Fibroids are the non-cancerous growths in the uterus. They can occur due to various reasons. Generally, they are not harmful. But they can cause heavy menstrual bleeding.
Do you have a question- do fibroids cause body odor? Or can fibroids cause a fishy smell in the vagina?
If yes, you are at the right place. Here we will tell you the essential information about fibroids. Fibroids generally do not cause any body odor. But sometimes, you may have a body odor due to increased estrogen levels in your body. It can also promote fibroids growth in your uterus.
Keep reading the article to know more. Before we start with anything else, you should know what fibroids are.
Table of Content
What Are Fibroids?
Fibroids are the non-cancerous outgrowths that occur in your uterus. Generally, they are not harmful and do not cause any such symptoms. But a bothersome and common symptom of fibroids is heavy menstrual bleeding. It causes severe heavy bleeding during periods that you may become anemic due to blood loss.
Women with fibroids have to take a lot of care to cope with that heavy menstrual flow. It can be exhausting and sometimes hard to deal with. However in that case, your healthcare provider may prescribe you medication such as tranexamic acid or mefenamic acid. They help control heavy menstrual bleeding. Do not take any medicine on your own. Always tell your healthcare provider and consult them.
Not all the time heavy menstrual bleeding occurs due to fibroids. Sometimes it can occur due to other reasons too. Therefore consulting with the healthcare provider is a must. Do not take any medication on your own.
What Are The Symptoms of Fibroids?
The symptoms of fibroids differ. They depend on the place they occur, their sizes, and their quantity. Some women do not have any symptoms because the size of the fibroid is too little. But sometimes, women have bothersome complaints that affect their lives.
The common symptoms of fibroids are as follows;
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Periods that last longer than 7 days. Often they are around 10 days.
- A need to urinate more often
- Pain in the pelvic region
- A feeling of pressure in the pelvic region
- Constipation
- A complaint that your bladder has not emptied completely when you urinate
- Pain in the back and legs, especially during periods
Very rarely, fibroids can cause severe pain. It happens because sometimes, they do not get blood supply and begin to die. That condition can be painful. If your fibroids bleed too heavily, your healthcare providers may remove the fibroids surgically. Sometimes to lower heavy menstrual bleeding, your healthcare providers may advise you to get a Mirena ring implanted in the uterus. Mirena is a contraceptive ring that releases hormones. It plays a role in lowering bleeding during periods.
Do Fibroids Cause Body Odor?
Fibroids can be bothersome, and you may be wondering if they can be the culprit behind your body odor? Many people have a question: can fibroids cause a bad smell? Or can fibroids cause body odor? The answer to this question is not straightforward. Let us explain.
Fibroids are known to grow under changing hormone levels. They are benign tumors and are sensitive to the female hormones- estrogen and progesterone. This means that when these hormones increase in the body, fibroids can develop and continue to grow in size.
The hormones estrogen and progesterone have their effect on several different organs. They also influence different processes in the female body. One of their effects is that it causes body odor. Studies show that these hormones can cause body odor.
So while fibroids do not have a direct connection with body odor, changes in hormonal levels can be the link between the two.
Moreover, change in hormonal levels can bring about different changes like hot flashes or increased sweating. If you are perspiring more than usual, the chances of developing a foul body odor are higher. This happens because the bacteria get a chance to grow under moisture.
Changes in hormonal levels also make you sensitive to your own smell. So you might notice body odor more when your hormone levels go up.
What Are The Other Reasons For Having Body Odor?
Body odor is the smell that originates from your body. It can smell differently, ranging from good to bad. It happens when the bacteria interact with the sweat on our bodies. There are different kinds of sweat glands, one of them being the apocrine glands.
These glands are known to secrete chemicals that can cause body odor when bacteria interact with them. The bacteria present on the surface of our bodies play a major role in the production of bad body odor. When we sweat, different chemicals from the glands are released along with salt and water. These bacteria break down these chemicals into different compounds, which produce body odor.
The apocrine glands are more common in the underarm region. This is why the underarm is the main place from where the body odor originates.
Different factors and health conditions that increase the chances of body odor include:
FAQs
Question- Does menopause cause body odor?
Answer- Menopause can cause body odor. It happens because increased estrogen levels can cause body odor. And when you reach menopause, the estrogen levels are quite high. Therefore you can have body odor when you reach menopause. However, that is not too severe. You can get rid of it by taking a daily shower and wearing perfume.
Question- Do fibroids cause vaginal odor?
Answer- Generally, fibroids do not cause vaginal odor. However, if they become infectious, they can cause a foul-smelling discharge. If that happens, visit the healthcare provider soon. Vaginal infections, if left untreated, can lead to various life-threatening complications. If you have a complaint of vaginal discharge that has a foul smell, you must seek professional help.
Question- How to control heavy bleeding due to fibroids?
Answer- If you have a complaint of heavy menstrual bleeding, you should consult with a healthcare provider. They may prescribe you medication such as tranexamic acid and mefenamic acid to control heavy menstrual bleeding.
Do not take any medicine on your own. Always tell your healthcare provider and consult them. Not all the time heavy menstrual bleeding occurs due to fibroids. Sometimes it can occur due to other reasons too. Therefore consulting with the healthcare provider is a must. Do not take any medication on your own.
Conclusion
Many women have a question: do fibroids cause body odor? So the answer to this question is that it can happen rarely. Generally, they do not cause any odor or vaginal odor. However, if they become infected, they can cause a foul-smelling vaginal discharge. Therefore, if you have a complaint of vaginal discharge with a characteristic vaginal odor, visit your healthcare provider soon. Do not delay that.
Fibroids can also cause heavy menstrual flow. Therefore take care of yourself during menses if you have fibroids. Your healthcare providers may prescribe iron supplements to prevent iron deficiency anemia due to heavy periods.
