This the hallow muscular organ in which implantation takes place, it is made up of three parts,
Body: This is an elongated lower part
Neck: This is the extremity of which is the opening
Os: Os, is the upper round portion of the uterus.
From conception (time when pregnancy occur) to delivery, a woman’s uterus can grow from the size of a pear or clenched fist to that of a water melon.
However, pregnancy is not the only reason why the womb expands.
Enlarged uterus can be the symptom of medical conditions, some of which requires treatment.
Medical Conditions that causes Enlarge Uterus
Two most common medical conditions associated with swollen uterus are uterine fibroid and adenomyosis
Uterine Fibroid: Uterine fibroid are noncancerous tumors (benign) that develop in a woman’s womb. It is common among women of reproductive age, and affects 8 out of 10 women, between the age of 14 and 50+, it also affect children but it is very rare.
Hormonal and genetic factor contributes to their growth.
Fibroid more commonly affect women over the age of 30, and are more common in African Americans than Caucasians.
Obsessed and overweight women have a greater risk of developing uterine myoma.
Some fibroid are very small while some can grow to weigh several pounds. A woman may develop single or multiple fibroid together with an enlarge uterus.
The actual cause of tumor is unknown, it has only been established that they thrive on estrogen. They shrink naturally and die off after menopause without symptoms.
Symptoms of Uterine Fibroid
The following are symptoms of fibroid
Frequent urination
Painful period, that is sometimes heavy with passage of blood clots, the flow sometimes last longer than it normal duration.
Bleeding between periods
Complication in pregnancy or delivery
Sensations of fullness or dullness in the lower abdomen
Severe pains in the lower abdomen
Constipation
Pain during intercourse
Treatment Procedures
In the case of severe symptoms, the doctor may prescribe the below medical procedures as treatment options.
Embolization: This is an invasive surgical procedure in which the artery supplying blood to the fibroid is cut off, and as a result of lack of blood flow it shrinks and eventually dies off.
Myomectomy/Fiboidectomy:This is a surgery to remove a fibroid, unlike in hysterectomy, the womb is not removed and the woman can still bear children.
Hysterectomy: This is the complete removal of the entire uterus; the woman will no longer bear children after the hysterectomy is performed on her.
Endometrial ablation: This procedure is performed for small submucosa fibroid, it is used to completely destroy the inside lining of the uterus, endometrial ablation does not need any incision; the aim of the technique is usually to reduce the menstrual flow when it is too heavy.
Laparoscopic Myolysis: in this surgical method, frost or electric shock is used to shrink myoma.
Other treatment options include focused ultra sound surgery and intrauterine device (IUD) to reduce bleeding and the use of pain killers.
ADENOMYOSIS: Adenomyosis is the diffuse implantation of adenomyoma (a benign neoplasm of muscle in uterine or uterine ligament), it occurs when the endometrial lining, moves into its muscular outer wall and behaves like the endometrium.
The cause of adenomyosis is also a mystery, it is however known to affect women over 30 years old who have had children, and it is more common in women who have had uterine surgery including cesarean section.
Most women develop the condition at the end of childbearing years.
Symptoms of Adenomyosis
Prolong, painful and heavy periods
Medical dictionary
Pain during intercourse
Treatments
Most adenomyosis do not require treatment, but some requires medication to relief pains
Birth control pills and intra uterine devices (IUD), containing progesterone may help decrease heavy bleeding. Women with severe bleeding may need hysterectomy
Other causes of enlarged uterus
In some cases, an enlarged uterus can be a symptom of uterine cancer, including endometrial cancer affecting the uterine lining, and cervical cancer affecting the lower portion of the uterus where it joins the vagina.
Symptoms of enlarged uterus
Enlarged uterus can only be identified by the doctor, usually during an exam or an imaging test, you cannot notice it yourself.
Many of the conditions that cause enlarged uterus are benign (harmless), and do not require treatment unless symptoms are severe.
Treatment
Treatment depends on location, the severity of the cancer and other factors.
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