What causes the uterus to expand? Enlarged uterus - what does this mean? During premenopause

Although uterine enlargement can be caused by uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts, there are other serious illnesses, which appear in the list of causes of this problem.

The uterus is hollow muscular organ, which is located in women in the pelvic region, between bladder and rectum. When a woman becomes pregnant, the uterus enlarges to accommodate the growing fetus and gradually returns to its normal size after childbirth. Although uterine enlargement due to pregnancy is normal, this process can also occur as a result of the appearance of various benign and malignant neoplasms.

As women age, they become susceptible to a range of reproductive system problems. When advancing menopause they are at increased risk of developing reproductive disorders due to hormonal imbalance.

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If a woman develops an enlarged uterus after the end of her childbearing years, she should seek medical attention. medical care. One of the visible signs that may indicate an enlarged uterus is a sudden increase in weight or waist circumference, but women suffering from this disorder may experience many other warning signs.

The nature of diseases that are associated with uterine enlargement can be either benign or malignant. Below is some information about the circumstances under which uterine enlargement may occur.

One of the most common causes of uterine enlargement is the presence of uterine fibroids. Research shows that at some point in life, about 40%-45% suffer from fibroids in the uterus. female population. Fibroids are described as noncancerous growths in a woman's uterus. They mainly occur in childbearing age and can form anywhere, both inside and outside the uterus, and even in its walls. Myomas appear either one at a time or in groups. Their size varies, they can be small, no larger than a pea, and large, like a small melon.

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Symptoms:

• Pelvic pain
• Heavy menstrual bleeding
• Pain during intercourse
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain or pressure
• Lower back pain

Treatment:

If the fibroids are small and do not cause any discomfort, surgery may not be necessary. If fibroids are causing pain and discomfort, a surgery called a myomectomy may be performed to remove the growths. In severe cases, a hysterectomy is required to relieve symptoms ( surgical removal uterus).

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled pockets or sacs that can form either on the surface of the ovary or inside it. Most often, ovarian cysts are benign or functional. However, in some cases they rupture and cause serious complications. Ovarian cysts come in different types.

• Functional cysts are cysts that develop during menstruation and include cysts corpus luteum, follicular cysts and hemorrhagic cysts.
• Endometrioid cysts are cysts that develop in women suffering from endometriosis.
• Dermoid cysts are abnormal cysts that may contain growths from body tissue. These cysts are benign; however, they can enlarge and become painful.
• Cystic adenomas are benign neoplasms that develop from ovarian tissue. These cysts may enlarge, thus causing weight gain. Sometimes women can develop polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a disease characterized by the development of multiple cysts on the ovary. It may also be responsible for an enlarged uterus.

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Symptoms:

• Abdominal pressure and pain
• Backache
• Difficulty urinating
• Painful periods
• Abnormal bleeding
• Breast tenderness

Treatment:

Most ovarian cysts are not cancerous, so they can be treated with medications. You can take painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain. It is possible to use the method hormonal contraception, at which for regulation menstrual cycle taken orally birth control pills. This prevents the formation of any new cysts in the future and helps to reduce existing ones.

The endometrium is the mucous membrane that lines the uterus. Endometrial cancer or endometrial cancer is also included in the list of causes of uterine enlargement. This is a type of cancer that begins to develop in the layer of cells that form the lining of the uterus. Abnormal and uncontrolled cell division in the cells that form the glandular tissue in the lining of the uterus leads to the formation of endometrioid adenocarcinomas. This disease usually affects women over 50 years of age.

Risk factors for endometrial cancer include obesity, early onset of menstruation, and late onset menopause.

Also making women more susceptible this disease There may be a hormonal imbalance, in particular estrogen dominance. Besides, increased risk Menopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy or women undergoing treatment for breast cancer are affected.

Symptoms:

• Pain during intercourse
• Difficulty urinating
• Vaginal bleeding between periods or after menopause

Treatment:

In such circumstances, treatment for an enlarged uterus involves surgical removal of the uterus. This approach may also help cure endometrial cancer.

Adenomyosis

Thickening of the uterus, which occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus begins to grow inside the muscular wall of the uterus, is called adenomyosis in medical parlance. Adenomyosis is one of the most common causes of uterine enlargement. This disease mainly develops in young women who have given birth. Most often in women over 30 years of age, especially in those who have had C-section during childbirth or surgery on the uterus. Although in general this state is benign, it can be quite painful.

Symptoms:

• Menstrual cramps
• Heavy bleeding during menstruation
• Passage of blood clots during menstruation
• Vaginal bleeding between periods

Treatment:

Adenomyosis can be treated quite successfully with anti-inflammatory drugs and hormone therapy. Some serious cases may require a hysterectomy.

Other reasons

Sometimes menopause can lead to an enlarged uterus. Similar phenomenon occurs as a result of hormonal fluctuations in which the uterus simulates pregnancy. Cause thickening uterine wall Some methods of contraception, such as birth control pills and intrauterine devices, can also cause uterine enlargement in the future.

In some cases, sexual activity causes uterine enlargement, but similar condition persists only for a certain time, after which the uterus returns to its original size. In addition to the reasons mentioned above, diseases such as molar pregnancy and cervical cancer can lead to uterine enlargement. Triggers of this disorder also include cervical fibrosis, Asherman's syndrome and congenital anomalies affecting the cervix, vagina or uterus itself.

The development of malignant uterine neoplasms should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. Therefore, if any symptoms of an enlarged uterus appear, women should seek medical help. Hormonal therapy can help treat uterine enlargement, medications, full/partial hysterectomy, surgical operations or alternative methods therapy. Correct and timely diagnosis and treatment is certainly the key to a speedy recovery.

Enlarged uterus - this diagnosis can often be heard by women during a scheduled or unscheduled examination by a gynecologist. As shown medical statistics– many gynecological diseases and pathologies are accompanied by an increase in the size of the uterus. Exactly why the uterus can be enlarged, what reasons provoke this change in size and how diagnostics are carried out, characteristic symptoms and will be discussed further.

What does the term mean?

Any woman can hear how the uterus is enlarged, but not every woman can remain calm. But in order to be able to fully understand what this diagnosis represents, the reasons why the uterus may become enlarged, it is worth considering what is normal.

The uterus is enlarged and is a smooth muscle organ located in the pelvic area and has a pear-shaped shape. At one time or another in life, the shape and size may change - if a woman has not yet given birth, then the length of the uterus will be no more than 7-8 cm. But if she has already given birth, the length will be greater and equal to 8-10 cm, with a width of 4- 6 cm. A diagnosis is not a death sentence; the main thing is to understand what provokes the increase and take certain measures.

Signs of pathology

Speaking about what symptoms indicate that the uterus is enlarged, in most cases the process occurs without symptoms - here gynecologists make the diagnosis when a deviation is accidentally detected during a scheduled or unscheduled examination of the patient.

However, some women who carefully monitor their health and are attentive to external signals may develop symptoms that are consistent with the diagnosis. Many reasons can cause the uterus to increase in size, but the following symptoms may indicate a pathological deviation:

• monotonous aching attacks of pain in the lower peritoneum;
• periodic urinary incontinence and a feeling of discomfort both during and after sexual intercourse;
• a woman's menstruation is profuse and painful, bloating of the peritoneum and unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling full stomach;
• pain radiating to the lumbar region and frequent attacks dizziness and headache;
• between menstruation the patient is bothered by very heavy and prolonged bleeding and sudden, for no apparent reason, weight gain due to hormonal dysfunction;
• breast swelling and pain when touched;
• a drop in hemoglobin levels in the blood;

If there is at least one, or even several signs, it is worth visiting a gynecologist for an examination.

Reasons provoking the development of pathology

According to doctors, the following reasons can provoke an enlarged uterus:

1. A woman is nearing the development of menopause - the uterus is enlarged, the reasons are due to age-related changes in the body, in coordinated work reproductive system. The result is an enlargement of the uterus, the reasons being age.
2. Myoma – an enlarged uterus is caused by the fact that a benign tumor is growing in the organ. It is diagnosed in women of reproductive age age group, and if left untreated, the consequences may be female infertility and inability to bear a child, transformation into a malignant neoplasm. The uterus is enlarged, the cause in this case is fibroids. As for what triggers the development of fibroids, the reasons may be hormonal imbalance and irregular sex life, big number past abortions and traumatic births, heredity and diseases such as obesity or diabetes, problems with the thyroid gland. Characteristics are constant, aching pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen, radiating to the lower back, and frequent bouts of constipation. In addition, women are diagnosed with problems with going to the toilet and urinating, pain during intercourse, as well as heavy menstrual bleeding.
3. Ovarian cyst. May cause irreversible change the size of a woman's uterus. Hormonal imbalance, as well as hypothermia and injury to the abdominal area can provoke the development of cysts. With regard to the symptoms that characterize the cyst, there are problems with going to the toilet and the process of urination, pain in the peritoneum, very painful, as well as heavy menstruation.
4. Uterine adenomyosis - the endometrium of the muscular organ - the uterus, will grow into other layers, accompanied by a total proliferation of the muscular layer, provoking an unnatural increase in size. Doctors do not talk about what can provoke the pathology, although some authors say that there may be a malfunction hormonal system, surgical interventions on the uterus, bandaging fallopian tubes as a method of sterilization and abortion. Signs of pathology are cramps in the lower abdomen and profuse, prolonged uterine bleeding, pain is of an increasing nature.
5. Malignant nature of the neoplasm. As a rule, oncology more often affects women during menopause - cancer can cause the uterus to increase in size. Predisposing to development malignant tumors factors are excess weight and polycystic ovary syndrome. Symptoms of the development of a malignant neoplasm that affects the female genitourinary system, is a malfunction urinary system, as well as sharp and severe pain, which accompany sexual intercourse, bleeding between menstruation, and monthly bleeding can be especially heavy.
6. Pregnancy is molar. Doctors talk about the development of a rare anomaly in the placenta - characteristic symptoms is unnatural growth in all directions of fetal tissue. As a consequence of proliferation, there is an increase in size and deviation from the norm of the uterus. Pregnancy can be triggered, according to doctors, by a genetic error during egg fertilization.

Diagnosis of pathological changes

To set the correct and accurate diagnosis, in particular, to clarify whether the uterus is enlarged in size or not, and if it is enlarged, what reasons provoked the deviation, the doctor prescribes, in addition to a standard examination on a gynecological chair, a series clinical trials. In particular, such studies are the following:

• X-ray studies;
• sampling for research biological material– this is taking blood and conducting both general and detailed studies;
• carrying out histological examination – we're talking about about the biopsy procedure;

If the pathology is diagnosed in the early stages, then the pathology is amenable to hormonal, drug therapy. Forecasts clearly indicate a complete recovery, allowing one to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention and surgery.

The uterus enlarges in those suffering from adenomyosis, a disease in which it grows in the muscles of the uterus. When the tumor often forms in the endometrium female organ. This provokes an increase in its size. The initiator of uterine enlargement can also be molar pregnancy - a rare pathology accompanied by rapid growth abnormal fetal tissue.

Before menopause and when hormones are imbalanced, the uterus can also become larger.

Symptoms of an enlarged uterus

Symptoms of an enlarged uterus usually include menstrual irregularities, headaches, lower abdominal pain, anemia, bloating, weight gain, urinary incontinence, or reproductive function women.

How to treat an enlarged uterus

Before treatment, the doctor must identify the cause of this unpleasant phenomenon and make a diagnosis. The treatment method will depend on the diagnosis, it may be:

Drug treatment;
- hormonal therapy;
- surgical intervention(partial or complete removal uterus).

If the cause of an enlarged uterus is fibroids or fibroid tumors, a woman may complain of pain in the back or lower abdomen, bloating, irregular menstruation, or urinary incontinence. She may even feel the uterus putting pressure on nearby organs.

Fibrous tumors can be treated non-surgically or surgically. TO surgical methods include hysterectomy ( gynecological surgery, in which the uterus is amputated) or myomectomy (removal of a benign tumor from the muscular wall of the uterus). Non-surgical methods: purpose medical supplies or embolization fibrous tumor(blockage blood vessels specially introduced emboli).

On early stage the uterus can be returned to its previous size, the most important thing is not to ignore the symptoms indicating its enlargement.

Female uterus is a muscular organ. Its main purpose is to bear a fetus. Dimensions of a woman's uterus reproductive age who is not carrying a child are: length 7-8 cm, width 4-6 cm, weight approximately 50 g. However, this organ is often enlarged, and there are reasons for this.

Most often, a woman is not aware of the changes that have occurred. The doctor informs her about the problem at the next examination. There may be several reasons for this not always good phenomenon, and some deserve close attention.

Causes that are not pathologies

Most often, it increases slightly just before menstruation or menopause. You should also remember that with age, this organ may become slightly larger. These changes should not go beyond the norm, then they will not be considered deviations. Also one of the most common reasons is a woman's pregnancy. As a rule, by the end of it the organ increases in size several times. Its normal length during this period is up to 38 cm, with a width of up to 26 cm. The weight of the organ is about 1200 g. After childbirth, the uterus remains enlarged for some time, but subsequently returns to its normal size.

Diseases

The uterus can be enlarged due to certain diseases. This symptom often accompanies fibroids. This benign tumor, formed on the muscular layer. Its cause may be lack of sexual activity, difficult childbirth, abortion, and hormonal imbalances. As a rule, hormonal therapy is prescribed to treat fibroids; less often, the tumor is removed surgically. However, both treatment methods are often combined.

The uterus increases in size with endometriosis. With this disease, the endometrium of this organ grows, and in some cases extends beyond its limits. The causes of endomitriosis are quite varied, so the doctor will not give a definite answer, since this area has not yet been fully studied. Treatment of the uterus for this disease is hormonal, less often surgical.

One of the reasons for the increase in the size of the uterus is cancer. This phenomenon occurs because malignant tumor grows on the mucous membrane. In this case, a woman may be bothered by bleeding outside the menstrual cycle, with the exception of menopause, difficulty urinating, severe pain during sexual intercourse, and others. In this case, surgery is indicated, since conservative methods treatment is often not given positive results. However, in any case, you will need to contact a specialist who, based on the tests, will prescribe optimal treatment. It is also important to visit a gynecologist twice a year, then you will be able to catch the disease at an early stage. This will make it possible to heal faster.

Many women's diseases accompanies an enlarged uterus. Reasons and main signs of change normal sizes We will consider the organ in the article.

Most common natural cause enlarged uterus - pregnancy. In addition, the size and shape of the uterus changes with age. If changes occur within acceptable limits, then such a process is the norm. However, in some cases, enlargement of this organ may be a sign of pathology. What are the causes and main signs of uterine enlargement?

Signs of an enlarged uterus

Often an enlarged uterus does not manifest itself with any special symptoms, therefore in many cases this phenomenon is discovered by chance, when medical examination for another reason. But most women who are attentive to their health, if they have organ pathology, may experience the following symptoms:

• Manifestations of urinary incontinence
• Discomfort during or immediately after sex
• highlighting major blood clots
• Bloating and an unpleasant feeling of fullness in the abdomen
• Painful sensations in the lumbar region
• Frequent headaches
• A sharp increase in body weight against the background hormonal disorders
• Blood test shows a sharp drop

If a woman experiences several of the listed symptoms, she should visit a gynecologist as soon as possible.

Causes of uterine enlargement

Pathological enlargement of this organ can occur for the following reasons:

• The approach of menopause, which is accompanied by painful sensations lower abdomen.
• Myoma. This benign neoplasm most often occurs in women of reproductive age. Complications of this disease can include infertility, miscarriage and transformation of the tumor into malignant one. The causes of fibroids may be irregular sex life or disharmony in sex life, traumatic birth, genetic predisposition, chronic diseases(obesity, thyroid disease), sedentary lifestyle.
• . It is a round-shaped cavity filled with a specific liquid. The presence of a cyst can contribute to changes in the size of the uterus. The appearance of cysts is provoked by hormonal changes, as well as trauma to the abdominal area.
• Uterine adenomyosis. With this disease, the endometrium of the uterus grows into other layers of the organ. Adenomyosis is accompanied by the growth of the myometrium (muscular membrane) and an increase in the size of the uterus. The causes of uterine adenomyosis have not been precisely established. Provoking factors are considered hormonal changes, uterine surgery, tubal ligation, induced abortion.
• Malignant neoplasms in the uterus. Development oncological diseases most often observed in women who have entered menopause. One of the manifestations of a tumor located on the endometrium of the uterus may be an increase in size of the organ. It is believed that obese women, as well as those who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, have an increased risk of developing malignant neoplasms in the uterus. The risk group includes nulliparous women and women who have late menopause.
• Molar pregnancy. This rare anomaly placenta, which is characterized by abnormal growth of fetal tissue. The uterus also enlarges. A molar pregnancy is the result of a genetic error during the fertilization process.

Reader Questions

Good day! Meni 25 rocks 18 October 2013, 17:25 Good day! Meni 25 years. I have a problem. I did an ultrasound, which showed that I have endometriosis? cyst of the left ovary measuring 56*50 mm (the cyst is included with linear hyperechoic elements). It does not require the administration of medication or prompt delivery. On the right, I already had surgery to remove the cyst in 2011. And in 2012, the left ovarian cyst reappeared, but it went away under medical treatment.

Diagnosis of pathology

The doctor can detect organ enlargements during a standard gynecological examination. To identify the causes, the doctor carries out. If necessary, can be assigned additional examinations: X-ray diagnostics and pelvic ultrasound, general and detailed blood tests, biopsy.

Treatment

The treatment strategy depends on the causes and main signs of uterine enlargement. At an early stage, these conditions usually respond well to hormonal therapy, and surgical treatment not required.

But often there is a need for complex treatment- medicinal and surgical.

The uterus, located in the pelvic cavity, is a female, unpaired, hollow, smooth muscle organ, pear-shaped, slightly flattened in one direction. The shape and, naturally, the size of the uterus are very individual, and also always change significantly in various years life, especially if a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth. The standard length-depth of the uterus for any nulliparous woman about 8 cm, but the woman giving birth is only 1-2 cm more. At the same time, the width of the bottom can vary greatly and also depends on the structural features of the body of a particular lady.
Medkas distinguish the cervix, body and fundus in the structure of the uterus. Located in the pelvic cavity between two other organs, the uterus is supported by an unusual ligament, which ensures its forced movement in the event of pregnancy or filling Bladder or rectum.
Outside of pregnancy, the uterus of any woman of reproductive age can weigh about 50 grams, but already during the first pregnancy it can increase tens of times, increasing to the size of a child. At the same time, its weight can vary greatly, but it is rarely below one kilogram. With multiple pregnancy and polyhydramnios, the processes are aggravated, so the size of the uterus can significantly change towards increase. The standard volume of the cavity by the end of pregnancy usually increases 500 times.

Causes of uterine enlargement.

There is an opinion that a particular woman’s uterus is comparable to the size of her fist, but this statement has not been proven. An enlarged uterus means exceeding the normal size, and in specific cases those that the woman had before the deformation process. Naturally, most women do not even realize that their uterus is enlarged, since this process has no painful manifestations and the uterus can increase gradually over the years. Usually, a gynecologist determines an enlarged uterus through a routine internal examination, but sometimes it may be necessary to additional methods data recording. As a rule, the symptoms of an enlarged uterus greatly depend on the reasons for its enlargement, so they can vary greatly in different cases.
Do not forget that a sharp increase in the size of the uterus can be a sign of a tumor, and among the most common diseases are:
- fibroids,
- uterine cancer,
- ovarian cancer.
The main signs of an enlarged uterus are not always clearly expressed, so a regular examination by a gynecologist, carried out once every six months, will allow you to monitor your health and detect it in time. unpleasant manifestations. So, among the most known reasons highlight:
- pain in the lower abdomen, and it can be both pulling and sharp;
- release of blood clots during menstruation;
- urinary incontinence;
- anemia;
- vaginal bleeding that occurs between menstruation;
- bloating and frequent flatulence;
- weight gain, as it may be associated with hormonal changes.
Naturally, other symptoms may also appear among the signs, so if there are any noticeable changes in the body, you should consult a doctor for advice.

The causes of uterine enlargement may vary, as well as the main symptoms, but a very limited list of diseases usually leads to a sharp change in health status and unreasonable growth of this body. Among the typical reasons, the most common are six main ones, which are important for every sexually mature woman to know about.

Adenomyosis, as a common gynecological disease, leading to the growth of the endometrium in the muscles of the uterus, is a key reason for its increase. This unpleasant condition is quite common in women over the age of 30. The main symptoms are a few simple points. Among the noticeable sensations, intensely increasing pain will appear, copious discharge blood clots during menstruation, strange profuse bleeding, unexpected, short-term cramps in the lower abdomen.

Molar pregnancy, as a relatively rare phenomenon, is not known to many. This is a pregnancy that is accompanied by rapid growth of abnormal fetal tissue. Naturally, this process is abnormal and is often detected at an early stage of pregnancy. In this case, naturally, the uterus increases in size in relation to the size of the fetus.

Uterine fibroids, being the most common and, unfortunately, very well-known in women's circles, are also always the cause of uterine enlargement. Even though this is a benign tumor, it is still worth keeping this process under control. By the way, fibroids can develop in absolutely any place; for example, they can form outside, in the walls of an organ and, of course, inside. At the same time, it is most characteristic of incredibly large and heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle, as well as palpable and sharp pain during sex. In addition to the symptoms described, frequent urination, frequent constipation, very discomfort in the lower abdomen and inside the pelvis, can also accompany the process of development of the disease and enlargement of the uterus.

Uterine cancer, as a dangerous and very serious disease, most often occurs in older women, especially those who have entered menopause. The tumor itself often forms directly in the mucous membrane that abundantly covers the uterus, in the so-called endometrial layer. Actually, it is this process that provokes a sharp increase in the size of the uterus. It is difficult to determine the malignancy of a tumor based on its symptoms, especially considering that cancer does not cause severe pain. During the entire period of formation and growth of malignant cells, you can feel great and remain in the dark, which is why regular examinations are so important. To confirm or refute information about the disease, the doctor will certainly take tissue for analysis. Most often, a special puncture is made for this. Sometimes signs of a tumor can be bleeding that occurs between menstruation, as well as unexpectedly during menopause. Sharp, very sharp pain during sex, should also be alarming.