Why do women get uterine fibroids? What are the causes of uterine fibroids?

1. Causes of uterine fibroids: The cause of uterine fibroids is still unclear and may involve a complex interaction of normal myometrial cell mutations, sex hormones, and local growth factors.

Uterine fibroids are hormone-dependent tumors. Estrogen is the main factor that promotes the growth of fibroids. Some scholars believe that growth hormone (GH) is also related to the growth of fibroids. GH cooperates with estrogen to promote mitosis and promote the growth of fibroids. They also speculate that placental lactogen (HpL) can also cooperate with estrogen to promote mitosis. They believe that the accelerated growth of uterine fibroids may be related to the high hormone environment of pregnancy and HpL is also involved.

In addition, ovarian function and hormone metabolism are controlled and regulated by higher nerve centers, so nerve center activity may also play an important role in the onset of fibroids. Uterine fibroids are common in women of childbearing age, widowed women, and women with uncoordinated sexual lives. Chronic pelvic congestion may also be one of the causes of uterine fibroids. In short, the occurrence and development of uterine fibroids may be the result of the combined action of multiple factors.

2. Clinical manifestations of uterine fibroids: Most patients are asymptomatic and are only occasionally found during pelvic examination or ultrasound examination. If there are symptoms, they are closely related to the growth site, speed, degeneration and complications of the fibroids, and have little to do with the size and number of the fibroids. Patients with multiple subserosal fibroids may have no symptoms, while small submucosal fibroids often cause irregular vaginal bleeding or menorrhagia.

Common clinical symptoms include:

(1) Uterine bleeding is the main symptom of uterine fibroids, which occurs in more than half of patients. Among them, cyclical bleeding is more common, which can be manifested as increased menstruation, prolonged menstruation or shortened menstruation. It can also be manifested as irregular vaginal bleeding during menstruation. Uterine bleeding is common in submucosal fibroids and intramural fibroids, while subserosal fibroids rarely cause uterine bleeding.

(2) Abdominal masses and compression symptoms Myomas grow gradually. When the uterus is enlarged for more than 3 months, when it is the size of a pregnant uterus or a large subserosal myoma located at the bottom of the uterus, the abdominal mass can usually be felt, and it is more obvious in the morning when the bladder is full. The mass is substantial, movable, and painless. When myomas grow to a certain size, they can cause compression symptoms of surrounding organs. Myomas on the anterior wall of the uterus close to the bladder can cause frequent urination and urgency; giant cervical myomas compressing the bladder can cause poor urination or even urinary retention; myomas on the posterior wall of the uterus, especially canyon or posterior lip of the cervix, can compress the rectum, causing poor defecation and discomfort after defecation; giant broad ligament myomas can compress the ureters and even cause hydronephrosis.

(3) Pain Generally speaking, uterine fibroids do not cause pain, but many patients may complain of lower abdominal swelling and back pain. When the pedicle of a subserosal fibroid is twisted or the uterine fibroid undergoes red degeneration, acute abdominal pain will occur. Endometriosis or adenomyosis is also common, and dysmenorrhea may occur.

(4) Increased leucorrhea. The increase in the uterine cavity, the increase in endometrial glands, and pelvic congestion can increase leucorrhea. When the uterine or cervical submucosal fibroids ulcerate, become infected, or necrotic, bloody or purulent leucorrhea will occur.

(5) Infertility and miscarriage Some patients with uterine fibroids are accompanied by infertility or prone to miscarriage. The impact on pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes may be related to the location, size and number of fibroids. Huge uterine fibroids can cause uterine deformation, hindering the implantation of the gestational sac and the growth and development of the embryo; fibroids compressing the fallopian tubes can cause the lumen to be rough; submucosal fibroids can hinder the implantation of the gestational sac or affect the entry of sperm into the uterine cavity. The spontaneous abortion rate of patients with fibroids is higher than that of normal people, about 4:1.

(6) Anemia: Long-term menorrhagia or irregular vaginal bleeding may cause hemorrhagic anemia. Patients with submucosal fibroids often suffer from severe anemia.

(7) A very small number of patients with uterine fibroids may develop polycythemia and hypoglycemia, which are generally believed to be related to the production of ectopic hormones in the tumor.

Because there are many causes of uterine fibroids, there is no academic conclusion on why women get uterine fibroids, so if female friends have the above clinical manifestations, they should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to eliminate health risks.