Living With Uterine Fibroids in Kenya: Treatment Facts & Options You Need to Know.

Uterus Fibroid Treatment in Kenya:
Your Treatment Options Outlined.

Before you opt-in for fibroid surgeries, read this article and weigh your options.

If you have a uterus fibroid surgery already scheduled, postpone it to a future date and see why you should try alternative methods before getting under the bloody knife.

Today I am going to show you all there is to know about uterus fibroids, medical treatment and alternative treatment options with supplements.

In fact, these are the same steps many women have followed to shrink their fibroids for good without surgery.

Some have gone from being condemned as incapable of carrying a pregnancy to actually conceiving and carrying to term!

Others have gone from being told to have costly and complicated surgeries to shrinking their fibroids - Naturally.

Stay Tuned

Approximately 400,000 women in Kenya suffer from symptomatic uterine fibroid.

It is estimated that over 70% of all black women of childbearing age have uterus fibroids.

The size, number, estrogen balance & location determines the severity of uterus fibroid.

Keep Reading...

Keep Reading & find out what you should know about fibroids. Learn the questions you should ask your doctor about your treatment options.

Before you use surgeries, learn about effective natural treatments available that might buy you time ... because uterus fibroids disappear after menopause. 

CONTENTS:

What Are Uterine Fibroids 

What Causes Uterine Fibroids?

What Are the Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids?

How Are Fibroids Diagnosed (in Kenya)?

How are Fibroids Treated in Kenya

Fibroids Natural Treatments in Kenya

Uterine Fibroids affect thousands of women in Kenya at childbearing age, making thousands of women incapable of becoming pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.

Uterine Fibroids treatment & surgery in Kenya is not cheap either, making thousands of women in Kenya live with fibroids without any treatment.

Disclaimer: This uterine fibroid article is for information only and it is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition. This information should not substitute any medical advice from a qualified medical professional. You should always ask your doctor before trying alternative medical treatments.

What Are Uterus Fibroids

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that appear during childbearing years, only to disappear after menopause.

Uterine fibroids are not associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer or any other cancers.

They range from tiny invisible sizes too large masses that can distort the uterus or make one look pregnant.

There are 4 types of uterine fibroids

1. Intramural – Fibroid between uterine muscles
2. Subserosal – Fibroid grows on the outside of the uterus
3. Pedunculated – Fibroids that grows into stalks, forming a “pendulum” like growth
4. Submucosal – Fibroids that grows underneath the lining of the uterus
5. Cervical – Fibroids grows near the cervix

See details here

What Causes Uterine Fibroids?

There is no clear cause of uterine fibroids but medical research has pointed to the following factors as possible causes.

1. Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone hormones stimulate the growth of uterine fibroids. These two hormones are responsible for the growth of the uterus lining called the Endometrium.

This same process these hormones stimulate the growth of the uterus is the same way they can cause fibroids.

2. Genetic Factors

These are parental inherited factors that are passed from the mother to the baby. There is not so much one can do about these factors other than managing the condition.

3. Insulin-Like Growth Factors (IGF-1):

Insulin-like growth factors have insulin-like properties in the body. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to help the muscles utilize glucose.

High levels of insulin-like growth factors have been shown to cause the growth of fibroids (1). It has also been associated with prostate, colon, rectal and breast cancer.

There is a very strong link between polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), infertility, uterine fibroids, and obesity.

With PCOS & obesity, women produce and store more estrogen in form of ESRONE.

High levels of estrone increase production of testosterone (Male hormone), which in turn increases insulin levels in the body.

These testosterone in females cause cystic acne, abnormal hair growth, hair loss and thinning.

They also make painful uterine cramping and PMS symptoms. It also leads to increased insulin floating in the system.

To simplify this, balancing estrogen & progesterone levels have a potential to solve

1. Weight gain

2. Infertility

3. Reduce PCOS symptoms

4. Reduce fibroids symptoms

5. Reduce chances of cancers like ovarian, uterine, breast and colorectal cancer

Besides genetics and black race (70% of all uterine fibroids occur in black women) (2) as risk factors, the following environmental risk factors increase the risk of fibroids.

1. Onset of menstruation at an early age.
2. use of birth control
3. Overweight & obesity
4. Low vitamin D or deficiency
5. having a diet higher in red meat and lower in green vegetables, fruit, and dairy
6. Drinking beer (wines seems not to have the same effect), appear to increase your risk of developing fibroids (3).

What Are the Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids?

1. Heavy menstrual bleeding, sometimes with clots

2. Menstrual periods lasting more than 5 days or even a week

3. Pelvic pressure or pain with or without sex

4. Frequent urination

5. Difficulty emptying the bladder

6. Constipation

7. A backache or leg pains

8. Spotting in between periods

How Are Fibroids Diagnosed (in Kenya)?

While there are many different imaging services that can be used to diagnose uterine fibroids, symptoms evaluation with ultrasound scan are the commonest methods of diagnosing uterine fibroids in Kenya.

In some cases, an x-ray with dye (Hysterosalpingography) to see through the fallopian tubes can be done but usually for advanced diagnostic tests.

How are Fibroids Treated in Kenya

Uterine fibroids in Kenya can be expensive – depending on where you seek treatment.

Before I get in to cost of fibroids treatment in Kenya, let us first go through treatment methods and options.

Medications:

Your gynecologist may prescribe different types of medications primarily to balance your hormones, lessen cramping pain during periods or lower bleeding during periods.

In some cases, your gynecologist might insert a progestin intrauterine device (IUD). This device only relieves some symptoms but does not shrink or treat the fibroids.

Surgical Treatment of Uterus Fibroid in Kenya:

Uterine Artery Embolization:

The word “embolus” means a “clot”.
Arteries are blood vessels that supply blood to parts of the body, and in this case, the uterus.

Uterine Artery Embolization involves injecting of a chemical compound into the artery supplying the uterus causing a clot – this cutting blood supply to the fibroid and the uterus.

Serious complications may occur in blood supply to the ovaries and other organs are cut.

Fibroid Myolysis:

The word “Myo” in medical sciences means “Muscle”.
The word “Lysis” means to rapture or disintegrate

Myolysis, in this case, means disintegrating the uterine fibroid with either high radio-frequency energy, electric current or laser energy. This destroys the fibroid and the blood circulation to the fibroid itself.

Fibroid Cryomyolysis

The word “Cryo” in medical sciences means to “freeze”
“Myo” and “Lysis” are defined above.

Cryomyolysis, in this case, is a surgical procedure where the uterus fibroid and its circulation is frozen (cryo) forcing it to die off and disintegrate (lysis).

Laparoscopic Myomectomy

“Lapar(0)” in medical sciences means “Abdominal wall”
“Scopic” or “Scopy” means to “visualize” using a piece of equipment or an instrument

“Ectomy” in medical sciences means “Cut out”

Laparoscopic myomectomy, in this case, is a surgical procedure where a surgeon inserts a small instrument through the abdominal wall (minimum invasive) to remove the fibroid.

Hysterectomy

“Hyster” is medical sciences means “Uterus”
“Ectomy” as defines earlier means “cutting out”.

In this case, hysterectomy is a surgical procedure where a surgeon removes out the whole uterus.

This is a major surgery and should not be your first line of treatment options.

Natural Treatment Methods & Supplements:

Kenyans are going organic and using natural treatments for conditions like fibroids.

While conventional medicine does not endorse or support the use of natural treatments, some are more effective than drugs prescribed.

Example, Vitamin D3 is very effective in shrinking fibroids, many types of cancers and even preventing many forms of cancers from developing.

Most people know Vitamin D (from the sun) for strong bones.
Scientific research supported by medical journals in the USA agrees that Vitamin D3 has a major role in treating uterus fibroids. 

DIM (3,3'-Diindolylmethane) with Vitex Angus Castus (Chaste Berry Extract)

This is a herbal extracts blend that can:

• Balance your estrogen leading to

  1. Shrinking fibroids

  2. Lessen pain and bleeding in endometriosis

  3. Supportpolycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

  4. Decrease chances of breast & colon cancer

• Balance progesterone leading to

  1. Better chances of conceiving

  2. Regulating the menstrual cycle in women with short luteal phase

  3. Lower breast tenderness before & during periods

• Lower testosterone leading to

  1. Acne free face

  2. Control or even reverse hair loss

  3. lose belly fat

  4. stop weight gain

  5. Control insulin resistance

  6. increase chances of having a baby by as much as 74%.

  7. Stop PMS

  8. Regulate monthly periods

Together with DIM in the right dosage combination, Vitex will treat even the worst symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and even menopause (4).

Some people (even gynecologists are reluctantly agreeing) call Vitex – The Natural Clomid without bad side effects but even better, it lowers testosterone that causes women to lose hair, grow hair in the body, become infertile or get miscarriages.

Cost of Uterine Fibroid Treatment in Kenya

The cost of treatment in Kenya depends on where you choose to get it done and the nature of the procedure.

Procedures like hysterectomy, Myomectomy, and embolization involves hospitalization.

Some hospitals like Nairobi hospital may cost you up to several million shillings – depending on the length of hospitalization and taking care of any complications.

Those who chose and can afford to go abroad can spend even more.

Basic medications to alleviate symptoms of uterus fibroid may cost anywhere from KES 15,000 to KES 75,000. Such medications need to be used continuously and the cost can add up.

Now it is Your Turn

Ask any question or any comment you may have about this article or uterus fibroids in general. You are allowed to share with your friends :-)