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	You are here: Home > Articles > Understanding Uterine Fibroids Understanding Uterine Fibroids (Click here to view the Quick Surf - Text Only- Print Version) Uterine fibroids are solid muscle tissue growths in the uterus. They are also called fibroid tumours, myomas, or leiomyomas. Fibroids occur so frequently (in up to half of all women over forty) that they could be considered a normal irregularity. The occasional fibroid can become enormous but the majority (80%) remain as small as a walnut. Fibroid tumours are not cancerous. Small fibroids often disappear spontaneously. Larger fibroids are more difficult to resolve, but not impossible to control with natural measures. Causes Essentially, a Uterine Fibroid Tumour ( myoma ) is the result of a tug of war between oestrogen and progesterone. If too much oestrogen is present relative to progesterone, the Uterine Fibroid will worsen. The use of progesterone to treat women with uterine fibroids is hotly debated. One side holds that fibroids are created by lack of progesterone. The other side makes the better case: that progesterone increases fibroids. Fibroids increase in size during pregnancy, when progesterone production is high, and atrophy after menopause, when progesterone levels decrease. Whichever side is right, eating more whole grains and beans usually changes oestrogen/progesterone ratio for the better and shrinks fibroids. Many women in their mid thirties begin to have anovulatory (non-ovulating) cycles. As they approach the decade before menopause, they are producing much less progesterone than expected, but still producing normal oestrogen. They retain water and salt, their breast swell and become fibrocystic, they gain weight (especially around the hips and torso), they become depressed and lose sex drive, their bones suffer mineral loss, and they develop fibroids. All are signs of oestrogen dominance. When a better ratio of hormones exist uterine fibroids generally decrease in size and can be kept from growing until menopause, after which they will atrophy. This is the effect of reversing oestrogen dominance. Oestrogens, especially estradiol, promote fibroid growth. After menopause fibroids may often disappear. Fibroids appear to be at least partially the result of genes, so be aware of your family history. Other risk factors include:- high-fat diet, alcohol consumption, B-vitamin deficiency, stress and excess weight. The "root chakra" (lower most energy centre which includes the uterus) is said to store unexpressed anger. It is believed that any unwanted growths in these organs can be countered by allowing the anger to safely discharge. Symptoms Due to the fact that oestrogen levels can rise during the early menopausal years, previously asymptomatic fibroids may grow in the years just before the cessation of menses, resulting in symptoms such as feeling of heaviness in the belly, low back pain, pain with vaginal penetration, urinary frequency or incontinence, bowel difficulties, or severe menstrual pain and flooding. Fibroids are easiest to treat when they are small, but they are also very hard to detect at this stage-tiny fibroids rarely produce any symptoms. Many women are not aware that they even have them. As fibroids grow larger, however, they cause menstrual bleeding to increase, and they become quite painful, especially during menstruation. Eventually, they can press on your surrounding organs, especially the bladder and kidneys, and this sometimes causes such severe symptoms that removal is the only option. But this does not solve the problem as about half of the women who keep their uteruses find that their fibroids grow back. Fibroids are responsible for about one-third of all hysterectomies. Treatment for Fibroids Because fibroids normally shrink during menopause (although taking oestrogen may reactivate them), some women choose to wait and see if the fibroids go away by themselves. One way to prevent the return of fibroids-and often to avoid surgery in the first place-is to adopt a natural prevention and treatment plan using herbs. This can result in fibroids shrinking so that the women can easily live with them. Herbs to Relieve symptoms. 1. Moxa burning over the area of the fibroid while you envision the heat releasing the treasures in your uterus. Ask yourself, "What is locked up in this fibroid? What can you give birth to? " 2. Acupuncture: Since fibroids are rarely life-threatening and generally grow slowly, you may have time to try herbs. You may also be able to speed things along by using other natural healing methods, especially acupuncture, in your therapy. 3. Maca: The herb Maca with Natural Progesterone. Maca is a Peruvian cruciferous herb used for centuries by the native Peruvians for fertility in the women, and stamina and strength in the men. Today, body builders use Maca. It seems to have progesterone effects as well as "weak" estrogen effects that block the xenoestrogens from the oestrogen receptor. Start with 4 capsules per day every day. Individual doses vary from 2-8 capsules per day. Each capsule contains 500 mg per capsule. 4. Poke root used internally as a tincture (1-10 drops per day; start small) and externally as a belly rub oil, has gained a reputation as a profound helper in relieving pain and distresses from fibroids. The herbs I include in my basic mix include: Chaste tree, White Paeony, Poke root, Horsetail, Shepherds Purse, St Mary's along with Bach Flowers Wild Oat, Walnut, Rock water , Chest nut Bud, Scleranthus and Wild Rose. Xeno-oestrogens (foreign chemical estrogens) Chronic exposure to xenoestrogens desensitizes the body to oestrogen. Become aware of xenoestrogens in the environment and make concerted efforts to cut them out by:- Reducing your exposure to oestrogen: avoid birth control pills, ERT/HRT, oestrogen-mimicing residues from herbicides and pesticides used on food crops. Plastic wrap heated in oil in a microwave oven contained 500,000 times the minimum amount of xenoestrogens needed to stimulate breast cancer cells to proliferate. Heating plastic wrap with food is very bad. Heat food in a ceramic bowl instead and, cover it with a plate in the microwave oven. Coffee is a known phyto-oestrogen that exacerbates Fibroids. Since it is a phytoestrogen, decaffeinated coffee may still be able to act as an oestrogen. Laundry detergent cannot be fully rinsed out of the clothes and is absorbed through the skin. Change to a health food store detergent without the alky phenols that mimic oestrogen. Tampons that are bleached with chlorine may mimic the bad effects of oestrogen, too. Anything that is put on the skin is absorbed directly into the body. Anything that is eaten is first pass metabolized by the liver. The liver can eliminate 90% of a prescription conjugated oestrogen before it gets to the body. In contrast, an oestrogen patch goes directly into the body bypassing the liver. Most skin creams contain methyl paraben, propyl paraben, or butyl paraben. The parabens are known xenoestrogens, and are now being investigated by the European Union as a contributor to breast cancer. Be very careful about what you put on your skin. Many of the cosmetics also contain these same preservatives as well. Stress or Competing in a Mans World A woman that competes in a man's world that strives to be equal to men also seems to be a common theme in many patients. This constant emotional stress appears to increase cell membrane rigidity and impairs excretion of xeno-oestrogens. Some patients may have a spiritual or emotional root that is associated with the fibroid. They may have gotten into a divorce or big fight with their husband, or dating someone they thought was single, but actually married and then found out. Or they may hate their very stressful job. This kind of stress may impair the excretion of xeno-oestrogens. I am not saying that the disease is psychological. I am saying that the mind thinking bad thoughts affects biochemistry of the body. This suggests that oestrogen stimulates fibroid growth, but we also know that once they get larger, progesterone too can contribute to their growth. Further Reading: http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/herbs_uterine_fibroids.html Robert McDowell Herbalist If you want Robert to personally spend a full hour assessing your case, writing up his conclusions and recommendations and prescribing a herbal program for your recovery you can submit your health test results and further details by following the links after the health checkup. Consultation cost $95. Click here to start your online consultation. For an example of what you should expect click here.  Related Links: Order the Anemia Herbal Mi | Other Blood and Circulation Related Treatments Send This Page To A Friend Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | SiteMap © 2000-2007 Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments. All Rights Reserved.

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