Wealthy Health Int'l

FIBROID CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS

Despite the prevalence of uterine fibroids in women, Dr. Salas says the exact cause is not known.

Thankfully, physicians have knowledge about the factors that increase a woman’s risk of developing fibroids, the symptoms that fibroids cause and how to treat them.

According to the Office on Women’s Health, there are several risk factors for uterine fibroids.

* Age: Up to 80 percent of women may have fibroids by age 50.
* Family history: If a family member had fibroids, this increases your risk. If your mother had fibroids, your risk of having them is about three times higher than average.
* Ethnic origin: African-American women are more likely to develop fibroids than white women.
* Obesity: Women who are overweight are at higher risk for fibroids. For very heavy women, the risk is two to three times greater than average.
* Eating habits: Eating a lot of red meat and ham increases the risk of fibroids. Eating lots of green vegetables may reduce your chance of developing fibroids.
If you are concerned about any of these risk factors, talk with your doctor about how to make lifestyle changes that can reduce your likelihood for developing uterine fibroids.