Fibroids and polyps are growths in the uterus that have different symptoms, locations, risk factors, and treatments. Diagnosis is important as symptoms can be similar. Obese women are more at risk, and African-American women with a family history are more likely to have fibroids. Treatment can include medication or surgical removal.
If a woman develops abnormal growths in her uterus, she may be suffering from fibroids or polyps. These growths are not the same, despite their common location. The main differences between a fibroid and a polyp include symptoms, location in the uterus, risk factors for developing the growths, and diagnosis and treatment.
Fibroid symptoms include back pain, pain during intercourse, and a general feeling of heaviness or fullness in the lower abdomen. Women who become pregnant while suffering from fibroids are also more likely to develop complications during pregnancy and childbirth, including a higher chance of needing a C-section. Infertility, irregular menstrual periods, and bleeding from the vagina after going through menopause are among the symptoms of polyps. Both a fibroid patient and a polyp sufferer may experience extremely heavy menstrual flow or no symptoms at all. The similarity in some of the symptoms makes a correct diagnosis very important.
A fibroid and a polyp can appear in different locations. Growths that appear outside the uterus or inside the uterine wall are most likely fibroids. Both types of growth can be found within the uterine cavity, often attached to the wall of the uterus on a part that resembles a stalk. If a woman presents with a uterine growth that extends into the vagina, she is usually suffering from a polyp.
Obese women are more at risk for developing both a fibroid and a polyp. Fibroid sufferers tend to be African-American women between the ages of 40 and 55, with a family history of the condition. Patients who eat a diet high in red meat may also be more likely to have fibroids. Women with high blood pressure, as well as those prescribed tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment, are at increased risk of developing polyps. Many patients with polyps also have irregular menstrual periods.
During a typical gynecological exam, a doctor can often detect the presence of growths in the uterus. Further tests can then be performed to distinguish between a fibroid and a polyp. Transvaginal or abdominal ultrasounds, magnetic resonance imaging, and close-up examination of the uterus using hysteroscopy are some of the diagnostic tests that may be prescribed by your doctor.
Uterine fibroids and polyps can be treated with medications to relieve symptoms, such as pain relievers or birth control pills, or medications designed to shrink the growths. Surgical removal of the polyp fibroid is often recommended for more severe cases. Women may opt for only the growths to be removed if they wish to preserve future fertility. A hysterectomy, or removal of the entire uterus, is another option for patients with particularly severe cases and those who don’t want to have children or are past childbearing age.
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