Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that develop in or around the uterus, affecting millions of women during their reproductive years. While some women experience no symptoms at all, others face significant disruptions to their daily lives.
Recognizing the warning signs early can make a real difference in getting appropriate care and finding relief. Here are seven symptoms that deserve your attention.
1. Heavy Menstrual Bleeding That Disrupts Your Life
One of the most common red flags is heavy menstrual bleeding that goes beyond what you’ve experienced before. This is bleeding that soaks through pads or tampons every hour, requires you to use both simultaneously, or forces you to wake up multiple times during the night to change protection.
This type of heavy bleeding often comes with passing large blood clots, sometimes the size of a quarter or larger. The impact extends beyond inconvenience. Many women develop anemia from the blood loss, leading to persistent fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. You might find yourself canceling plans during your menstrual period or feeling anxious about being far from a bathroom.
The reason fibroids cause such heavy bleeding varies depending on their location. Submucosal fibroids, which grow into the uterine cavity, are particularly notorious for this symptom because they increase the surface area of the uterine lining and interfere with the normal contraction of the uterus during menstruation.
2. Pelvic Pain and Pressure You Can’t Shake
Persistent pelvic pain and pressure represent another significant warning sign. This discomfort might feel like a constant, dull ache in your lower abdomen or a sensation of fullness and heaviness that won’t go away. Unlike typical menstrual cramps that come and go with your cycle, fibroid-related pelvic pressure tends to stick around.
The sensation can intensify during certain activities like standing for long periods, exercising, or even during intercourse. Some women describe it as feeling like something is pushing down inside them. This happens because fibroids can grow quite large, sometimes reaching the size of a grapefruit or even larger, creating physical pressure on surrounding organs and tissues.
For those seeking relief, the medication and procedures offered by Dr TC Chang uterus fibroid treatment Singapore include minimally invasive approaches that target the fibroids while preserving the uterus. These interventions can significantly reduce symptoms without requiring major surgery.
3. Changes in Your Bladder Habits
Frequent urination might not seem like an obvious fibroid symptom, but it’s surprisingly common. When fibroids grow large enough, they can press against your bladder, reducing its capacity and creating a constant urge to urinate. You might find yourself running to the bathroom every hour or waking up multiple times each night.
This bladder pressure can also make it difficult to completely empty your bladder, increasing your risk of urinary tract infections. Some women experience the opposite problem when fibroids press on the urethra. These urinary problems often worsen gradually, making them easy to dismiss until they significantly impact your quality of life.
In rarer cases, large fibroids can press on the ureters (the tubes connecting your kidneys to your bladder), potentially affecting kidney function. This is why persistent bladder issues warrant medical evaluation.
4. Unexplained Abdominal Swelling
If your abdomen appears swollen or distended without weight gain, fibroids could be the culprit. This abdominal swelling can be subtle at first. You might notice your clothes fitting differently around your waist or your stomach looking bloated, even first thing in the morning.
As fibroids grow, particularly subserosal fibroids that extend outward from the uterus, the swelling becomes more pronounced. Some women look pregnant even when they’re not. This visible change can be emotionally distressing and physically uncomfortable, making it harder to find clothes that fit properly.
The swelling isn’t caused by fluid retention or digestive issues. It’s literally the physical presence of fibroid tissue expanding your uterus. Depending on where the fibroids are located and how many you have (intramural fibroids grow within the uterine muscle wall, for example), the shape and extent of swelling can vary considerably.
5. Lower Back Pain and Leg Discomfort
Chronic lower back pain that doesn’t respond to typical treatments might stem from uterine fibroids. When fibroids grow toward the back of the uterus, they can press against muscles and nerves in the pelvic area, causing radiating pain through your lower back and even down your legs.
This pain differs from an ordinary backache. It’s often accompanied by that characteristic pelvic pressure and might worsen during your menstrual cycle. In some cases, particularly large fibroids can compress the sciatic nerve, leading to sharp, shooting pains that travel down the back of your leg, mimicking sciatica from spinal issues.
The connection between fibroids and back pain isn’t always obvious, which is why women sometimes spend months pursuing treatments for back problems before discovering the true cause. If you have persistent back pain along with other symptoms on this list, it’s worth discussing fibroids with your healthcare provider.
6. Painful Intercourse
Pain during sex, medically called dyspareunia, is another symptom women often hesitate to mention but shouldn’t ignore. Fibroids can cause discomfort during intercourse in several ways. If they’re located near the cervix or vaginal canal, the physical contact during sex can trigger pain. The general pelvic pressure from larger fibroids can also make penetration uncomfortable.
Some women experience sharp, stabbing pains during deeper penetration, while others describe a deep, aching sensation that persists afterward. This symptom can strain relationships and significantly impact quality of life, yet many women suffer in silence, assuming it’s something they just must tolerate.
The good news is that treatments addressing the fibroids often resolve this issue. Whether through Uterine Fibroid Embolization performed by interventional radiologists, radiofrequency ablation, or other minimally invasive options, reducing or eliminating fibroids typically restores comfortable intimacy.
7. Irregular Periods and Extended Bleeding
Beyond heavy flow, fibroids can alter your menstrual cycle in other ways. You might experience irregular periods that arrive unpredictably, making it impossible to plan. Some women have menstrual periods that last much longer than the typical five to seven days, sometimes extending to two weeks or more.
Spotting between periods is another common occurrence with fibroids. This unpredictable bleeding can be particularly frustrating because it means you’re essentially dealing with menstrual management most of the month. The hormonal birth control methods that typically regulate cycles don’t always work effectively when fibroids are the underlying cause.
These irregular bleeding patterns, combined with the heavy flow mentioned earlier, create a double burden. You’re dealing with both the unpredictability and the intensity, which can severely impact your work, social life, and overall well-being.
Moving Forward
If you recognize multiple symptoms from this list, it’s time to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider. A pelvic exam, possibly combined with imaging like an MRI scan or ultrasound, can confirm whether fibroids are causing your symptoms.
The good news is that today’s treatment options offer effective symptom relief with shorter recovery times than traditional surgery, giving you multiple pathways to feeling like yourself again.
