Dear Readers,

There is something you should know if you suffer from painful periods. By painful I mean monthly periods where you have to actually be on your bed, periods in which you actually get sick, vomit, and get fever, cold sweats, and the pain makes you want to roll into a little human-ball. What I am talking about is more than little or perhaps annoying and painful “common cramps. This extreme pain could be an indication of something more severe. Furthermore, it could be an indication that you have fibroids.

A fibroid is mass of tissue that grows and protrudes within or near the female reproductive organs. It is like an “appendix” per se. They can grow within your uterus, the uterus walls, or the Fallopian tubes, and the ovaries, for example. Sometimes fibroids can be as small as a penny, or as big as a fist.

Now, how would you know if you have fibroids? What are the symptoms? What are the consequences? What are the treatments? In this first article I address the first two questions.

Do you have Fibroids?

If fibroids are not "really" bothering you, it is more than likely that you might never know if you have them or not. It is not like you can "feel" them. For instance, it wasn’t until I got pregnant with my first child—and I was already in my thirties!--- that I learned I had a fibroid the size of a golf-ball growing right in the posterior wall of the uterus. There was no reason for me to think whether or not I had fibroids. It really never bothered me (or so I thought).

Actually the only sure way you can know is by having an ultrasound. Often times, regular pelvic exams do miss fibroids as they can be too "soft" or hidden within the organs. If your periods are extra painful, make an appointment to see your doctor and have him/her refer you.

What are the symptoms?

As it turns out, one of the most common symptoms of fibroids (not the only symptom) is super painful periods. And to reiterate, I am not referring to “general” cramps and usual discomfort. No, I am talking about “child-birth-like” pain every month. Yep, I suffer from that for 22 years. Yiaiks! All the remedies and medicine did not help, and believe me, I tried everything: the warm bottle, the pelvic massages, and all sorts of medication, homeopathic medicine, natural medicine and so forth. And even though some of these remedies seemed to ameliorate my pain, nothing, nothing could take it away. So, ended up “giving up” and I just thinking that all that excruciating pain was “normal.”

Another symptom is having severe bleeding. It is difficult to say what is “too much” as every woman is different. But if you have to change pads every hour, that is too much.

Again, these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have fibroids, but it might mean that it is time for you to talk to your doctor and ask specific questions about your painful and heavy periods. When my doctor discovered mine, of course it was scary, but it was in a strange way, it was a relief. To me it mean that my extra painful periods were "not just in my head" and that my other female friends did actually not understand what I was going through.

So if you have always wondered if your menstrual pain is “normal” and you have doubts, please consult with your physician and have that checked right a way.

Best Regards