A 38-year-old woman who underwent surgery for ovarian chocolate tumor resection a few years ago was diagnosed with uterine fibroids in a recent gynecological examination. Hoping to have a baby, she went to Chinese medicine doctor with great anxiety for treating gynecological diseases, improving physical fitness and increasing chances of conception.
Is possible to become pregnant for a woman with a uterus tumor? From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), we discuss whether the three common gynecological tumors will affect the chance of fertility, and share the treatment methods of TCM to shrink cysts and improve eggs quality.
Three types of benign gynecological tumors
There are three types of benign gynecological tumors, including uterine fibroids, chocolate tumors, and ovarian cysts.
Uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroids, also known as leiomyomas, refer to the tissues arising from the myometrium (smooth muscle layer) of the uterus, most of which are benign tumors, and malignant transformation is uncommon. It can be classified three types according to their location:
1) Submucosal fibroids;
2) Intramural fibroids;
3) Subserosal fibroids. Whether uterine fibroids will affect pregnancy depends on where the fibroids grow.
Submucosal fibroids or fibroids that hang from the uterus to the outside usually do not affect pregnancy and are the least likely to affect the fetus. As fibroids grow larger they may press on surrounding organs like bowel and bladder. This can cause abdominal distension and frequent urination. Generally, there are no obvious symptoms that can not cause dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual flow.
The intramural fibroids do not cause any noticeable symptoms and do not affect your ability to get pregnant. However, during pregnancy, fibroids may increase in size due to the influence of estrogen. The fibroid growth may invade the uterine cavity, occupying the same space a child would develop, so as to increase the incidence the risk of fetal malposition or premature birth. In addition, if the intramural fibroid grows outward, it may compress the bowel and bladder of the pregnant woman, causing difficulty in defecation or frequent urination.
As submucosal fibroids grow in the uterine cavity, it may cause infertility or miscarriage due to failed implantation of fertilized eggs. Even if the space in the uterus is occupied by fibroids after pregnancy, it may increase the risk of premature delivery and malposition.
Chocolate cyst
Chocolate cysts are a subgroup of endometriosis. When the endometrium grows abnormally on the surface of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvic peritoneum, and blood tumors periodically form over time as its continually thickening and falling off. Thus, it is called a chocolate cysts due to its brown color and sticky appearance. Chocolate cysts can stimulate the surrounding tissues of the pelvis to form chronic inflammation and adhesions, hinder ovulation and lead to infertility.
Ovarian cyst
There are many types of ovarian cysts, the most common being functional one, which are formed by follicles of the ovary that doesn’t ruptured with the female hormone cycle or corpus luteum atrophy after rupture. This cyst usually disappears on its own, and generally does not cause infertility due to long-term menstrual cycle disorders and ovulation disorders.
But if there are more than 12 small follicles with a diameter of 2-9mm and elevated androgen levels, it can be defined as polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). It is a syndrome of endocrine imbalance, which mainly result in ovulation disorder and secondary menstrual cycle disorder. This can lead to difficulty conceiving and cause infertility.
TCM Treatment for benign gynecological tumors
In TCM gynecological therapy, the three types of benign tumors can be classified into “abdominal mass” which refers to lumps in women’s lower abdomen, accompanied by pain, swelling, fullness, or even bleeding.
In the view of TCM, lumps formation are caused by the invasion of evil Qi of wind, cold, and dampness due to the lack of energy in the body and blood loss during menstruation, or functional disorder due to problem of emotion and unhealthy diet, leading to blocked Qi and blood, blood stasis, phlegm, and dampness stagnate accumulated in the uterus.
TCM believes that the occurrence of benign gynecological tumors is not caused overnight. It is due to the lack of energy in the body for a period of time, during which the evils Qi cause Qi stagnation and blood stasis by taking advantage of the weakness. From the perspective of TCM, whether it is uterine fibroids, chocolate tumors or ovarian cysts, it is closely related to emotional and psychological factors.
Clinically, women with benign gynecological tumors generally have different degrees of negative emotions or pressure in life and work. Emotional ups and downs or depression can lead to the “internal injury of the seven emotions”, which further weaken the righteous qi and stagnate the liver qi. Among the twelve meridians, the Liver Meridian is circulating around the female reproductive organs. The internal injuries of the Seven Emotions can cause poor circulation of Qi and blood in the Liver Meridian, stagnation of Qi and blood in the pelvis and uterus, and leading to gynecological tumors.
Chinese medicine believes that it is not impossible if women with benign gynecological tumors hope to conceive. TCM gynecologists understand the patient’s constitution, in combination with the results of gynecological exam which make it possible to clearly understand the nature and location of gynecological tumors, he choose the range that does not need to perform surgery, to precisely use medication to control tumors and improve eggs quality, adjust their physique to prepare for pregnancy.
Gernally TCM gynecology therapy is more effective in the regulation and control of uterine fibroids below 5 cm. If the scope of uterine fibroids or chocolate tumors affects pregnancy, TCM doctor will advise to undergo surgery first, and then regulate their physique after surgery by use of TCM herbs and acupuncture which help reduce recurrence. Here are articles ” Acupuncture for Women’ s Health” and “Chinese Medicine for In(fertility): Why & How?
In TCM gynecological conditioning, it takes at least 3 months for the whole session, and even more than 1 year depending on individual circumstances. During the process, some arrangements were made, such as examining the status of tumors every 3-6 months, improving eating habits and adjustment of rest time, avoiding raw or cold food, deep-fried, high-sugar and estrogen-rich foods, raising healthy lifestyle such as making exercise a habit, maintaining physical and mental health, and not stay up late, as adequate sleep is the key to regulating hormones and cultivating righteousness.
Fibroids Treatment at Shanghai Medical Clinic
The TCM Physicians at Shanghai Medical Clinic will use diagnostics, acupuncture for fertility, herbal medicine, and nutrition advice to shrink your cysts naturally, eventually to increase your chance of pregnancy. Book a consultation for an in-depth discussion with us at here.
