If you have fibroids, you are probably aware of how large they are and what they do to your reproductive system and body. You may also know that many women with fibroids need hysterectomy surgery, which is sometimes recommended as the only option for fibroid removal. While fibroids are very rarely dangerous, they can be very uncomfortable and it can be difficult to have an operation if the fibroids are large or irregularly shaped.
Fibroids grow primarily from the follicles on the surface of the uterine lining, but can also grow from the muscle and connective tissue around the abdomen. Follicles that are affected by fibroid growth can appear inside the abdominal cavity or in other places. You might also notice that with some fibroid pregnancies, the lining of the womb (endometrium) can grow around the fibroid and reduce the natural tissue surrounding the fibroid. Submucosal fibroids grow under the skin (submucosal fibroid) and intramural fibroids grow inside the uterine wall (intramural fibroid).
There are several risk factors for developing fibroids. Women with an increased risk of having a child in their reproductive age are more likely to develop fibroids. Women with a history of multiple births are at greater risk of having fibroids. Women who use pharmaceutical methods of birth control are at an increased risk of developing fibroids, and women with tumors in their pelvic region are also at risk of developing them.