Uterine fibroids — which are also referred to as leiomyomas or myomas — are benign tumors that grow within the walls of the uterus or inside the uterine cavity. Fibroids vary in size from as small as a seed to as large as a melon. They can also grow as one single fibroid or multiple fibroids.
As the most common tumor of the female reproductive tract, fibroids affect more people than you might expect. In fact, approximately 70-80 percent of women will develop them before the age of 50. Despite their prevalence, over 52 percent of women do not think they’re at risk of developing fibroids. Many women think their symptoms are normal and do not seek treatment until their pain or bleeding becomes almost impossible to endure.
Though fibroids aren’t inherently dangerous to your health and are typically noncancerous, they can often cause debilitating symptoms depending on the location and size of the tumors. Everyone experiences the condition differently; therefore, paths to diagnosis and treatment may vary.