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Fibroid patient shares her bitter experience

+ Doctor sheds light on treatment

Fibroid is a household name as most women are at the risk of developing it. The disease which is common among women in their productive age is more talked about because it prevents pregnancy and also hard to control.

ENCOMIUM Weekly brings you facts about fibroid in this interview with a medical doctor and a fibroid patient.

 

‘Fibroid is common with women who are old enough to give birth’ – IYABO TAIHRU (Patient)

What do you know about fibroid?

IYABO TAIHRU
IYABO TAIHRU

What I know about fibroid is that it is a disease that is very common among women today. I was a patient and with the little knowledge I have as a nurse, I think fibroid is common with women who are old enough to give birth and those that have started giving birth already.

When and how did you notice you had fibroid?

I started noticing it when I started having painful and heavy menstrual flow. There was clotted blood in my flow. I started having shortage of blood in my body. It also causes tiredness and infertility.

Some people get pregnant even with fibroid while it causes miscarriages in some others. But it also depends on the location of the fibroid.

What step did you take after noticing all these?

I complained to my doctor and he advised that I go for a scan which showed that it was fibroid. I did the pelvic scan and the doctor thought that with the location, something can still happen like pregnancy. If the fibroid is still small and a woman gets pregnant, the pregnancy can suppress it. But since there was nothing like pregnancy, they asked me to go for a test called HSG. It’s like a scan or stomach xray. It revealed that there was fibroid and that it must be operated because of the location.

How did you treat it?

I do not believe herbal medicine can cure it because I spent thousands of naira buying several of them to no avail. I later operated it. I first operated it in 2008, it recurred, then I operated it again last year. It’s like the interval is seven years each. But I pray I get pregnant soon. I really don’t want it to come back. Thank God I have a son.

 

‘Women get fibroid at their productive stage’ – Dr. Akinade

How can a woman develop fibroid?

Fibroid can be developed from the smooth muscles which the womb is made up of. Fibroid is as a result of excess or over growth of the smooth muscles of the womb. When the smooth muscles are over grown. When the womb is exposed to hormonal system at the pelvic location. Its just like when you are feeding a child, he grows. So, when fibroid (every woman has it) is exposed to the hormonal system, it grows and that is when it becomes a problem.

Does fibroid have types?

Yes, it has. The different types of fibroid are determined by their location. Some are located outside the womb, some within the womb.

What are the causes of fibroid?

Like I said, when the hormonal system of a woman feeds the smooth muscles of the womb, thereby enabling the fibroid to grow big, that is the cause. This can happen when a woman stays late before getting married or getting pregnant.

When a woman gets pregnant, the hormonal system changes. But when she doesn’t get pregnant on time, the hormones feed the smooth muscles for a long time, then they get bigger and bigger.

At what age does a woman develop fibroid?

Women get fibroid at their productive stage. Once a woman gets to the stage of menopause, the risk of getting fibroid is low because she is not menstruating.

What effect does fibroid have on women?

It can cause pains. It can cause heavy flow during their monthly flow. It can prevent them from getting pregnant.

How can it be detected?

When your stomach is big and you are not pregnant. When your flow starts getting too much. Some women don’t even know until they do a scan.

How can it be treated?

It can be treated through surgery. Sometimes, if it’s not much, there are drugs that will make fibroid to shrink. But in most cases, the recommended treatment for fibroid is surgery.

Is recurrence possible?

Of course, recurrence can happen. When a woman treats fibroid and she doesn’t get pregnant for a very long time, then fibroid can recure.

How can it be prevented?

When a woman is pregnant, the womb is free for nine months. For a woman to say fibroid is preventable, it’s not a realizable word (in quote) because the main function of the hormonal system is to feed the smooth muscles and it makes it grow out of proportion.

That it is preventable can only be possible if the woman is in her productive stage. If she finishes giving birth at an early age, she can get fibroid. So, preventable is a dicey word.

  • AZEEZAT KAREEM
Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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