It is only natural for women to experience stress when they have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Perhaps these feelings are familiar to you, too? If you’ve been suffering for years without relief, you may be anxious over the possibility of having to undergo a lengthy and likely invasive fibroid surgery. These concerns are natural, and you have every right to feel stressed out. What you may not know is how much those bouts of sustained stress are impacting your fibroids and the symptoms you are trying to find relief from. That is right—stress may be making your fibroids worse. Lower your stress levels, and you may find relief. Become too stressed, and the spike in your hormone levels could encourage fibroid growth.
Leading a stress-free life may not have prevented you from developing uterine fibroids or Calcified Fibroids. It is estimated that 70 to 80 percent of all women develop these noncancerous growths between 35 and 54, with or without stress as a factor. That said, the connection between stress and fibroids is real. Often, women report that feelings of stress and anxiety disappear after noninvasive fibroid treatment. Many even say their symptoms were less severe leading up to treatment because of how they learned to manage stress.
Given that April is National Stress Awareness Month, our team of fibroid doctors felt it was extremely timely to discuss the role stress can play in your fibroid journey in this article.
Can Stress Cause Uterine Fibroids To Grow?
In a word—yes. We all experience stress. Many of those episodes are minor, others are prolonged and take us longer to overcome. Either way, it is normal just to be stressed. But chronic stress affects your health in numerous ways, causing everything from sleeplessness to depression, headaches, cardiovascular and reproductive issues, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. You can also tack on fibroid growth to that list.
Several factors cause fibroids to grow, and there is still plenty that we don’t know. What we do know is that they are sensitive to hormone levels—specifically, estrogen and progesterone. This is why fibroids tend to grow more during childbearing years because hormone levels are typically at their peak during this time. Stress can even play a role in causing irregular periods. Stress is the body’s biochemical response to life challenges. To handle stress, the brain tells our body to produce extra hormones. As a result, hormone levels rise, which stimulates fibroid growth and causes symptoms to flare up.
Stress is the body’s biochemical response to life challenges. To handle stress, the brain tells our body to produce extra hormones. As a result, hormone levels rise, which stimulates fibroid growth and causes symptoms to flare up.
Stress can cause fibroids that were once asymptomatic to grow at an alarming rate. Depending on your situation, you may have one or several. In addition, they could all differ in size and either stay that way or grow at different rates.
The weight and location of fibroids force them to press against internal organs and nerves, leading to:
- Periods that last longer than a week
- Debilitating cramps, pelvic pain, and pressure
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Back or leg pain
- Excessive fatigue
- Bloating or swelling in the lower abdomen
- Pain during sex
- Urinary frequency
- Constipation, diarrhea, and rectum discomfort
Study Further Backs Up The Fibroids-Stress Connection
A recent preliminary study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that uterine fibroid patients who scored high on stress questionnaires also had high levels of certain microRNAs in their uterine muscle tissue. What does this mean? Unlike Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), a blueprint for proteins, microRNA regulates genes and determines when they are turned on and off. Furthermore, microRNAs are known to be active in the formation of certain tumors.
Per the study, participants completed questionnaires on recent stressful life events (family member hospitalization, divorce, job loss, financial difficulties, etc.) and perceived social status. The research detected 21 microRNAs associated with stressful life events and two with perceived social status. Higher stressful life event scores were linked to higher microRNA levels. Conversely, higher social status was associated with lower microRNA levels.
Twenty of the stress-related microRNAs may be targeted to mRNAs involved in biological processes that could potentially contribute to the development of fibroids.
What is interesting is that these findings add more credence to previous studies linking stress to the development and severity of fibroids among Black women. Black women already have a higher incidence rate of developing fibroids than any other race. These studies state that the stress of structural racism and other forms of ongoing stress may explain, in part, why these women are more likely to develop fibroids than other groups.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that uterine fibroid patients who scored high on stress questionnaires also had high levels of certain microRNAs in their uterine muscle tissue.
How Can I Manage My Stress and Anxiety?
Many people think that stress and anxiety are the same thing. They are not. While stress is the body’s reaction to a threat, anxiety is the reaction to the stress. The good news is that you can manage both at the same time.
Below are a few options to consider reducing stress and fibroids.
1. Relaxation techniques
There are a variety of techniques to consider in slowing your mind and body down physically, mentally, and emotionally. These include deep breathing, engaging in enjoyable activities such as working out or listening to calming music. Massage is also a great way to limit stress.
2. Lifestyle changes
A few lifestyle changes can improve stress levels and lessen your chances of painful uterine fibroids. Eat more fruits, especially citrus, and vegetables. Avoid red, processed meat, salty foods, and certain carbohydrates, as they contribute to stress and anxiety and lead to excess weight and fibroid growth.
3. Develop coping mechanisms
Beyond the fibroids themselves, it is important to take note of stressful triggers in your life and eliminate them as much as possible. When stress is unavoidable, coping mechanisms can help you manage those situations better.
4. Social support
There is a community of women who have suffered from painful fibroids who are more than willing to offer support, encouragement, and answer questions about how to manage stress. Having an outlet to share your emotions can help tremendously in pursuing a life without fibroids.
Have You Considered UFE?
The thought of going through fibroid surgery can create stress and plenty of fear of the unknown. Is it safe? How long will the recovery be? How will my body react? Will I be in pain? All of this creates an even greater link between stress and fibroids. In some cases, surgery is a good treatment option. However, there is also an effective and minimally invasive treatment option called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE). UFE does not technically remove uterine fibroids in the way surgery does. But it is more than 90% effective in relieving the fibroid symptoms by cutting off blood flow to all fibroids. This causes them to shrink and die.
UFE is low risk, has no incision, and is faster than other options. And the best part is that it is an alternative to invasive surgeries such as a hysterectomy and myomectomy. With UFE, tiny particles are introduced into the uterine arteries and fibroid vessels, blocking the blood flow to the fibroids. The procedure will last about one hour, and you will be asleep for the procedure. You can resume light activities as soon as you feel up to it.
Additional benefits to having UFE at Fibroid Institute include:
- Access to your fibroid doctor’s mobile number
- Covered by most major medical insurance
- No hospital stay, office procedure in less than 1 hour
- Treat multiple fibroids at once
- No incision or vaginal access, only a small puncture on your wrist
- Recovery period is as little as one week in many cases
- Over 90% effective in reducing fibroid symptoms
- Doctors rated by patient reviews as 4.9 out of 5.0
In some cases where surgery is unavoidable, UFE can help prepare a patient for a hysterectomy or myomectomy and make those surgeries easier for both the patient and surgeon by reducing blood loss and improving visualization.
Fibroid Treatment Without Surgery: Schedule a Consult
The connection between stress and fibroids is a real thing. One way to manage the stress of your situation—especially if you are concerned about treatment options, is to have an open conversation with your doctor. Many times, women find that they don’t need to have surgery at all. Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is the gold standard in non-surgical fibroid treatment.
Our founder Dr. Suzanne Slonim launched Fibroid Institute Texas and the Fibroid Free movement to relieve women of stressful fibroid symptoms and educate them on treatment options other than surgery. She has since surrounded herself with a growing team of fibroid doctors—all equally committed to helping women overcome their fibroid symptoms and gain back the pain-free life they deserve.
When the time is right, and the correct treatment option presents itself, your doctor and our team of fibroid uterus specialist doctors are ready to take that next step with you. At Fibroid Institute, we do not believe you need to decide between suffering in silence and having invasive surgery. With multiple locations, our Houston and Dallas fibroid centers help thousands of women avoid fibroid surgery and find relief from their fibroid symptoms.
Request a free 10-15-minute phone screening to determine if you are eligible. If you qualify for UFE after the screening, you can schedule your on-site or telehealth consultation. Most major medical insurance providers cover the cost of UFE. We are dedicated to helping you become #FibroidFree. Get started now in Dallas at 214-838-6440, in Houston at 713-903-3733 or complete the form below.
This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Before starting any new treatment or if you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider.
Fibroid Institute Texas serves the Dallas and Houston areas including Richardson, Dallas, Sherman, Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Clear Lake, The Woodlands, Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, Addison, Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, Craig Ranch, McKinney, Allen, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Arlington, Hutchins, Irving, Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Cockrell Hill, Highland Park, University Park, Park Cities, Garland, Mesquite, and more.
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