What are Uterine Fibroids? Tulsa OBGYN explains symptoms, risks and treatment options

July is Fibroid Awareness Month, and experts say many people may be living with symptoms without even realizing it.

Dr. Daniel Bond, an OBGYN with Utica Park Clinic, says uterine fibroids are common, but often misunderstood.

What Is a Uterine Fibroid?

“A uterine fibroid, also called a leiomyoma medically, is a benign tumor that can affect any part of the uterus,” Dr. Bond said. “It can vary in location and size.”

To help patients understand fibroids, Dr. Bond often compares the uterus to a room.

“A fibroid can be in the room itself, it can be in the walls, or it can be on the roof,” he said. “We also, as OBGYNs, we like to describe things in the size of fruit. So like a fibroid could be as small as a blueberry, but could be as big as a watermelon.”

The good news: “Many times they're not cancer,” Dr. Bond said.

What Does Treatment Look Like?

Treatment varies depending on the patient’s needs and the severity of symptoms.

“It can be anything from lifestyle modifications—so dietary changes—to medicines such as hormonal birth control that can help treat some of the bleeding,” Dr. Bond said.

There are also newer procedures available.

“We have procedures that can help shrink fibroids, such as the assessive procedure, removing the fibroid itself, or just removing the entire uterus,” he explained.

What Are the Symptoms?

Dr. Bond said symptoms typically fall into two categories: bleeding and pressure.

“The main symptoms I usually see—heavy bleeding,” he said. “So a type of either prolonged menstrual cycles or heavy menstrual cycles.”

Other symptoms can include:

“Pelvic pain, pelvic pressure, pain with intercourse, urinary frequency, low back pain,” Dr. Bond said.

He said that these symptoms often go ignored or are misattributed to something else.

Why Is It Important to Speak Up?

According to Dr. Bond, uterine fibroids are far more common than many realize—and waiting to address symptoms can delay care.

“Seventy percent of the women have fibroids. Average time to treatment's around four years,” he said. “I think most what I see is that people dismiss the symptoms, say, ‘This must be normal to me,’ or society kind of normalizes those things.”

What’s Your Advice for Starting the Conversation?

For those unsure of how to bring it up with a doctor, Dr. Bond says don't be intimidated.

“Most OBGYNs are very professional. We're happy to talk about these things,” he said. “Many times in offices as well, there's usually some sort of pictures or some sort of graphic or information about fibroids, and usually you can kind of point that out to your doctor.”