How Fibroids Can Affect Your Mental Health

Women with uterine fibroid can experience many physical symptoms, including heavy bleeding, back pain, pain with sex, menstrual cramps and more. These issues can interfere with your ability to complete your daily tasks. But they can also impact your overall mood. In today’s post, we explore how fibroids affect your mental health, and steps you can take to find physical and emotional relief.

Physical Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids

Some women with fibroids never experience physical symptoms. However, depending on the size and location of these benign uterine tumors, fibroid symptoms can become quite intrusive. As they grow, they can cause you to develop an enlarged uterus. They may also put excess pressure on surrounding structures, leading to frequent urination; problems with digestion and more. Depending on their location, sex may become painful. And, when dealing with multiple fibroid symptoms, a woman’s emotional well-being may suffer.

Fibroids and Mental Health: Stress Takes a Toll

Since fibroids can impact so many areas of your life, they can cause you to experience significant levels of stress. In fact, in this study, researchers discovered that ongoing worries about fibroid symptom progression caused women to experience anxiety, guilt and isolation. Furthermore, they found, lack of social support can also cause women to experience insecurity. Finally, the authors concluded that living with fibroids made women—especially older ones—face  “challenges in health management, family support, financial stability, and social inclusion. These domains interacted to form a reinforcing network that intensified both physical and psychological burdens. Addressing these interconnected stressors through integrated medical, psychosocial, and policy strategies is essential to improving the well-being of this population.”

Fibroid Treatment in Georgia

As the study authors suggest, medical intervention can help reduce the affect of fibroids on your mental health. In fact, this 2024 study revealed that seeking treatment significantly improved quality of life and mental health for women living with fibroids. Now, this study looked at multiple forms of treatment—including surgical options. However, at Georgia Fibroids, our interventional radiologists know that treating fibroids with surgery can be costly, and it can lead to additional health concerns during your extended recovery. Unfortunately, that can exacerbate the affect fibroids have on your mental health, since ‘health management’ and ‘financial stability’ were identified as two key concerns for women living with these uterine tumors. Fortunately, you can treat your fibroids without invasive procedures and overnight hospital stays. Connect with our team to request a consultation and learn more about UFE, a minimally invasive fibroid treatment option.