Healthy life for women is a prerequisite with everything they go through their life cycle. Proper nutrition and hygiene have to be maintained to avoid catching unnecessary diseases. Infertility is a rising concern due to many reasons including hormonal imbalance, poor lifestyle choices, PCOs, etc. Doctors who specialize in women's health and focus on the female reproductive system are known as Gynaecologists. They deal with a wide range of issues, including menstruation and fertility issues, obstetrics, hormone disorders, pregnancy and childbirth, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and many others. Uterine Fibroids are also a leading cause of infertility according to gynaecologists. Read along to know about the effective management of uterine fibroid in the Ayurvedic perspective.
Uterine fibroids often appear during the childbearing years of a woman and have been identified as noncancerous growths of the uterus. They are also known as leiomyomas or myomas and are seldom associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer. In most cases, uterine fibroids never develop into malignant cancer.
Fibroids that form are usually of varying sizes. Some may be seedlings that are undetectable by the human eye whereas some form to be bulky masses that can enlarge and distort the uterus. Moreover, it can be a single fibroid or multiple ones. In extreme cases, multiple fibroids can add bodyweight by expanding the uterus to a level that reaches the rib cage.
Many women experience uterine fibroids sometime during their entire lives which may even go unnoticed. One might not discover these uterine fibroids because they often cause no symptoms. Your gynaecologist may incidentally discover fibroids during a prenatal ultrasound or pelvic exam.
Depending on its location in or on the uterus, there are different types of fibroids.
Intramural fibroids: They are the most common type of fibroid and appear within the muscular wall of the uterus. Intramural fibroids may grow too large proportions and can even stretch the womb.
Subserosal fibroids: Also known as serosa, they form on the outside of your uterus and may grow large enough to make your womb appear bigger, particularly on one side.
Pedunculated fibroids: Subserosal tumours sometimes develop a stem which is a slender base that supports the tumour known as pedunculated fibroids.
Submucosal fibroids: These types of tumours develop in the middle muscle layer(myometrium) of the uterus and aren’t as common as the other types mentioned above.
Many women who have fibroids don't have any symptoms. In those that do, symptoms can be influenced by the location, size and number of fibroids.
In women who have symptoms, the most common signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids include:
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Menstrual periods lasting more than a week
Pelvic pressure or pain
Frequent urination
Difficulty emptying the bladder
Constipation
Backache or leg pains
Rarely, a fibroid can cause acute pain when it outgrows its blood supply and begins to die.
Although the exact cause of uterine fibroids is still unknown, research and clinical experience point to these common factors:
Genetic changes: Many fibroids contain changes in genes that differ from those in normal uterine muscle cells.
Hormones: Progesterone & Estrogen are two hormones that appear to promote the growth of fibroids. Their purpose is to stimulate the development of the uterine lining during each menstrual cycle in preparation for pregnancy. Fibroids usually contain more progesterone and estrogen receptors than normal uterine muscle cells do and tend to shrink due to a decrease in hormone production after menopause.
Other growth factors: Insulin-like growth factors that help the body to maintain tissue, may also affect fibroid growth.
Extracellular matrix (ECM): Just like the mortar between bricks, ECM is the material that makes cells bind together. Increased ECM in fibroids makes them fibrous. ECM also stores growth factors and causes various biologic changes in the cells themselves too.
Seek medical assistance as soon as possible when a woman has any questions about her uterine health. She should ideally notify her health care practitioner during the following scenarios:
Heavy or irregular menstrual cycle
Bleeding between periods
Increasing abdominal girth
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Concerns about pregnancy or persistent infertility
Fever or night sweats during periods
Menstrual bleeding that requires more than 3 pads per hour
Severe or prolonged abdominal or pelvic pain
Dizziness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or chest pain along with vaginal bleeding
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy or possible pregnancy
Ayurveda believes that a proper lifestyle is mandatory for a healthy life. The changing dietary pattern and lifestyle cause many gynaecological problems. Though uterine fibroids are non-cancerous in character, they show a wide range of symptoms like menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, metrorrhagia, low backache etc. It significantly hampers the quality of life and general health in women causing severe mental agony.
Contemporary treatment protocols include hysterectomy, hormonal therapy, myomectomy and uterine artery embolization. The fear of surgery and reluctance to undergo prolonged hormone therapy attracts more patients to Ayurveda.
The best ayurvedic treatment for uterus fibroid mentions various pathological conditions that resemble fibroids. The slow growth may be better compared to Granthi in Garbhasya owing to its muscular origin. In the modern era of a lack of exercise, busy lifestyle, intake of junk food, etc had lead to Ama formation and Agnivaishamya. This in turn vitiates Doshas like Kapha, Vata and Dushyas like Raktha, Rasa, Medas, Mamsa, and Arthava resulting in Dhatwagnimandya leading to the formation of Garbhasayagranthi.
Ayurvedic Treatment for Uterine Fibroids is directed towards reducing the size of fibroids using Tiskhna, Ushna, Lekhana Dravyas along with management of the underlying symptoms. The inevitable roles of Vata in Yoniroga combines different treatment aspects of Granthi and Yoni Roga Chitksa clubbed with lifestyle modification that can contribute to healthy social life.
Green tea: intake daily.
Castor oil: is a herbal oil, taken as a supplement to help occasional constipation.
Apple cider vinegar: helpful in reducing fibroid symptoms and promotes fat loss by removing toxins from the body and
Garlic has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that discourage the growth of uterine fibroids. Eating 3 to 5 garlic cloves daily is recommended.
In conclusion, Fibroids are not a cause for concern if treated in time and with effective remedies. Dr Jasnas Ayurvedic clinic in Dubai has one of the topmost Herbal treatment in Dubai for any ailments related to women health.
