Enlarged uterus - what does this mean? Possible causes of the pathology. Possible causes of uterine enlargement What does an enlarged uterus mean?

Content

Normally, the uterus in an adult woman who has given birth is about 7 cm in length and approximately 5 cm in width. It is a pear-shaped organ that is slightly tilted forward. Any deviations should cause concern among women and caution among doctors. An increase in the size of the organ or a large uterus can be both a symptom of pregnancy and a sign of a disease.

Reasons for the increase

The main reason for the increase in the size of the main reproductive organ is pregnancy. The uterus becomes large at the end of the first trimester. When conception occurs, it begins to gradually increase in size.

Normally, its parameters also change with age. It increases during adolescence. This is a natural process, so there is no need to panic.

In nulliparous women, the uterus almost 2 times less than those who do not have children. If the weight of this organ before pregnancy usually does not exceed 50 grams, then after childbirth it weighs 70-100 g.

But sometimes a change in size means problems have begun. The main pathological reasons for the uterus becoming large are:

• fibroids;
• endometriosis or adenomyosis;
• the appearance of malignant tumors.

These are the main diseases that cause the uterus to become large.

Myoma

Benign tumors that appear in the uterine walls are called fibroids. Most often, this pathology occurs in women of childbearing age.

It leads to:

• infertility;
• problems with pregnancy;
• bleeding.

Myomas are formed due to:

• hormonal disorders in the body;
• irregular sex life;
• abortions;
• traumatic birth;
• genetic predisposition;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems).

The attending gynecologist will help you understand what the appearance of fibroids means and how to proceed further when establishing such a diagnosis.

Endometriosis

A large uterus may mean endometriosis is developing. This is a disease in which the endometrium begins to grow uncontrollably and penetrate into the thickness of the myometrium.

A large uterus is usually diagnosed with adenomyosis. This is a condition in which the endometrium begins to grow inside the uterine muscles. As a result, the size of the muscle layer increases significantly. A gynecologist can notice an increase in the size of the main reproductive organ during a two-handed examination.

The causes of adenomyosis and endometriosis have not been precisely established. The following diseases can develop:

• with hormonal imbalances;
• after surgical gynecological interventions, including abortions;
• as a result of tubal ligation.

This diagnosis means that treatment should begin immediately. Adenomyosis leads to bleeding, infertility and severe pain. Therapy is carried out both hormonally and surgically.

Malignant formations

Cancerous uterine tumors are predominantly detected in women during menopause. The main diagnostic sign is an increase in the size of the uterus, it becomes large.

The risk of developing a malignant tumor is higher in women who are obese. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the health of the reproductive system for those patients who have polycystic changes in the ovaries. These conditions are predisposing factors for the development of cancer. This means they have a higher risk of cancer.

Characteristic signs

It is impossible to independently detect an enlarged uterus. When the size of this organ changes, only some women experience unpleasant symptoms. Most often, problems are identified during the next gynecological examination. This means that you need to visit a gynecologist regularly and at least 1-2 times a year.

But there are a number of signs by which one can suspect that the uterus has become large. These include:

• constant aching pain in the lower abdomen;
• the appearance of urinary incontinence;
• increased pain and profuseness of menstruation;
• increased frequency of headaches;
• the appearance of discomfort in the lumbar region;
• soreness of the mammary glands.

If such signs appear, it is better to visit a gynecologist unscheduled than to miss the onset of the disease.

Diagnostics

A routine gynecological examination may reveal that the uterus has become larger than normal. The causes of this condition are clarified through additional examinations.

The main diagnostic method is ultrasound examination. With it you can:

• detect pregnancy and set the exact date;
• see formations in the uterus (fibroids or malignant tumors);
• diagnose endometriosis (adenomyosis).

When detecting tumors with a certain degree of probability, based on the picture on the monitor screen, one can assume that they are benign or malignant. But the diagnosis can only be clarified by performing a biopsy.

If during a routine gynecological examination the doctor says that the uterus is large, then his words cannot be ignored. This usually means there are problems. Further examination is necessary to clarify the diagnosis.

Quite often you can find enlargement of the uterus, which occurs in females. And to find out the cause of this physical condition, in medical practice they use x-rays, blood tests, and uterine biopsies. Not many people know that if the uterus is enlarged, what does it mean.

As a rule, a woman's uterus is comparable to her fist and is orange in color. An enlarged uterus means that it is larger than normal, that is, larger than normal size. Most women do not know that their uterus is enlarged. Your healthcare provider will be able to recognize an enlarged uterus through an internal examination.

Symptoms of an enlarged uterus depend on the cause

The main reasons for an enlarged uterus in a woman

Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a condition of the uterus where the endometrial lining turns into the muscular wall of the uterus. This condition can cause spotting between periods, heavy menstrual bleeding, and cramping and pain.

Uterine cancer

The main symptom of uterine cancer is vaginal bleeding after menopause. Endometrial cancer is the most common form of uterine cancer. Uterine cancer can also cause the uterus to become enlarged.

Myoma

Uterine fibroids are tumors or growths of the uterus. Uterine fibroids almost never develop into uterine cancer, and are not associated with a greater risk of developing uterine cancer. Uterine fibroids cause heavy bleeding during menstruation, prolonged periods, difficulty urinating, constipation, pelvic pain, pressure and enlargement of the uterus.

Menopause

Sometimes menopause can also cause the uterus to expand. This is usually the result of changes in hormone levels in the body. An enlarged uterus may be due to fluctuations in hormone levels, which could mimic pregnancy. It is also caused by enlargement of the uterus as a result of sexual activity, but this condition may not continue for a long period of time.

Enlarged uterus - this diagnosis can often be heard by women during a scheduled or unscheduled examination by a gynecologist. As medical statistics show, many gynecological diseases and pathologies are accompanied by an increase in the size of the uterus. It is about why the uterus can be enlarged, what reasons provoke this change in size and how diagnosis is 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 an unpleasant, uncomfortable feeling of a full stomach;
• pain radiating to the lumbar region and frequent attacks of dizziness and headaches;
• between menstruation, the patient is worried about 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 approaching the development of menopause - the uterus is enlarged, the reasons are due to age-related changes in the body, in the coordinated functioning of the 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 the reproductive age group, and in the absence of treatment, the consequences can be female infertility and the 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, a large number of abortions and traumatic births, heredity and diseases such as obesity or diabetes, problems with the thyroid gland. Characteristic symptoms 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. Can cause irreversible changes in 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 of the hormonal system, surgical interventions on the uterus, tubal ligation as a method of sterilization and abortion. Signs of pathology are cramps in the lower abdomen and heavy, prolonged uterine bleeding, pain 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. Factors predisposing to the development of malignant tumors are excess weight and polycystic ovary syndrome. Symptoms of the development of a malignant neoplasm that affects the female genitourinary system are a malfunction of the urinary system, as well as sharp and severe pain that accompanies 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 - a characteristic symptom is the unnatural growth of fetal tissue in all directions. 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 make a 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 of clinical studies. In particular, such studies are the following:

• X-ray studies;
• collection of biological material for research means taking blood and conducting both general and detailed research;
• conducting a histological examination - we are talking about performing a biopsy procedure;

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

Galina Lunyakova

The uterus is the main female organ, the main purpose of which is to bear offspring. Throughout pregnancy, this organ, together with the growing fetus, greatly increases in size, and a few weeks after birth it returns to its original state. In addition, a woman's uterus may enlarge slightly with age.

Of course, these reasons are not pathological, but in other situations, an enlarged uterus may indicate serious diseases of the female genital area. In this article we will tell you about the cases in which the uterus can be enlarged if you are not pregnant and the test shows a negative result.

How can you tell if your uterus is enlarged?

Most often, this pathology is discovered completely by accident during an ultrasound diagnosis of the pelvic organs. Sometimes a woman goes to the doctor for a routine examination, but in most cases, she is forced by the presence of unpleasant symptoms.

Most often, an enlarged uterus is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• nagging and aching pain in the lower abdomen and lumbar region;
• discomfort during sexual intercourse;
• urinary incontinence;
• heavy and quite painful periods with the release of large blood clots;
• bloating, feeling of heaviness;
• frequent headaches, migraines;
• intermenstrual bleeding;
• a sharp decrease or increase in body weight caused by hormonal imbalances;
• soreness and engorgement of the mammary glands;
• decrease in hemoglobin level according to the results of a blood test, general weakness and malaise.

Enlarged uterus outside of pregnancy - what does this mean?

There are several reasons why the uterus can be very enlarged outside the period of waiting for a child, for example:

• Uterine fibroids are a benign neoplasm that occurs in its walls, externally or internally. This pathology very often affects women of reproductive age and, if increased, can lead to infertility and other complications;
• An ovarian cyst is a small formation filled with a specific fluid that can cause an enlargement of the uterus and abdomen;
• Adenomyosis is a disease in which the muscular lining of the uterus grows beyond its boundaries;
• One of the most serious reasons why the uterus may be enlarged is the occurrence of malignant neoplasms on the endometrium;
• Finally, in exceptional cases, the cause of this pathology is an abnormality of the placenta, called molar pregnancy. In this case, the fetal tissue grows, which, in turn, leads to an increase in the size of the uterus.

A slight increase in the main female organ can be caused by the following reasons:

• hereditary predisposition;
• chronic infectious diseases;
• hormonal imbalances;
• taking contraceptive medications;
• hard physical labor;
• excessive abuse of sunbathing;
• numerous abortions;
• Also, the uterus may be slightly enlarged before menstruation. Normally, this organ returns to its original state immediately with the onset of menstrual bleeding;
• finally, a slight increase in the main female organ occurs on the eve of menopause and menopause.