Heavy periods, bloating and dizziness can be symptoms of an underlying condition
A health expert is urging anyone who regularly experiences heavy periods, dizziness, bloating and a range of other issues to book an appointment with a doctor, as it could signal a health problem. Doctor O’Donovan shares information and advice with his almost 400k subscribers on YouTube.
The doctor, who has a medical degree (MBBS), Masters Degree (MRes) in Ageing and Health, and PhD (DPhil) in Digital Education, shares information, symptoms to look for and advice regularly online. In one video, he explained key things everyone needs to know about uterine fibroids, including symptoms to look for and when to seek treatment.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus). The growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and vary in size.
According to the NHS, many women are unaware they have fibroids because they do not have any symptoms. Those who do have symptoms may experience a variety of symptoms, including heavy or painful periods, abdominal pain, lower back pain, a frequent need to urinate, constipation, and pain or discomfort during sex
The health expert says fibroids are “really common” and affect almost eight in every 10 women. He adds that fibroids “grow slowly over many years” and new fibroids can also develop over time.
He also says that when you reach menopause fibroids often shrink because of the hormonal changes that your body goes through. In the clip, he also details the different types of fibroids.
He said: “Fibroids are categorised based on where they grow in the womb: Intramural Fibroids are those which grow inside the muscular wall of the womb.
“Subserosal Fibroids are ones which grow from the outer wall of the womb into the pelvic space. Submucous Fibroids grow from the inner wall of the womb into space inside the womb. Finally, pedunculated fibroids are fibroids which grow on a stalk.”
The doctor went on to list the symptoms most commonly seen in those with uterine fibroids. He added: “Symptoms of fibroids – now as I mentioned at the beginning of this video, you may have fibroids and not have any symptoms. In fact, you might only discover you have fibroids during a scan for another reason.
“However, when you do have symptoms, they can include you having heavy and prolonged periods. This can potentially leading to anaemia which is where you have low haemoglobin, which causes symptoms like tiredness, dizziness, and breathlessness.
“You might also have irregular or painful periods, a swelling or bloating sensation of the tummy, pain in your lower tummy or a pressure like feeling, bloating or constipation, or a frequent or urgent need to pee, and finally potential issues getting pregnant.”
Dr O’Donovan recommends seeing a GP if you have any of the symptoms described. He added: “Many of them are common and can be caused by other things that aren’t fibroids, but nonetheless its worth seeing your doctor to find out what could be the potential underlying cause. “
