Lifestyle Changes For Uterine Fibroids

Apart from conventional treatment, lifestyle changes also play a major role in uterine fibroids. These lifestyle changes prevent the development of fibroids by reducing the risk or alleviate the symptoms in the patients.

Apart from the medications required to prevent the growth of fibroids and shrinking them, various lifestyle changes are also recommended to effectively manage the condition. The lifestyle changes should be used in combination with the treatment prescribed. For optimum results, the medicines should be taken strictly as directed along with the following lifestyle changes:

Exercise. Exercise is an important part of the treatment regimen of uterine fibroids. It helps increase the blood flow throughout the body and removes toxins. Further, exercise improves the activity of the liver leading to increased metabolism of estrogen which causes low estrogen levels. Further, exercise also reduces the production of hormones⁴. Exercise also increases physical activity thereby reducing the symptoms caused due to uterine fibroids.

Weight Management. Weight management is one of the primary approaches in reducing growth and managing the symptoms of fibroids. Obesity is linked to a high level of estrogen in circulation¹. Weight management techniques should be incorporated in the routine to reduce the risk of fibroids. It has also been found that even after menopause, obese women may sometimes inflict with fibroids1.

Healthy Diet. Healthy diet is a prerequisite for reducing fibroid risk. The fist should contain fresh fruits and vegetable. Weakness and fatigue are common symptoms of fibroids. Thus, to improved body stamina, energy-rich food is required. The patient should avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar. The patient should avoid alcohol5. Fibroids food should also be incorporated such as green leafy vegetables to manage the symptom of constipation.

Managing Chronic Condition. Chronic conditions such as blood pressure also increase the risk of fibroids and worsen the symptoms. Thus, the medicines should be taken strictly as prescribed by the doctor and exercise should regularly be done to manage blood pressure⁶.

The exact cause of uterine fibroids is not known, but accusing the pathophysiology of the disease, various factors significantly increase the risk of uterine fibroids. The basic premise for the occurrence of the condition is a surge in the level of female hormones, estrogen, and progesterone. Following are the factors that may increase the risk of uterine fibroids:

Obesity. Risk of fibroids increased by 2-3 times in obese women as compared to normal women1. Obesity is characterized by an increase in fat cells. These fat cells are responsible for increasing the level of estrogen. As the estrogen acts as a growth factor for uterine fibroids, risk in obese people increases.

Pregnancy. The risk of uterine fibroids increases in pregnancy². This is due to the fact that during pregnancy there is an increased alteration in the level of various hormones. Primarily the level of estrogen and progesterone is increased leading to increased risk of uterine fibroids. The uterine fibroids may lead to displacement of the fetus from the uterine wall³. Fibroids lead to other pregnancy complications including pre-term labor, miscarriage and increased incidence of cesarean for delivery.

Family History. Family history of uterine fibroids also increases the risk of developing this condition. If any women of the family, mother, sister or grandmother have such disease, it is likely that you may also develop this disease².

Age. Women of reproductive age are at higher risk of developing uterine fibroids. This is due to the reason that estrogen and progesterone are on the higher side during these years; Women with the age of 30 years or older are at increased risk².

Various lifestyle changes have shown the positive effect of ion uterine fibroids. These lifestyle changes reduce the risk of occurrence of uterine fibroids and also help in managing symptoms. These changes include Exercise, weight management, and healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and managing chronic diseases.

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• What Happens to Untreated Uterine Fibroids?
• Can Uterine Fibroids Turn Into Cancer?
• What Are The Dangers Of Having Uterine Fibroids?
• What Foods To Avoid When You Have Uterine Fibroids?
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• Recovery Period For Uterine Fibroids
• What Is The Best Treatment For Uterine Fibroids?