FIBROIDS: AFRICA’S SILENT INVASION…PART 1

FIBROIDS: AFRICA’S SILENT INVASION…PART 1

“Fibroids now affects 4 in 10 Kenyan women!”

v     WHAT: fibroids are abnormal muscle growths which grow in an idle uterus.

v     SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: general feeling of “fullness” in the lower belly, painful and heavy periods that can lead to anemia, swollen abdomen, frequent urge to pee, lower back pain, painful sex.

v     CAUSE: doctors claim that the cause of fibroids is still a mystery; while the female hormone oestrogen is associated with the growth of fibroids, it has not been found to be the initial cause. One factor linked to the rise of fibroids is obesity. The rise in female employment may also play a factor, as does traveling around. Today’s women are more ambitious, which means later marriages and pregnancies- if at all. Traveling and different environments can affect a woman’s hormone. This is why you may miss your periods after a long journey. This might be because more oestrogen is produced as your body adjusts to its new environment- resulting in increased growths in the womb.

v     CONCERNS: With fibroids, it is all about their size, the quantity and their positions. The bigger they are, the greater the risk. Even so, a pimple- sized fibroid could cause issues if it is located within the uterine cavity, while a large fibroid on the outside of the uterus may never cause any problems. But aside from the discomfort factor, fibroids do not automatically equate with infertility. Thanks to today’s medical advances and new technology, it is possible to regain a healthy uterus.

v     CAN FIBROIDS LEAD TO DIFFICULTY CONCEIVING, OR LOWER YOUR CHANCES OF CARRYING A BABY TERM? : Your chances of having a rough pregnancy are high incase you suffer from fibroids. There is an increased probability of losing the pregnancy in the early stages, plus complications during pregnancy and labor- which can often result in a c- section.

v     DOCTOR’S LAST WORDS: “There is nothing better than hearing that first cry. Just do yourself justice and a big favor and get yourself checked regularly. The sooner you find out, the sooner you can be treated.”