What causes fibroids and how common are they?
No one knows exactly what causes fibroids. They can appear at any age, but usually occur just before menopause. Researchers have some theories, but most likely, fibroids are the result of many factors interacting with each other. These factors could be hormonal (affected by estrogen levels), genetic (running in families), environmental, or a combination of all three. Because no one knows for sure what causes fibroids, we also don’t know what causes them to grow or shrink. For the most part, fibroids stop growing or shrink after menopause. But, this is not true for all women with fibroids. Fibroids are the most common benign tumors in women. African-Americans seem to be especially vulnerable. Fibroid size can range from pea size to bigger than a cantaloupe and can grow inside or outside the uterus. Where they grow determines what type of symptoms you experience. 40% of all women over 35 have fibroids. Fertility is often affected by fibroids and they are the number one cause of hysterect
