27 Oct How Fibroid Size Is Measured and What the Numbers Actually Tell You
Health Notice: This article is for general education and is not a substitute for evaluation by a gynecologist or other qualified healthcare provider. Fibroid size charts and comparisons are approximate and cannot be used to diagnose or decide treatment on their own. Seek emergency care (call 911) for very heavy bleeding with dizziness, fainting, a racing heart or shortness of breath, or for sudden severe pelvic or abdominal pain. Contact your doctor promptly if you are soaking through a pad or tampon every hour for several hours, passing large clots, or feeling unusually tired or weak.
Most women who get a fibroid diagnosis leave the appointment with a number and no way to picture it. "You have a six centimeter fibroid" means almost nothing in a parking lot. The measurement came from a machine, translated into centimeters, and now sits in your chart like a riddle you are supposed to solve on your own.
Here is the part that gets skipped: size is one variable, not the verdict. A two centimeter fibroid sitting against the uterine lining can wreck your period. A ten centimeter one bulging outward may barely register.
Dr. Al-Hendy[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this approval?
Uterine fibroids, commonly referred to as uterine leiomyomas, are the most common type of non-cancerous tumor known to impact women of reproductive age (30-50 years old). In fact, studies show that uterine fibroids can occur in up to 70 percent of European American women and over 80 percent of African American women by age 50. As a result of uterine fibroids, women can experience a range of symptoms, the most common being heavy menstrual bleeding (i.e. prolonged and/or frequent bleeding), which can lead to other health effects such as anemia, fatigue, pelvic pain, urinary frequency etc.
Uterine fibroid treatment recommendations have historically been based on the size and location of the fibroid(s). When treating larger and more complicated fibroids, healthcare providers have typically believed that surgery is their best course of action, which has made uterine fibroids the leading reason for the hysterectomies performed in the U.S. The FDA approval of ORIAHNN was based on improving care for uterine fibroid sufferers who have had a negative impact on their quality of life due to disruptive symptoms. What makes the approval of ORIAHNN so exciting, is that women now have an oral therapy to directly address heavy menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids.
