, ND

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by Balch and Balch