It is important for all men and women to take care of their bodies to remain in the best health possible. Women can especially benefit by staying in tune with their bodies, as they are constantly changing throughout all stages of life. Taking control of oneself begins with education, which is why Hallelujah Diet delivers blogs dedicated to women's health. Knowledge is power and by understanding all there is to know, you become one step closer to living your best life.
Today, discover what fibroids are and the potential impact they may have on you:
What are Fibroids?
Most common in women between the ages of 40 and 50, fibroids are muscular tumors, according to the Office of Women's Health. Also known as leiomyoma or just "myoma," fibroids are almost always non-cancerous. In fact, less than 1 in 1,000 cases become cancerous. When they do, it is called leiomyosarcoma.
Found along the walls of the uterus, these fibroids can grow from the size of a small seed to as large as a grapefruit. Some women will have just a single fibroid, while others may have several growing at once. While the majority of women will not experience any symptoms from these muscular tumors, those who do have often reported pain and discomfort. Among the possible symptoms are heavy bleeding, frequent urination, lower back pain and a feeling of fullness or bloating near the pelvis.
Women who are pregnant or hoping to conceive should pay close attention to fibroids.
As the Office of Women's Health explained, ethnicity, age and family history are all risk factors for fibroids. Moreover, eating habits play an important role as women who eat beef, ham and other red meats are more likely to develop these benign tumors. As such, women who stick to a primarily raw, plant-based diet filled with lots of leafy green vegetables are less likely to face this health issue. Estrogens cause fibroids to grow, so estrogen dominance - also known as progesterone deficiency - is a risk factor for the growth of fibroids. This progesterone deficiency is frequently seen in women in their mid-30s and 40s.
Pregnancy and Fibroids
As the Fibroid Treatment Collective explained, a natural fear for women with fibroids is whether or not it will impact their ability to have children. This varies from one woman to another and depends heavily on the location. Larger muscular tumors within the uterine cavity are more likely to have an impact, as they have the potential to cause the uterus to change size and shape. Those found on the walls of the uterus are not as likely to impact fertility.
"Woman with fibroids are 6 times more likely to need a c-section."
Though most women can expect a relatively normal delivery with fibroids, there are cases where they will cause complications. According to the Office of Women's Health, the chance of requiring a Caesarean section for the health of both mother and child is six times more likely among women with these tumors. In other cases, the baby may not be positioned correctly for birth, labor may take longer to progress or not progress at all and in some cases, a placental abruption is possible.
However, as the Fibroid Treatment Collective explained, most women and their newborn will not experience any negative impacts on health.
Post-Menopause Fibroids
While doctors are still looking to find the root cause of fibroids, it is known that hormonal changes have a lot to do with their development. Estrogen specifically is what helps fibroids grow, according to Medical News Today. As such, the chance of getting these tumors after menopause is unlikely, as it is during this time in a women's life that estrogen levels really begin to drop. This is why fibroids are most common during the childbearing years.
However, there are some women who will develop fibroids after menopause. Among women with naturally high levels of estrogen or those who are taking hormone replacement therapy, existing fibroids may not decrease once this stage is reached and thus, symptoms that may be uncomfortable remain. In the most severe cases, a hysterectomy - complete removal of the uterus - may be necessary, noted Medical News Today.
Women who have gone through menopause are not likely to develop fibroids.
Treating Fibroids
Taking steps to treat fibroids is highly dependent on symptoms, a women's age and desire to get pregnant, size and location of the tumors and overall health. For women who are currently pregnant, ice packs and rest are the general recommendations for relieving painful or irritating symptoms.
At Hallelujah Diet we believe, teach and have experienced self healing. When you supply the body with the nutrition and environment that it needs for health, it will generally heal itself. Hormone balance is critical for allowing the body to naturally dissolve these fibroids. Iodine is essential not only for the thyroid, but also for the health and balance of the entire reproductive system of women. Hallelujah Diet Nascent Iodine supplies the body with a form of iodine that is readily utilized by the whole body. Maintaining a normal weight, or losing excess weight will help you reduce the amount of estrogen you are exposed to, as fat cells secrete estrogen. Heavy metal and pesticide exposure also have been linked to uterine fibroids. A high fiber diet, such as the Hallelujah Diet, will help bind up heavy metals. However, you can jump start the process of hormone balancing by cleansing with the Hallelujah Diet Super Deluxe Full Body Detox Kit.
Fibroids are not inevitable, though they are common. And with some diligence they are reversible. The good news is that all of the changes that you make to get rid of fibroids are actually beneficial to the rest of your body as well, so you will end up with better overall health by taking care of your fibroids. All these things are all just symptoms that, if we pay attention to them and take care of their source, will lead us to better health right now and for an extended time down the road.
Women who are pregnant or hoping to conceive should pay close attention to fibroids.
Women who have gone through menopause are not likely to develop fibroids.
