Fibroids are non-cancerous (benign) tumors that occur inside the uterus. They are pretty common, affecting around 1 in 3 women. They can vary in size, being microscopic to several centimeters in diameter. The fibroids may be one or many, occurring in different locations within the uterus. They usually occur during the reproductive years (18-45 yrs) of a woman’s life.
The exact cause is not known. They usually grow due to abnormal levels of certain hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, insulin, growth hormone, and parathyroid hormone. Often, you may not know that you have fibroids because they are asymptomatic quite a lot of the time.
Depending on their size, number, and location, they can cause pressure or sensation of fullness in the lower abdominal area, low back pain, increased frequency of urination, painful intercourse, and menstrual cramps. Menstrual periods can be heavy and prolonged. Pressure exerted on the bowels can lead to bloating and constipation.
Home Remedies For Fibroids
Warm And Cold Compresses
You can apply hot compresses to the pelvic area. Do so for about 15 minutes and not longer. Follow this up by applying cold compress in the same area for about 5 minutes. Do not apply the cold compress for longer than 5 minutes.
Repeat this procedure of alternating hot and cold compresses several times in the course of a day. The way this works is by increasing the circulation to pelvis, and thus alleviating the inflammation, leading to a decrease in the size of the fibroids.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water in a day. This flushes out the toxins from your body and helps the liver function better, leading to a correction of the hormonal imbalance, and decrease in the excess estrogen production. With the fall in estrogen level, the fibroids start to shrink in size. Drinking more water is an excellent remedy because not only is it very effective but also it has practically no side effects.
Garlic
Garlic contains high amounts of the chemical called allicin. This chemical helps shrink fibroids by its anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic also has antioxidants, which help boost your immunity. Improved immunity helps the body in fighting against any disease process and tumor growth.
It is better to eat raw garlic cloves because using it in cooking decreases its potency. You can eat up to 1-2 garlic cloves per day. It also has other added benefits, such as lowered cholesterol and homocysteine levels, both of which substances are implicated in heart disease. Garlic also keeps blood sugar and blood pressure in check.
Onions
Onion helps in shrinking the fibroids because it contains several active chemicals. These chemicals include flavonoids and phenolics, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. You can eat raw onion slices or use them liberally in cooking.
Onion can cause allergy in some people, particularly if they are taking aspirin simultaneously. Onion can also interfere with the functioning of medications like lithium (taken for bipolar disorder), antidiabetic drugs and blood thinners.
Ginger
Ginger helps shrink the size of fibroids because it contains the chemicals shogaols, gingerols, zingerone and volatile oils. These chemicals reduce the inflammation. Ginger also provides relief from pain.
You can consume ginger either by using it liberally in cooking or consuming its tea by boiling freshly cut ginger pieces in a pot of water. You can drink ginger tea twice daily. It may cause mild stomach discomfort, heartburn and diarrhea.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.