Uterine Fibroids Impact Up to 70% of African American Women Over the Age of 50
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 15, 2023 -- Precision Therapy provides outpatient fibroid treatment in San Diego to host virtual event!
Uterine Fibroids are common. Up to 40% of women over the age of 35 have uterine fibroids, and that number increases to over 70% of women over 50. African American women are three times more likely to have fibroids than women of other ethnicities. Many women with fibroids do not experience any symptoms, but for some, the symptoms are so severe as to negatively impact their quality of life.
Sharjeel H. Sabir, MD, an interventional radiologist at Precision Therapy in San Diego, California, says, “Uterine Fibroids present with heavy menstrual cycles and bleeding in-between normal periods.”
He went on to say, “For some women, this can result in low blood count, requiring iron or blood transfusions. In addition to heavy periods, women can have bulk-related symptoms, such as pelvic pain, fullness, frequent trips to the bathroom, constipation and other related symptoms.”
There are many options for treating fibroids. Uterine Artery Embolization, also known as Uterine Fibroid Embolization or UFE is a safe, effective, outpatient procedure that can help most women suffering with uterine fibroids.
Precision Therapy will host a virtual event on April 27, 2023, at 8PM-PST, featuring Dr. Sabir, Uterine Fibroid Embolization, A Safe and Effective Treatment for Uterine Fibroids, which is free to attend online, and you can sign up today – Click here to register!
Uterine fibroids are benign (non-cancerous) tumors that grow from the uterus. They can range in size from as small as a grape to as large as a cantaloupe. Approximately 20-40% of women over age 35 have fibroids, and African-American women are at a greater risk for developing them.
Fibroids can result in pelvic pain or discomfort, urinary incontinence, frequent urination, and heavy menstrual bleeding. The location and size of uterine fibroids can affect the severity of these symptoms and impact quality of life. Fibroids are also hormonally sensitive, so the symptoms can be cyclical, just like with menstruation.
If fibroids are causing pain or other symptoms, a procedure to treat the fibroids may not be necessary. Pain medication and hormone treatment are options to relieve symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain, although medication cannot eliminate fibroids and often has side effects, such as weight gain, vaginal dryness, and infertility.
The National Institute of Health states that most women will develop one or more uterine fibroids during their reproductive lifetime. African American women are younger at the onset of fibroids and have larger and more numerous tumors. Fibroids are the leading cause of hysterectomies.
Fibroids, if left untreated or undiagnosed, can lead to infertility, problems during pregnancy, and more aggressive surgical treatment. The most common symptoms include:
- Heavy, prolonged bleeding
- Pressure on the bladder causing urinary urgency
- Pelvic pain – either constant, dull aches or shooting pains
- Pain during intercourse if the fibroids are close to the cervix
- Constipation
- Abdominal bloating
- Not able to conceive, or miscarriage
- Anemia, causing fatigue
According to the Society of Interventional Radiology
UFE is a minimally invasive, image-guided, non-surgical treatment that is less painful and has a shorter recovery period than surgical options. The treatment is often just as effective as other uterine fibroid treatments.
The survey also found:
- More than half of U.S. women (57 percent) do not think they are at risk of developing uterine fibroids.
- A majority of women (62 percent) have never heard of UFE, with 44 percent of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids reporting that they have never heard of the treatment.
- Among women who have heard of UFE, the majority (73 percent) did not first learn of it from their OB-GYN, the frontline provider of fibroid treatment. These women first learned about the treatment from other sources, including friends or family (32 percent), their own research (9 percent) or, particularly for younger women, from advertising (23 percent for all women 18+ and 38 percent for women 18–34).
- One-fifth of women (20 percent) think hysterectomy is the only treatment for fibroids, and, of those diagnosed with fibroids, 11 percent still think hysterectomy is the only treatment option.
UFE is performed by an interventional radiologist who inserts a thin catheter into an artery at the groin or wrist. The doctor guides the catheter to the fibroid’s blood supply where small particles, about the size of grains of sand, are released to block the blood vessels feeding the fibroid, depriving it of nutrients. As a result, the fibroid shrinks and dies. After treatment, women should be back to their normal activity in about one week and should follow up with their interventional radiologist and their gynecologist a few weeks after that. Approximately nine out of 10 patients who undergo uterine fibroid embolization experience significant improvement, with many reporting their symptoms disappear completely.
ABOUT Precision Therapy
Precision Therapy is part of Imaging Healthcare Specialists, greater San Diego’s premier radiology team. The Precision Therapy clinic, operating out of a central San Diego location, provides a unique combination of medical expertise with a patient-focused team. In addition, the 11 IHS imaging centers from Oceanside to Chula Vista provide diagnostic and women’s imaging services, as well as preventive health screenings.
The Interventional Radiology specialists at Precision Therapy are among the region’s most experienced doctors at performing outpatient same day interventional procedures.
Sarah Woronieck, Precision Therapy Part of Imaging Healthcare Specialists, https://ihsprecisiontherapy.com/treatments/uterine-fibroid-embolization/, 1 619 922 2751, [email protected]
Share this article