Role of Estrogen in Uterine Fibroids

Women frequently have uterine fibroids and don't even know it. Fibroids can be a non-issue for some; however, if they grow too big they can create problems and need to be removed.

Estrogen

• The Mayo Clinic explains that a woman's sex hormone estrogen stimulates the expansion of a woman's uterine lining. This occurs in preparation for pregnancy but it also appears to encourage the growth of fibroids.

Identification

• Fibroids contain more estrogen receptors and estrogen than do normal uterine muscle cells.

Menopause

• When estrogen levels decline at menopause, fibroid tumors diminish, notes the Mayo Clinic, which shows that there is a correlation between estrogen and uterine fibroids.

Peri-Menopause

• When estrogen imbalance occurs, and there is too much estrogen relative to progesterone, this can contribute to fibroid growth, according to Marcy Homes of Savvypatients.com. Women who are in peri-menopause often experience estrogen overload because of their fluctuating hormones, which accounts for why so many peri-menopausal women develop fibroids.

Xenoestrogens

• Estrogen alone is not completely accountable for the development of fibroids. Xenoestrogens, which are found in our environment, such as growth hormones that are used for food production and pesticides, are believed to contribute to fibroid development. Fibroids are much more common than they were 20 years ago, Holmes notes.