Uterine Fibroids and Menstrual Cycle Length

Important things to know:

• Uterine fibroids are abnormal growths of muscle tissue that form on the walls or inside the uterus.

• Symptoms include irregular bleeding between periods and pelvic pain.

• Estrogen and progesterone play a role in fibroid growth.

• You may not even notice them, but fibroids are treatable if they become troublesome.

Uterine Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that can grow on the walls of the uterus. They are also known as leiomyomas or myomas. Fibroids can vary in size, from the size of a pea to the size of a grapefruit. They can be single or multiple, located inside or outside the uterus. Uterine fibroids are most common in women of childbearing age and can cause various symptoms, such as heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and pressure, and pain during intercourse.

Uterine fibroids can affect the length of a woman’s period cycle. The menstrual cycle duration is the time between the first day of one menstrual period and the first day of the next. Menstrual cycle duration can vary from woman to woman, but an average cycle is 28 days long. Fibroids can cause a more extent of bleeding to shorten or lengthen. Shortened cycles can occur if the fibroids cause an earlier release of an egg. Increased cycles can occur if the fibroids cause a delay in the release of an egg.

Fibroids can also cause heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding, known as menorrhagia. This can occur due to the fibroid increasing the uterine wall’s thickness or multiple fibroids blocking the normal blood flow from the uterus. Heavy menstrual bleeding can cause anemia, fatigue, and other health problems.

Uterine fibroids can be managed with medications, surgery, or a combination. Medications can help reduce the size of the fibroids, while surgery can remove them completely. The best treatment option will depend on the fibroids’ size, location, and severity of the symptoms.

Like uterine polyps, uterine fibroids and heavy periods are common causes of changes in bleeding and menstrual pattern.

If you are a woman and if you are in the reproductive age, you have at least experienced complicated menstrual cycles two to three times per year. It is so common that studies have shown at least 70% of women experience difficult menstrual cycles throughout their lifetime. This includes heavy bleeding, painful menstruation, abdominal pain and cramps, and thigh and calf pain. Ultimately this can lead to painful sexual intercourse and a reduction in libido.

A menstrual cycle averages between twenty-one to thirty-five days, but this is not the case for many women. Sometimes they will have longer periods or will not experience menstruation for one to two months. The menstrual cycle is a tightly regulated complex cycle involving the hypothalamus and pituitary in the brain, ovaries, and the uterus of the reproductive system in a female body.

Many hormones, such as follicular stimulating hormones, luteinizing hormone, estrogen, and progesterone, help in maintaining a regular menstrual cycle. Even the slightest fluctuations of these hormones can cause irregular menstrual cycles, leading to complications.

Stay tuned for tips throughout this article for Bestmade Fibroid Shrink Naturally

Check it out here 4 Myths and 1 Truth!

Myth 1: Uterine Fibroids are the Same as Endometriosis

It is a common misconception that uterine fibroids and endometriosis are the same. While they can both cause similar symptoms, they are distinct conditions. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that can cause heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding and lead to infertility. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other organs in the pelvic area. Endometriosis can cause pain, heavy bleeding, and irregular periods.

Myth 2: Uterine Fibroids are Always Symptomatic

Another myth is that uterine fibroids always cause symptoms. In most cases, fibroids remain asymptomatic, meaning they do not cause any symptoms. However, if fibroids grow large enough, they can cause heavy or prolonged periods, pelvic pain, pain during sex, bladder or rectal pressure, frequent urination, and constipation.

Myth 3: Uterine Fibroids are Always Cancerous

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous and do not increase the risk of developing cancer. Most fibroids are benign and do not cause any health issues. It is important to note that although rare, some fibroids can become cancerous. Therefore, you must consult a doctor if you are concerned about any fibroids you may have.

Myth 4: Menstrual Cycle Length is the Same for Everyone

The menstrual cycle is typically 28 days, but this can vary from person to person. Some people may experience a cycle as short as 21 days, while others may experience a cycle of up to 35 days. Additionally, for some people, the length of the cycle can vary from month to month. Therefore, it is essential to keep track of the length of your menstrual cycle to determine what is normal for you.

Truth: Uterine Fibroids can Affect Menstrual Cycle

Uterine fibroids can affect your menstrual cycle length by causing heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. This can lead to anemia, fatigue, and other symptoms. Additionally, if the fibroids are large enough, they can cause the uterus to stretch and increase the amount of time it takes for the uterine lining to build up and shed. Therefore, if you are experiencing a longer menstrual cycle than usual, you must consult your doctor to determine if uterine fibroids are a potential cause.

Uterine Fibroids and Menstrual Cycle Length

• Fibroids commonly cause heavy and prolonged menstrual periods, in addition to atypical monthly bleeding, sometimes with clots, which, with some frequency, can lead to anemia.
• Heavy menstruation can also be painful menstruation. The pain usually happens due to the accumulation of more blood and clots inside the uterine cavity, which causes painful distension and a more substantial contraction of the muscles to expel the contents.
• The intensity of menstruation can lead a woman to anemia, a decrease in red blood cells, and hemoglobin in the blood. Depending on the magnitude of the anemia, it may be necessary to correct this alteration, either by prescribing iron-based drugs or even through a blood transfusion. It is worth noting that scientific studies show that anemia caused by excessive menstrual bleeding increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke, even in young women. That’s why treatment is essential!
• Some signs that may indicate a heavy menstrual flow can be increased consumption of daily intimate pads, changing pads with less than 2 hours, increased duration of menstruation (+ 3 days) compared to the previous period, shortening of the cycle duration (+ 2 days), the presence of intermenstrual bleeding (between cycles), the elimination of clots, the appearance of anemia (as already mentioned) or the experience of going through unforeseen and embarrassing situations.

Proper levels of estrogen are needed for the development of follicles in the uterus, which ensures fertilization takes place and a successful pregnancy is achieved. It is very important to have a stable physiological estrogen level during the early period of the menstrual cycle. Estrogen imbalances can lead to subfertility or anovulatory cycles where there is no ovulation. Progesterone is important towards the end of a menstrual cycle. Progesterone prepares the uterus to receive the egg from the ovaries to ensure fertilization and implantation of the fertilized egg occur properly. Imbalances can lead to early or late menstrual bleeding, bloating, cramps, and heavy, painful menstrual bleeding.

If you are experiencing symptoms like uterine fibroids and heavy periods of bleeding, menstrual periods lasting more than a week, pelvic pressure or pain, frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder, constipation, backache, or leg pains, it may be due to a common condition experienced during the childbearing age called fibroids. Then you should try something to fibroid shrink naturally.

Fibroids, which are also called leiomyomas, is a non-cancerous growth of tissue in the wall of the uterus. The size of the fibroids can range from microscopic non-detectable masses too large bulky masses that can expand the uterus to the levels of the ribcage. Some fibroids contain tissues from other parts of the body, such as hair, cartilage, bone, and fat. Many women have uterine fibroids sometime during their lives. But most women don’t know they have uterine fibroids because they often cause no symptoms. However, uterine fibroids are one of the leading causes of subfertility and irregular menstrual cycles. Fibroids are the leading indication for hysterectomy, and their management averages $21 billion annually in the US. No long-term minimally invasive therapies exist. 

In 2009, a large study was carried out across many countries on women with irregular menstrual cycles. In the UK, nearly 5% of women had self-reported fibroids, and the risk of fibroids increased after menopause. Fibroids were found to be the cause of irregular menstrual bleeding, heavy menstrual bleeding, and prolonged menstrual bleeding in about 40-50% of women, and nearly 25% of women experienced painful intercourse. Nearly 60% of women have reported fibroids to have a negative impact on the quality of their life. A significant percentage reported chronic backache, abdominal pain, bloating, cramps, and reduced performance at work associated with fibroids.

Uterine fibroids and heavy periods, uterine cysts, and irregular menstrual cycles caused by abnormal estrogen levels have been found to be the commonest causes of complicated menstrual cycles. Much research has been done on reducing these risk factors. Modern clinical trials focus on natural remedies from evidenced-based medical practices such as homeopathy.

Studies have shown Calcarea fluorica, and Calcarea carb help in reducing prolonged menstrual cycles and help to reduce constipation and chronic backache experienced during irregular menstrual cycles. A recent study published in Biomed Central journal showed Calcarea carbonica has an amazing effect of killing cells that are not natural and cells that is carcinogenic. This effect of Calcarea help reduce the size of uterine fibroids and reduce the risk of uterine cancer.

Fraxinus is another important remedy that helps relieve menstrual cramps and reduce painful intercourse. Clinical trials were done with one tablet of Oophorinum, an extract of ovaries given daily from days five to nine of the men­strual cycle has shown significant remediation where there was an irregularity of the cycle, ovarian cysts, or infertility. 

• References:
• Zimmermann, A., Bernuit, D., Gerlinger, C., Schaefers, M. and Geppert, K. (2012). Prevalence, symptoms, and management of uterine fibroids: an international internet-based survey of 21,746 women. BMC Women’s Health, 12(1).
• Unsal, A., Ayranci, U., Tozun, M., Arslan, G. and Calik, E. (2010). Prevalence of dysmenorrhea and its effect on quality of life among a group of female university students. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, 115(2), pp.138-145.
• Saha, S., Hossain, D., Mukherjee, S., Mohanty, S., Mazumdar, M., Mukherjee, S., Ghosh, U., Nayek, C., Raveendar, C., Khurana, A., Chakrabarty, R., Sa, G. and Das, T. (2013). Calcarea carbonica induces apoptosis in cancer cells in p53-dependent manner via an immuno-modulatory circuit. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 13(1).