Uterine Polyps: Let's learn about the symptoms, causes and treatment in simple terms

Is your period very irregular? Do you bleed heavily for several days in a row? Or do you stop bleeding completely, and then start bleeding again in small drops? It's normal to feel a little scared when things like this happen. Most of the time, these symptoms are caused by small growths in the uterus. In medical terms, we call these ``Uterine Polyps''. So today, let's talk about this. Don't worry, most of the time, this is not cancer.

Simply put, what are uterine polyps?

Uterine polyps, or ``Uterine Polyps``, are extra growths of tissue that form on the inner wall of your uterus, the ``Endometrium`` where a baby grows after conception. They are like little fleshy growths that sometimes hang from our skin.

These fibroids grow into the uterine cavity by attaching themselves to the uterine wall with either a thin stalk or a slightly wider base. They can be round or oval in shape. They can range in size from the size of a very small sesame seed to the size of a golf ball. Some people have just one fibroid, while others may have several.

Who is at higher risk of developing these?

Age is a big factor in this. Women between the ages of 40 and 50, or around the time of menopause (perimenopause), are most likely to develop these lumps. They can also develop after menopause (postmenopause). However, they are very rare in people under the age of 20.

In addition, you are also at slightly higher risk of developing `(Uterine Polyps)` if you have the following conditions:

Do you have these characteristics?

Most of the time, the main symptom of `(Uterine Polyps)` is abnormal bleeding. What does that mean? Imagine, your period has stopped for several years, but suddenly it starts again in drops. Or in addition to the days when you have your period, you also have a little bleeding in between. These are the main symptoms.

Let's see what these symptoms are.

• Irregular menstruation: This means that there is no specific pattern to the days of menstruation and the amount of blood loss. Some months it may be 20 days, while others may be 40 days.
• Heavy bleeding: Bleeding that is much heavier than normal during menstruation.
• Spotting: Small drops of blood between periods.
• Infertility: Difficulty getting pregnant or maintaining a pregnancy to full term.
• Postmenopausal bleeding: Red, pink, or brown spotting or light bleeding after menstruation has completely stopped.
• Bleeding after sexual intercourse.

Sometimes these lumps can be present without any symptoms. The doctor only finds them by chance when doing something like an ultrasound scan for another reason.

Does this meatball cause pain?

Usually, there is no significant pain. However, if the lump is a little larger, you may sometimes feel a slight pain in your lower abdomen or back, similar to your menstrual period. However, pain is not a common symptom of this condition.

Why does this meat grow?

The exact cause of this is not yet known, but researchers believe that hormone levels, particularly the hormone estrogen, play a role.

Simply put, it works like this. Every month during your menstrual cycle, the hormone estrogen causes the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to thicken. This prepares the environment for a baby to be conceived. Sometimes, if this thickening happens too much, tissue can build up in those areas and form lumps like these. Remember the risk factors we talked about earlier? Many of those things (obesity, hormone therapy) increase estrogen levels in the body.

How do you find this, Doctor?

When you go to see a doctor about irregular bleeding, he or she will ask you a few questions. Things like your menstrual cycle, how long it lasts, how often it happens, what medications you take, and whether you're trying to have children.

Then, a gynecological examination will be performed. At the same time, several more tests will be recommended to confirm whether these lumps are present.

What are the treatments for this?

Treatment is determined by taking into account many factors, such as your symptoms, age, whether you want to have children, and your risk of cancer.

1. Watchful waiting: If you haven't reached menopause yet, you don't have any symptoms, and the lump is very small, your doctor may recommend waiting for a while without any treatment. Some small lumps may go away on their own.

2. Medications: Hormone-balancing medications like `Progestins` or `Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists` can help control symptoms. However, this is a temporary solution. Symptoms may return once the medication is stopped.

3. Surgical removal:

• Hysteroscopy: This is the most commonly used method. During the hysteroscopy procedure, a special instrument is passed through the tube to cut and remove the polyp. The advantage of this is that the doctor can see the polyp clearly and remove it accurately.
• Examination of the removed tissue: Each tissue removed in this way is sent to a lab to be tested for cancer cells. This is very important.

A few questions that many people have

Is it painful to remove these fleshy leaves?

Before the surgery, you will be given anesthesia to numb the area. So you won't feel much pain. You may feel a slight pulling or pressure.

How likely are these to be cancerous?

This is everyone's biggest fear. But remember, only a very small percentage of uterine polyps turn into cancer, about 5%. If you're postmenopausal or have irregular bleeding, your risk is slightly higher. That's why any polyps that are removed are tested.

Is there a way to prevent these?

Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to prevent these from happening. But you can reduce your risk to some extent by controlling your weight and blood pressure. The most important thing is to go for regular gynecological check-ups . Then something like this can be detected at an early stage.

When you should definitely see a doctor

If you have any of the following symptoms, please do not ignore them and see a qualified doctor as soon as possible.

• If you have spotting or bleeding from the vagina after your period has completely stopped (after menopause).
• If you bleed during your menstrual cycle.
• If you have heavy bleeding during your period or if your menstrual cycle is very irregular.

It's normal to be scared when you experience abnormal bleeding like this. But in most cases, the cause is not cancer, but a lump like this. But it's important to seek medical advice to know for sure, and to have it safely removed if necessary.

Uterine polyps, Irregular menstruation, Postmenopausal bleeding, Gynecological problems, Hysteroscopy, Endometrial polyps