The ultrasound report said, "Fibroid-25 mm." Her first thought was, "Is that big?" But there was another question that mattered just as much:"Where is it?" Its a fair question, and one that we get asked constantly. A number on a report tells you very little on its own. To understand what it implies, it helps to know what a fibroid actually is. The Basics A fibroid is a benign ( non-cancerous ) growth arising from the muscular layer of the uterus. Theey are also extremely common. A large majority of women will develop at least one fibroid in their reproductive years, many without even knowing it. Why do they form? Fibroids are hormone-sensitive. Estrogen and progesterone, the hormones that drive the menstrual cycle, also fuel fibroid growth. Thats the reason fibroids tend to appear during reporductive years, grow larger during pregnancy and often shrink after menopause. Why some women develop fibroids and oá¹hers don't is not fully understood. Its sppea...
She thought her periods have simply gotten heavier with age. The fatigue, the clots, the 2-hourly pad changes had slowly become normal. Until her Hemoglobin revealed a different story. This is a common story we hear in clinic. Heavy bleeding rarely occurs overnight. It creeps up over months, years sometimes, and women adapt: dark clothes, spare pads in every bag, cancelled plans on day 2. Somewhere along the way, “abnormal” becomes “normal for me”. What counts as heavy? Your periods are considered heavy if: You pass large clots, size if a coin or larger. Bleeding lasts more than 7 days You change a pad or tampon every 1-2 hours or need to double up. You need to wale up at night to change protection. What you body may be telling you Heavy bleeding is often the first sign if fibroids- benign growths in uterine wall. It can be associated with other symptoms like: Fatigue, breathlessness, dizziness or palpitations , signs of iron deficiency anaemia from blood l...