When your body is racked with physical symptoms that seemingly arise from nowhere, it’s understandable that one may be lost in the throes of anxiety and confusion. Particularly if chronic fatigue coincides with chest and pelvic pain, you may be wondering what the cause is and how to tackle it.
That being said, uterine fibroids may easily be the culprit of such symptoms. In fact, fibroid-related anemia may be the source of your woes if weakness and exhaustion are what frequently plague you.
What Is Anemia?
Anemia, one of the most common symptoms of uterine fibroids, occurs when the body loses blood hemoglobin at a faster rate than it can generate new red blood cells. Once the body is depleted, one may experience fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and an overall sense of weakness. Some may also become paler.
At other times, however, anemia may be present, albeit asymptomatic. Generally, a doctor will perform a test to measure one’s complete blood count (CBC) to determine whether they may be anemic.
If left untreated, serious cases of anemia may put additional strain on the heart or cause damage to other internal organs.
How Are Fibroids and Anemia Connected?
Uterine fibroids in and of themselves are often accompanied by a heavier menstrual flow, wherein a woman loses more blood than normal during her period. Many times this is the result of a submucosal fibroid, located within the inner cavity of the uterus. As this fibroid widens the uterine lining, a woman is more likely to experience an increased loss of blood.
Additionally, the presence of fibroids — no matter the type — may cause a hormonal imbalance or disorder, prompting unusual contractions of the uterus and subsequently generating greater blood loss during menstruation.
In either case, when a woman experiences heavy or excessive bleeding, she will also lose large quantities of iron and hemoglobin, causing a depletion of oxygen in the body. Thus, she experiences iron-deficiency anemia, causing the aforementioned physiological symptoms.
What Do I Do Next?
If you are experiencing the symptoms of anemia, as well as pelvic pain, pressure, or heavier menstrual periods, you may have uterine fibroids. The good news is that there are a variety of treatment options out there, with uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) being one of the most preferred.
UFE is a minimally-invasive, non-surgical procedure that blocks proper blood flow to a woman’s uterine fibroids, subsequently shrinking them until they die away. This is achieved without physical removal processes and prevents permanent damage to the uterus.
Not only does UFE have a patient satisfaction rate of over 90%, but it is currently the leading alternative to hysterectomy.
If you’re ready to restore your energy and banish fatigue, dizziness, and other anemia-related obstacles, it’s time to contact Duval Vascular & Fibroid Center. Not only are we your local experts on uterine fibroids, but we accept most major insurance plans and offer free consultations! Call us today at (904) 423-6017 to schedule yours and have all of your fibroid-related questions answered.
