MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FIBROIDS AND MENTAL HEALTH

The greatest wealth we will ever amass is good health, both physically and mentally. So, we should exercise regularly, eat healthily and consume plenty of water.

THE GREATEST wealth we will ever amass is good health, both physically and mentally. So, we should exercise regularly, eat healthily and consume plenty of water. Yet, for us ladies, this asset can be significantly diminished by unpreventable growths in the womb called fibroids. These growths do not only affect us physically; they are also powerful enough to have adverse effects on our mental health. But how? Dr Kiri-an Bridgewater, a gynaecologist, and Justine East, an associate clinical psychologist, will help us to make the connection.

Dr Bridgewater explains that while the specific cause of fibroids is unknown, genetics play a large

“Highly processed foods and foods containing large amounts of hormones can speed up the development of ” fibroids.

part in the development of these growths, which vary in size according to each female’s genes and lifestyle.

“Highly processed foods and foods containing large amounts of hormones can speed up the development of fibroids. But this can be controlled, unlike genes. So, women should have a balanced diet with organically grown foods and foods high in fat,” Dr Bridgewater emphasises to Flair.

There are several symptoms that are associated with fibroids. These include heavy bleeding between and during menstruation, painful or prolonged periods, swollen abdomen, difficulty getting pregnant,