Planning your day around heavy bleeding, cramps, or bathroom trips can be exhausting. If fibroids are affecting your comfort, Davie OBGYN can help you understand your options. Our board-certified physician offers personalized evaluation, with ultrasound available on site when needed.
Understanding Uterine Fibroids
What are fibroids?
Fibroids are noncancerous growths made from the muscle of the uterus. Think of them as firm knots that can develop within the uterine wall or along its inner or outer surface.
Some are small and cause no symptoms. Others affect bleeding, create pressure, or interfere with pregnancy, depending on their location.
Common symptoms and red flags
Symptoms may include:
- Heavy or long periods.
- Cramping or pelvic pressure.
- Frequent urination or constipation.
- Pain during sex.
- Fatigue from blood loss.
When to get urgent care: Seek urgent medical care for sudden severe pain or heavy bleeding with dizziness, fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath. These symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment.
Learn more about fibroid symptoms from ACOG.
Why an in-person evaluation matters
Symptoms alone cannot confirm fibroids. Other conditions can cause similar bleeding or pressure. An exam and ultrasound can help identify the size and location of a growth and guide your next steps.
What to Expect During Your Fibroid Evaluation
- Discuss your symptoms. Bring information about your periods, medications, prior imaging, and pregnancy plans.
- Have an exam when appropriate. Your physician will explain the purpose of each step and ask for your consent.
- Consider ultrasound and lab testing. On-site ultrasound may help map fibroids. Blood testing may check for anemia.
- Review a personalized plan. Additional testing may be needed if the bleeding pattern or imaging raises other concerns.
Personalized Fibroid Treatment Options
Treatment depends on your symptoms and goals. Options may include:
- Monitoring: Appropriate for some fibroids that are not causing problems.
- Medication: Hormonal treatments or nonhormonal bleeding medication may reduce symptoms. Some medicines can temporarily shrink fibroids.
- Myomectomy: Surgery that removes fibroids while keeping the uterus.
- Other procedures: Selected patients may consider treatment that blocks a fibroid’s blood supply or destroys fibroid tissue.
- Hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus provides definitive treatment for uterine fibroids and ends the ability to carry a pregnancy.
Not every procedure is suitable for someone planning pregnancy. We can discuss the choices and whether specialist referral is needed. See the FDA’s overview of fibroid treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all fibroids need surgery?
No. Some need only monitoring, while others can be managed with medication.
Can fibroids affect fertility?
Certain fibroids, especially those that change the shape of the uterine cavity, may affect fertility. Many people with fibroids can still become pregnant.
Will fibroids go away after menopause?
They often shrink after menopause, but new bleeding or persistent symptoms still need evaluation.
Can an ultrasound find fibroids?
Ultrasound commonly identifies fibroids and helps assess their location. Sometimes additional imaging is needed.
Fibroid Care Close to Home
Davie OBGYN offers board-certified care and on-site ultrasound for patients in Davie, Cooper City, Weston, Plantation, and Pembroke Pines. Your treatment plan should reflect your priorities, including relief from symptoms and future pregnancy goals.
For an emergency, call 911. Not sure what you need? See our patient resource center.
Medically reviewed by Rahil Malik, MD, FACOG, board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026. This page is general information and does not replace a visit with your doctor.