Uterine fibroids
Common, non-cancerous growths of muscle in the wall of the womb. Many cause no symptoms, but larger or multiple fibroids can cause heavy periods, pelvic pressure and pain, and sometimes anaemia from blood loss or problems with fertility and pregnancy.
What it is
Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas) are benign growths made of the muscle and fibrous tissue of the womb (uterus) wall. They are extremely common, affecting a large proportion of women by their 40s, and are almost always non-cancerous. Their growth is influenced by the ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone, which is why they tend to grow during the reproductive years and often shrink after menopause. Fibroids vary enormously — from tiny nodules to large masses — and can sit within the muscle wall, bulge into the womb cavity, or project outward. Many women have fibroids with no symptoms at all. When symptoms occur, they depend on the size and position: the most common is heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, which can lead to iron-deficiency anaemia. Larger fibroids cause a feeling of pelvic pressure or fullness, a swollen lower abdomen, frequent urination (from pressure on the bladder), constipation, back pain, and pain during sex. Depending on their position, fibroids can occasionally contribute to difficulty conceiving or to pregnancy complications. Fibroids are diagnosed by pelvic examination and, definitively, by ultrasound. Blood tests are used mainly to assess the consequences — checking for anaemia from heavy bleeding — rather than to diagnose the fibroids themselves.
Key lab markers
- Hemoglobin — checked for anaemia from heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Ferritin and iron studies — assess iron stores, often depleted by chronic blood loss.
- Full blood count — the broader picture of the anaemia.
- Estradiol — not diagnostic, but fibroid growth is estrogen- and progesterone-driven; context around the reproductive years and menopause matters.
- Ultrasound (pelvic) — the key test that actually diagnoses and characterises fibroids (imaging, not a blood test).
Symptoms
- Heavy or prolonged menstrual periods
- Anaemia symptoms — tiredness, pallor, breathlessness — from blood loss
- Pelvic pressure, fullness or a swollen lower abdomen
- Frequent urination or difficulty emptying the bladder
- Constipation
- Pain during sex
- Lower back pain
- Sometimes difficulty conceiving or pregnancy problems
- Often no symptoms at all
Related symptoms
Related lab panels
When to discuss with a doctor
See a doctor for heavy periods (for example, needing to change protection very frequently, passing large clots, or bleeding that interferes with daily life), for new pelvic pressure, a swelling in the lower abdomen, or bladder and bowel symptoms, and for the tiredness and breathlessness that can come from anaemia due to blood loss. Fibroids are common and often need no treatment, but troublesome symptoms have many effective options, from medication to procedures. Sudden severe pelvic pain, or fibroids in the context of trying to conceive or during pregnancy, warrant prompt assessment. Diagnosis is by pelvic ultrasound; blood tests mainly check for anaemia. Mediora.AI can flag the low-haemoglobin, low-ferritin pattern of blood-loss anaemia that often accompanies fibroids, prompting the conversation — but diagnosing and managing fibroids belongs with your doctor or gynaecologist.