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What do stress, vitamin d deficiency and fibroids have in common? Well, they can all affect your period! And those first two increase your risk for the third item listed!

Here's the deal: stress and vitamin d deficiency may increase your fibroid risk and impact your periods. In a minute, we’ll explore these ideas further. First, however, we’ll give you a quick fibroid overview so we’re all on the same page.

What are fibroids?

Female with Fibroids

Fibroid tumors are firm, muscular, uterine growths. We classify (and name them)  based on their location in or on your uterus. If they’re inside your uterus, they’re called submucosal. When they grow on your outer uterine surface, they’re subserosal. Fibroids in the muscles of your uterine wall are intramural, and fibroids that grow like stalks outside your uterus are pedunculated.

Fibroids also vary widely in size. Some are so small they go undetected, or cause no symptoms. But others are much larger, or develop in groups. When this happens, you’re likely to experience troubling symptoms such as pain, heavy periods, anemia, pregnancy complications or even infertility. That’s why we recommend treating your fibroids with a minimally invasive procedure such as Uterine Fibroid Embolization. And it’s also why we’re helping you understand why you get fibroids in the first place.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Other Risks: Why do Fibroids Develop?

Unfortunately, we don’t truly know what causes fibroid development. But we do know they impact black women more than any other group. (By the age of 50, 70% of white women have fibroids. But 80% of black women have them at the same age.)

Lots of things affect your fibroid risk. Current research suggests that a history of stress and depression increases your risk for heavy menstrual bleeding. Plus, stress may be associated with an increased fibroid risk. Also, research now suggests that vitamin d deficiency could increase your risk for fibroids. When working properly, your body's vitamin d stores produce an anti-fibroid effect by reducing certain chemicals that seem to trigger fibroid growth. This factor, in addition to other factors we’ve already identified, including family history, and exposure to the chemicals within hair relaxers, could help explain why black women more often get fibroids. Because, vitamin d deficiency is 10 time more prevalent in Black women than in white women!

Recently, researchers discovered a new risk factor for fibroids: remaining sedentary for 6 or more hours each day! And, while all women's risk for fibroids increased with more sedentary time, one group was most impacted. Specifically, the fibroid risk for women in perimenopause (the transition period between regular menstruation and menopause) is most impacted by remaining sedentary.

In combination, each of these factors can help you understand your fibroid risk. And understanding that stress increases your risk means now is a good moment to check in with your reproductive health. If you notice symptoms such as pelvic pain, frequent urination, or long and/or heavy periods, don’t wait. Seek help right away from a fibroid specialist. Don’t want to leave your house? No problem! Our Houston Fibroids team still offers remote fibroid consultations, via the secure Doxy platform. But we can also see you in our office if you need a procedure. Now, what kind of procedure will depend on your selected treatment preference. So let’s explore your best fibroid treatment plans.

How Should I Treat Fibroids?

All too often, you’ll hear that hysterectomy is the best fibroid treatment. But that’s actually not true for every woman. In fact, many women can find relief from fibroid symptoms with UFE, a minimally invasive procedure which cuts off fibroid blood supply. This effectively kills the tumors. All without surgery, and all while preserving your uterus!

Of course, some women may prefer a myomectomy—the surgical removal of individual fibroids. If this is your choice, just exercise caution. If your doctor wants to perform laparoscopic surgery, just say no to morcellators. They majorly increase your risk for uterine cancer.

What we really want you to understand is this. There are real, concrete ways we can help you manage fibroids, all while preserving your uterus and avoiding surgery and hospital stays. So, if you’re in pain, reach out for help. Request an appointment with our fibroid specialists and we’ll put you on the path to relief. All while protecting you from unnecessary surgeries!

Sources: Seminars in Reproductive Medicine , Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

Maybe you've heard that the fibroid risk for black women is higher. In fact, black women are more than three times as likely to develop these uterine tumors than women of other races. But those are just the measured numbers. In reality, we now know that fibroids, non-cancerous growths in your uterus, often go unnoticed.

As a result, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) calls fibroids a “hidden” epidemic. And late Rep. Stephanie Tubs Jones, who was Ohio’s first black female representative in Congress, called it a “silent epidemic.” In fact, the situation has gotten worse for all women, as rates of fibroid diagnosis have risen by about 50% in the last five years, due in part to delayed childbirth, environmental exposures, and other risk factors for fibroids. Even still, the epidemic impacts black women more than any other female population in this country. Here’s why:

What Makes Fibroids Silent? shh animation

Let’s review: many women with fibroids experience symptoms like pelvic pain, heavy periods or periods that last longer than normal. Many of these women also experience fertility challenges.

But, as it turns out, these fibroid symptoms only impact about 20% of women with the growths. Which means that as many as 80% of fibroid sufferers aren’t aware they’ve got a problem. Why is that a big deal?

While fibroids may start off on the smaller side, they often don’t stay that way.  And, as they grow, symptoms might pop up. What does that mean? Women often don’t notice fibroids until they’re quite large, which may limit their treatment options.

Why is the Fibroid Risk for Black Women Higher?

There's so much we don't know about why some women develop fibroids and others don't. That's largely because we don't know exactly why fibroids develop in the first place. But no matter what, we know that black women develop fibroids more frequently than all other groups of women. And we want to know why that's the case.

There are several theories that may explain why the elevated fibroid risk for black women. One is that hair products that are marketed for black women contain harmful chemicals. And those chemicals can increase your fibroid risk.

Recently, a new theory emerged, and it has to do with the environment. In a study in Human Reproduction, researchers discovered a link between air pollution, black women and increased fibroid risk. The study spent 14 years following the health of 22,000 pre-menopausal black women living in 56 cities across the United States. At the same time, researchers tracked the levels of three different air pollutants in those cities. And what they found was surprising.

About 30% of the female participants were diagnosed with fibroids over the course of the study. That rate is on par with what we'd expect from that study size. But here's the interesting part: when atmospheric ozone levels rose, so did the women's fibroid risk.

Understanding the Risks

Given this discovery, study author Amelia Wesselink, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health, couldn't explain why ozone was the major problem. But she did suggest that ozone may reduce your vitamin D levels. And we've already linked vitamin D deficiency to fibroid risk.

Right now, the new findings just give us one new clue in the fibroid risk puzzle. But Wesselink now wants to screen larger populations to help us better understand the connection. Of course, that could help us diagnose the many women who are living with fibroids and don't know it. So, you may want to consider getting screened for fibroids. Especially if you live in a polluted city. And especially if you want to explore less-invasive treatment options, which often work best when fibroids are caught early on.

What are my Fibroid Treatment Options?

How we treat your fibroids will depend on your individual symptoms. At our practice, we offer Uterine Fibroid Embolization, a minimally invasive fibroid treatment. If you are interested in this treatment, here’s the steps you need to take: gather information, talk to your healthcare provider, and request a consultation with our doctors!

We have plenty of information about UFE on our website, and your OB-Gyn may be able to discuss other treatment options. It’s important for you to know that UFE is one of the few options which won’t require a hospital stay or general anesthetic.

It also allows you to keep your uterus, unlike a hysterectomy, which is an all-too-common fibroid treatment. If all of this sounds good to you, then we invite you to request a consultation. At this time, we are happy to offer Telemedicine appointments, so we can begin your fibroid treatment process without making you leave your house!

 

Many women diagnosed with fibroids—non-cancerous tumors in the uterus—want pain relief and help with fibroid symptoms like long, heavy periods. But many women would also prefer to avoid medical interventions. So, as Houston area fibroid specialists, we are often asked: can everyday changes help me find relief from fibroid pain?

Well, here’s the deal: changes in diet, exercise and self-care won’t cure your fibroids. But, there are some tweaks you can make to your everyday routine that could keep your fibroids from getting bigger. And others may make your fibroid symptoms more manageable. Let’s take a closer look.

Fibroids Diet Changes to Help with Pain Relief

While the science on this matter is still not conclusive, evidence suggests that some foods can help shrink your fibroids, while others will potentially make them worse.

In a new study released in the journal of Fertility and Sterility, researchers studied over 80,000 pre-menopausal women between the ages of 24 and 42. Since their enrollment in 1989, researchers followed these women, monitoring their diets...and observing any fibroid development. During the 18-year study period, just over 8000 of these women developed fibroids. And what they discovered was interesting. While a generally high-fat diet didn't appear to affect fibroid risk, there were two exceptions. Women who ate polyunsaturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids did develop fibroids more frequently. Some of the worst-offending foods include shortening, frozen dough, frozen pizza and microwave popcorn.

plate of salmon with vegetables

Research also suggests that highly caloric diets full of red meat and sugar can increase your risk of developing fibroids. In order to minimize your risk, then, you could try replacing red meats with leaner cuts like chicken or turkey. Better yet, you could try getting your protein from plant-based sources like beans or the new and widely-beloved Impossible or Beyond Burgers.

Some other problem foods to cut from your fibroids diet? Dairy can influence your hormones, so removing cheese, butter and even milk could help ease symptoms. Finally, getting rid of foods that trigger inflammation, including gluten and highly processed carbohydrates, may help you find relief.

Real Women's Experience

Seems like this lifestyle change is too good to be true? Some women have been inspired by their fibroids diagnosis to majorly change their diets. That was the case for Sweetkiwi founder Ehime Eigbe, who started her entrepreneurial journey to create tasty, healthy frozen yogurts that help your body absorb proper nutrients after struggling with fibroids herself.

She told Black Enterprise, “I started doing some research and found that food could be a good way to change a diagnosis. I started learning about nutrition and how our body needs the right kind of nutrition to support cell regeneration, armed with so much information, I decided to change my eating habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle.” And guess what? Like Eigbe says, dietary changes can make a big difference in so many areas of your health.

Diet Changes for Period Pain

Many women with fibroids experience painful periods. But for any woman whose time of the month is incredibly painful, the North American Menopause Society suggests removing certain foods and adding others can help make periods less intense.

So, what are their dietary recommendations? They suggest steering clear of coffee since caffeine constricts your blood vessels, which could intensify cramps. At the same time, they want you to add anti-inflammatory foods such as salmon and vegetables, since, according to a peer-review of existing research, a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids may reduce period pain.

We hope this is good news for anyone who suffers from dysmennorhea. And we know it will be helpful to fibroid sufferers. Because, as it turns out, many of these foods can also help reduce other fibroid symptoms.

Which Vitamins Can Help my Fibroid Symptoms?

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, getting Vitamin A from animal sources may help reduce your fibroid risk. Also, they found that eating more fruit can help lower your fibroid risk factor. The study further noted that African American women are far more likely to develop fibroids, and tend to have diets lower in these fibroid-fighting foods and vitamins.

If you want to add fibroid-fighting vitamins to your diet, try including:

Food-based vitamin sources are best for absorbing your fibroid-fighting vitamins. But, if making changes to your diet isn’t an option, vitamin supplements are still a great choice.

Exercise and Fibroids

New year's resolutions

Exercise in and of itself doesn’t stomp out fibroids. But getting your sweat on can reduce your BMI (body mass index.) It will also help eliminate fat stores in your body. And both of those factors will make it easier for your body to process estrogen hormones.

In turn, this can help lower your fibroid risk, since high levels of estrogen in the body can increase your risk of developing new fibroids, or of seeing your existing tumors get larger. So check out these workouts to try if you have fibroids.

Alternative Therapies

When you live with fibroids, you may develop anemia, severe pain, or problems when you pee. And you will need to address those issues with your doctor, But, when it comes to managing your chronic pain before fibroid treatment, The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has some helpful suggestions. Some top tips include acupuncture, which is an ancient Chinese therapy that uses small needles, inserted to your skin at specific accupoints. Another suggestion? Try yoga, a flowing, low-impact exercise that can boost your fitness while also offering you helpful breathing exercises. Additionally, deep breathing, meditation and therapeutic massage can all offer temporary relief. Still, in order to find permanent fibroid pain relief, you'll need to treat your fibroids, not just your symptoms.

When fibroids are small, lifestyle changes can certainly help you keep fibroids in check so you can live your normal life. But when tumors grow large, or your symptoms are severe, targeted fibroid treatment will be a better option. Contact our Houston fibroid specialists today to see if our minimally invasive treatment protocol is your best option.

Sources: Health.Harvard.Edu, mayoclinic.org, Journal of Fertility and Sterility

Here at Houston Fibroids, we help women overcome fibroid pain. Even now, during a pandemic, we’re here to provide relief, whether in our office or via Telemedicine appointments (learn more here.) And we’re also here to provide hope, by sharing the stories of fibroid warriors. So, today, we’re highlighting Kelly McCreary, for her bravery in opening up about fibroids .

Kelly McCreary—aka Maggie Pierce on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy—may play a doctor on TV, but when it came to her own health challenges, she couldn’t tidily wrap up her own diagnosis in a 60-minute time frame. In fact, figuring out the cause of her long, painful periods was a major process. And it’s one that she opened up about recently in Glamour magazine. Which is one (of many) reasons why Kelly is our Woman Crush Wednesday this week.

Facing Facts: Painful Periods aren’t Normal Periods

To start her revealing interview, Kelly admitted: "I just celebrated my first year of living without menstrual pain since I was 13 years old." As a teenager, she has very painful periods. But then, in her 20s, things got better. Next came her 30s, and each year meant more period pain. Finally, about five years ago, it all became too much, so she went to her doctor. That’s where she discovered her fibroids.

Kelly explained, ““[My] doctor in New York diagnosed them. She said, ‘These are not a big deal. They’re very small. They’re in a place that’s easy to remove.” But Kelly didn’t schedule a myomectomy (surgical fibroid removal). And soon, she moved to Los Angeles—and a new doctor.

This doctor had entirely different advice. Her new doctor said, “Surgery’s a big deal. You don’t want to have any surgery, even if it’s a minor surgery, unless you absolutely have to. Instead, go on an IUD. The hormones and the IUD will treat the symptoms of your fibroids and maybe it’ll prevent them from growing.”

As interventional radiologists who provide minimally invasive fibroid treatments, we love much of this advice. But it’s unfortunate no one talked about Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) with Kelly. Because the IUD approach didn’t work for her. And, instead of exploring other options, Kelly switched up her thinking. She explained to her summit audience:  “The fundamental belief that I absorbed was that periods are painful and uncomfortable and that’s normal. So, I was willing to endure, frankly, a lot of discomfort.”

Pelvic Pain isn’t Normal: A Fibroid Intervention

Things only got worse for Kelly once she got an IUD. “[It] was a huge fiasco,” she said. “I hated it. It was incredibly painful… My fibroids were located in the exact same place where the IUD was placed… The pain was just unbearable.”

Finally, Pete Chatmon (Kelly’s husband) encouraged her to find , who urged her to find more permanent relief. She found a doctor who, she said, “literally lifted her fists and said, ‘Painful periods are not normal.’ She had surgery two years ago. And she’s been pain-free ever since.

Exploring Fibroid Treatment Options Hashtag fibroid fix

Kelly’s story is anything but unique. Fibroid are very common. Especially for African American women like Kelly, who are three times more likely than white women to develop fibroids. Unfortunately, many of these women also get insufficient medical advice. Like Kelly, few are told about all of their treatment options.

And Kelly acknowledges that her path won’t work for everyone. “I’m not…necessarily just advocating surgery. I’m advocating treatment that actually is meant to address giving your body and your mind relief; that is not a course of Ibuprofen every month…For me, that meant surgery.”

But, she wants every woman to find their best course of action. And she’s offering this advice:  “I think a lot of doctors are quick to end the appointment and you have to be persistent…If you’re walking around and your wrist hurts, your doctor wouldn’t just be like, ‘Yes, sometimes your wrist hurts.’ You don’t have to deal with that. So, address it, take it seriously and make your doctor take it seriously with you.”

We believe those are #WCW words to live by. So, if you have fibroids and you’re looking for more treatment options, ask your doctor about UFE. And if you aren’t getting answers, come schedule a consultation with our Houston area fibroid specialists.   

Sources: Glamour.com, Hollywoodlife.com, Houstonfibroids.com

What does Telemedicine care for fibroids mean for you? Instead of coming to our office, we can offer you high-quality fibroid and women’s health care, all from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

In order to provide you with a face-to-face consultation that protects your privacy, we will be conducting appointments through the Doxy Telemedicine platform.

Simply call our office at 713-575-3686, or go online, to request an appointment.  When scheduling your appointment, you can specify your preference for a remote consultation! woman researching online

While we can’t perform procedures such as Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE, our minimally-invasive fibroid treatment) via Telemedicine, we can provide you with in-depth, high quality care for initial consultations and follow-up visits. And we can do so without you having to leave your home, or face concerns about social distancing.

Wondering which conditions we can treat via Telemedicine? Women’s health concerns well-served via Telemedicine include:

·         Heavy periods

·         Pelvic pain

·         Frequent constipation or urination

·         Follow up care for fibroid procedures

Need more information? Check out our Telemedicine FAQ.

Frequently Asked Telemedicine Questions

Q: How will I meet with my doctor?
A: Once you’ve scheduled an appointment, you’ll receive a link to your doctor’s personal ‘room’ in Doxy. Just click on the link approximately 10 minutes before your scheduled visit, and you’ll be ready for your consultation. There’s no app to download. You can check-in for your visit from any internet browser.

Q: How long will my visit last, and will I be able to ask my doctor questions?
A: Just like an in-person visit, you will see your doctor for as long as you need to address your immediate concerns. And you will be able to ask and get answers for any of your pertinent medical concerns.

Q: If I need a prescription, can this be covered during my Telemedicine appointment?
A: If, during your visit, your doctor determines that you will need prescription medications, you will be able to receive this prescription during your remote visit.

Q: Will my insurance cover a Telemedicine visit?
A: Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, most insurance companies have agreed to cover the cost of Telemedicine visits, but you should confirm your individual coverage prior to your telemedicine appointment.

Q: How can I ensure my privacy during a Telemedicine appointment?
A: Thanks to our Doxy platform, the entire visit will be encrypted, protected and compliant with all HIPAA regulations. So you can feel comfortable and secure in sharing all your concerns with your physician during this Telemedicine appointment.

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