What Are Uterine Fibroid Tumors?
Fibroids are spherical non-cancerous tumors composed of smooth muscle cells in the uterine wall. They are sometimes called leiomyomas, or myomas for short.
Fibroid tumors are found in 40% of women between the ages of 35 and 55 and they come in all sizes. One may be as small as a pea and another the size of a cantaloupe. They may appear on the inside of the uterus, within the muscle itself, or on the outside of the uterine wall. Fibroids are composed of abnormal smooth muscle cells and have a firm, rubbery texture.
Depending on its size and location, a fibroid can put pressure on other organs in your body, cause pain and/or interfere with sexual and other bodily functions. Some grow very slowly and others quickly. Depending on hormone levels and the nature of the fibroid, patients may have no symptoms for long periods of time. Symptomatic fibroids can be very uncomfortable and scary.
The discomfort usually evolves gradually over a period of time, making it easy to think "I just have to live with this." You do not. Even if you have just had an examination, if you feel something abnormal or are in pain, see your doctor, and learn about you treatment options.
Additional Information
See WebMD's What Are Fibroids?