How to Cope With Breast Fibroids

Breast fibroids are usually benign, movable, rubbery nodules that cause pain and swelling near the breast surface. They are common in women 30 years of age and older. Here is how to cope with breast fibroids and not worry that it could be something worse.

Instructions

1. Understand the symptoms of breast fibroids. They include having areas of irregularly-shaped tissue with lumpy and ridge-like surfaces appearing in the breast tissue, a feeling of heaviness or fullness, sensitivity, burning, dull aches, severe pain in the breasts, premenstrual tenderness, swelling, itching and change in nipple sensation, and persistent or intermittent breast discomfort.

2. Detect breast fibroids by physically feeling the lumpy areas. Mammography and specialized ultrasound examinations are also done as well as biopsy and aspiration of the breasts with a fine needle. Aspiration is used to detect the presence of large cysts.

3. Treat breast fibroids by dietary therapy. Eating lots of cruciferous vegetables and high fiber foods increases oestrogen excretion which helps improve fibroid breasts. Eat vitamin-B rich foods and nutritional yeast.

4. Avoid certain foods and drinks. Stay away from caffeinated drinks and foods high in caffeine. Avoid concentrated starches, fatty dairy foods, meats with added hormones and refined sugars. Also fried, sugary, smoked, preserved and salty foods should be avoided during the menstrual period.

5. Include diuretic foods like cucumbers, watermelon and dark green leafy vegetables combined with drinking lots of water to neutralize and flush out the toxins.

Tips & Warnings

• Changes in hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone are the most important contributing factors to the formation of breast fibroids. Other hormones, thyroid and insulin and the growth factor, prolactin also influence the development of fibroids in the breast.

• Additional contributing factors to the formation of breast fibroids are the hormonal products the fat cells of the breast produce. These hormonal products send signals to neighboring breast cells and more breast fibroids develop.

• The menstrual period is a contributing factor in the development of breast fibroids. Symptoms normally get worse just before the period and usually improve right after the period.

• Your doctor may recommend oral contraceptives or a synthetic androgen to decrease symptoms of breast fibroids. Treatment may also involve surgery to remove the fibroid lumps.