What causes the disease?
Uterine fibroids are most often observed in women of reproductive age.
The main reason for its development is a hormonal disorder in the body, namely the production of large amounts of estrogen. There are also several provoking factors for the development of uterine fibroids. It can be:
- Inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs.
- Damage to the reproductive organ due to abortion, childbirth, curettage, installation of an intrauterine device.
- Excess weight, problems with the activity of the endocrine system.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Weak defense mechanism of the body.
Doctors say that active growth of uterine fibroids can be observed if a woman takes estrogen contraceptives. Another interesting point is that the tumor can disappear on its own during menopause. After all, at this time the production of estrogen stops.
Patient complaints
At the first stage, uterine fibroids usually do not manifest themselves in any way, so the woman does not know that she is sick, continuing to live her usual life. But as soon as the size of the tumor becomes large, patients begin to worry about such manifestations as:
- Menstrual irregularities, changes in the duration and abundance of menstruation.
- Bloody discharge between periods and with blood clots.
- General deterioration in health.
- Aching pain in the lower abdomen.
Also, with a large size of the uterine tumor, pressure is exerted on nearby organs. The bladder and intestines are primarily affected. Therefore, women with fibroids experience problems with bowel movements and urination.
What are the signs of fibroids?
At the first stage of the disease, when the nodes are small in size, the symptoms are barely noticeable, and the woman does not experience any discomfort, so she does not even suspect the presence of the disease. After the tumor begins to increase in size, additional signs of uterine fibroids appear:
- constant aching pain in the lower abdomen;
- general weakness;
- violation of the psychological background;
- menstrual irregularities.
But of course, the most obvious manifestation is the disturbance of the menstrual cycle; bleeding may become more abundant or, on the contrary, less scarce; it is possible that they will appear in the middle of the cycle. Sometimes menstruation takes 10-14 days instead of the usual 7 days. Often, during menstruation, a woman experiences severe pain, when previously this period passed calmly. Any girl whose period starts “at random” feels anxious and stressed every day. The right way out in this situation would be to go to the doctor. Even if you are not bothered by the symptoms of fibroids, you should consult your doctor.
There is no need to look for the reasons for the appearance of certain symptoms on the Internet, consult with friends and make a diagnosis yourself. This only develops the pathology, and besides, you can misidentify the disease, since often different diagnoses related to the uterus have similar symptoms.
Only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis after examining the patient and taking a medical history. Self-medication, as well as complete indifference to the disease, leads to complications and serious consequences. If you refuse treatment in time, you may experience problems with urination and going to the toilet. This occurs due to the enlargement of the organ, which puts pressure on neighboring organs.
Is it possible to have sex?
In general, sex is one of the most important measures to prevent uterine fibroids. After all, this tumor depends on the hormonal background of the woman’s body. And during sexual intercourse, estrogen and adrenaline are released into the blood. This helps prevent the development of many female pathologies, including uterine fibroids.
You can have sex with uterine fibroids if the disease does not cause any symptoms and the size of the tumor is small. The most important thing is that a woman does not feel discomfort during sexual intercourse. If the parameters of the fibroid are large, it is accompanied by pain and bleeding, then you will have to abstain from intimate life.
Usually, bleeding occurs with submucous uterine fibroids. After sex they can become even more abundant. Therefore, it is best to consult a doctor and remove the tumor. During treatment you should forget about sex life.
If the disease does not progress, doctors even advise having sex. The orgasm itself is considered especially beneficial. It has a beneficial effect on both the health and morale of a woman.
Intimate life after surgery
If uterine fibroids were surgically removed, then during the rehabilitation period the woman will need to follow some rules, including those regarding sex. Doctors recommend sticking to a certain diet, not playing sports, not lifting weights, not going to the bathhouse or sauna, and not sunbathing on the beach.
As for sexual activity, you can continue it no earlier than in a month. The attending doctor will tell you a more precise period, because it is individual for each patient. Sex with uterine fibroids is prohibited after surgery in order to allow the organ to recover well, to avoid infection and the development of an inflammatory process.
Also, after surgery, when it is already possible to continue to be sexually active, the doctor prescribes the woman to take contraceptive medications to prevent pregnancy. Conceiving a child is undesirable until the uterus is completely restored and ready to bear a fetus.
If during sexual intercourse the patient experiences pain and bleeding, then it is necessary to consult a doctor. You may need to abstain from sex for some time to prevent complications from developing.
Sex after fibroid removal
After removal of fibroids, a woman must adhere to certain restrictions and follow the following recommendations from doctors:
- following a diet with the use of a certain list of products;
- lack of strong physical activity;
- limiting ultraviolet radiation;
- excluding trips to the bathhouse or sauna.
If we talk about sexual relations, they are prohibited until the body has fully recovered after surgery. This restriction is necessary to exclude possible infections and injury to the damaged reproductive organ.
During the rehabilitation period, the doctor prescribes contraceptives to the patient, since conception is extremely undesirable, because there is no absolute guarantee that the woman will be able to bear a healthy baby.
Sex is allowed after the body has fully recovered and is even recommended to maintain normal levels of female hormones in the body. It is best to lead a measured lifestyle and eliminate bad habits.
In order not to limit yourself in anything, and to be able to appreciate all the benefits of a full, healthy sex life, you should think about removing fibroids. If the nodule is large, the doctor will first prescribe an express course of hormone therapy, which will reduce the size of the tumor. Then the operation will be performed. There are many techniques, but the most effective are:
- laparoscopy;
- laparotomy;
- myomectomy;
- hysteroresectoscopy.
They allow you to avoid hospitalization in the postoperative period, and also eliminate the risk of complications.
In exceptional cases, the fibroid is removed along with the uterus. Indications for such a radical solution are the huge size of the node, heavy bleeding that cannot be controlled by other means, etc.
You should talk to your treating gynecologist about restrictions during the rehabilitation period. In the first few months, sexual intercourse is contraindicated. You will also need to avoid sunbathing, physical activity, saunas, and excessive consumption of sweet, fatty, and spicy foods. If you ignore these rules, complications and relapse of the disease are possible.
Sex after fibroid removal is possible, but not immediately. The timing is very individual; before resuming sexual activity, you should consult a doctor. On average, the period of abstinence lasts from a month to five.
After this period, sexual relations can even be beneficial, as it promotes a speedy recovery.
However, pregnancy is contraindicated for a woman within a year after the operation, so she will have to use contraception.
Premature sex can lead to sutures coming apart after surgery, bleeding, pain, or infection.
Recommendations for patients
When uterine fibroids are detected, the attending physician is obliged to tell the woman in as much detail as possible what she is not recommended to do during treatment, and what she should limit herself to. Of course, you won’t have to completely abandon your usual way of life, but there are still some rules and they must be followed.
Thus, patients are prohibited from:
- Lift heavy loads.
- Strain your body with physical exercise.
- Bring yourself to the point of overwork.
- Drink plenty of fluids at night to prevent swelling of the uterus.
- Be exposed to stress.
- Take oral contraceptives without a doctor's recommendation.
- Have abortions.
- Undergo some health-improving physical procedures, go to baths, saunas, sunbathe on the beach.
Otherwise, the patients live normal lives. If you do not follow these recommendations, the risk of progression of uterine fibroids increases significantly.
Sports and fibroids
Many people are interested in the question: is it possible to play sports with uterine fibroids? It is impossible to answer this question in monosyllables, “yes” or “no”. Because some activities are allowed, but some will have to be abandoned. For example, you cannot do fitness, jump, lift dumbbells and barbells.
All those physical activities in which it is necessary to make sudden movements and excessively strain the pelvic organs are prohibited. If the uterine fibroids are located on a pedicle, then during such activities there is a high risk that the pedicle will twist. It can also cause rapid growth of the tumor and many other adverse effects.
Girls who watch their figure and often hoop can only use regular hoops. But if the tumor grows too quickly, then it is better not to twist them at all. If you have uterine fibroids, you cannot use models that are equipped with weights and various massage devices.
Also, if you have uterine fibroids, you should not pump your abs or otherwise load the pelvic organs. But there is one interesting fact that suggests that pumping up your abs is necessary to prevent tumors in the uterus. But if you already have it, you should refuse such an activity.
So is it possible to have sex with fibroids? If the size is small and there are no symptoms, it is resolved, but if the disease progresses and is accompanied by pain, bleeding and other unpleasant symptoms, then it is better to refuse sexual activity.
Is it possible to do massage with fibroids?
Any effects on the abdomen and hips that lead to increased blood flow in these parts of the body are contraindicated for uterine tumors. Therefore, anti-cellulite massage, abdominal massage, and gynecological massage should not be performed by women with this diagnosis.
At the same time, shoulders, arms, legs, upper back with fibroids can be massaged without fear.
For the same reason, the answer to the questions whether it is possible to do body wraps, visit a sauna, or take a hot bath with fibroids will be negative. All these procedures can provoke an increase in pathological nodes in the uterus.
