Latest news with #fibroids
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
'Not one medicine for all': UAE doctors say homeopathy personalises treatment
After being told she needed a hysterectomy due to fibroids, a woman found a healing path through homeopathy. As her symptoms improved within two months and her fibroids shrank significantly — leaving just one small fibroid — experts explained that homeopathy activates the body's self-regulation to achieve long-term healing. The 46-year-old mother of two (name requested to be withheld), based in Dubai, was dealing with multiple large fibroids — about five large fibroids in her uterus — and diabetes. These fibroids were impacting her life, causing frequent bleeding. She was left with no choice but to undergo a hysterectomy based on the doctor's recommendation. Usually, many women have no symptoms, but common signs include heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, bleeding between periods, pelvic pressure or pain, lower back pain, frequent urination, painful intercourse, and difficulty conceiving. In severe cases, fibroids can lead to anaemia due to blood loss. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. She decided to try homeopathy at Wellth and started working with homeopathy practitioners. Dr Yasir Shafi, a homeopathy practitioner at Wellth who supervised her treatment, explained: "Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine that uses natural remedies mainly from plants and minerals, in highly diluted doses, to stimulate the body's self-healing response. It follows the principle of 'like cures like' — treating symptoms with remedies that would produce similar symptoms in a healthy person." He added, "Treatment is tailored to the individual's physical, emotional, and mental state." Dr Shafi noted that treatment duration varies from person to person. Acute conditions may improve within days or weeks. At the same time, chronic issues, such as fibroids, often require several months of consistent treatment. Progress depends on the size of the fibroid, overall health, and adherence to the treatment plan. He also mentioned, "Medicines are mainly derived from plants or minerals. These are potentised through a homeopathic process and prescribed in different potencies." "It's important to understand that these medicines are not the same for all fibroid patients," he said. "Homeopathy is a highly individualised approach based on the patient's nature, history, and symptoms. Each patient receives medicine suited to their unique condition — not one medicine for all." Regarding the 46-year-old woman, she committed to a year-long treatment plan focusing on personalised natural remedies and lifestyle changes. Within just a couple of months, she noticed an improvement in her symptoms. A follow-up scan showed her fibroids had shrunk significantly, leaving just one small fibroid. This was remarkable since she had been advised that hysterectomy was her only option. The best part was that she also managed to bring her diabetes under control through holistic methods without conventional medicines. Dr Asher Shaikh further explained: "How long treatment takes depends on the condition and the individual. Acute issues, such as fever, cough, or food poisoning, can improve within hours or a day. Chronic problems like allergies, eczema, psoriasis, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, PCOS, migraines, gut issues like IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid issues, or anxiety may take a few weeks to show deeper improvement and a few months for long-term stabilisation." He added, "Many patients report early signs that the remedy is working: better sleep, improved mood, more energy — even if the main complaint hasn't fully resolved yet." Dr Shaikh described the process: "Homeopathy begins with an in-depth consultation. We don't rely solely on test reports; we also discuss emotions, sleep patterns, fears, digestive health, and life history. This helps us choose a remedy that fits the whole person, not just the diagnosis." He noted that this process typically includes thorough case-taking lasting 60 to 120 minutes for chronic cases, along with emotional counseling. Remedies are customised from over 2,000 options based on the patient's profile, with potency and dosage determined by their condition and sensitivity. Lifestyle advice on nutrition, stress management, and habits that may affect healing is also provided. Dr Shaikh recommended considering homeopathy if individuals have recurring or chronic issues like allergies, PCOS, anxiety, IBS, eczema, migraines, or hormonal problems. It's also suitable if you're tired of side effects from conventional medicine or want a natural approach that supports your body's healing abilities. "Homeopathy is a safe treatment option for infants, pregnant women, and the elderly, making it a gentle care choice. It can also complement conventional treatment when full relief is not achieved or help support the immune system during recovery," he added.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
My Body Went Through A Massive Change In My 40s. I Didn't Know What Had Really Happened Until Much Later.
I could tell as soon as I placed my towel on the lounge chair at the Cozumel resort that the middle-aged woman sitting beside me wanted to chat. After our brief conversation, my boyfriend and I continued to run into her and her husband, who were on vacation from their home in England, and soon our discussions grew more personal until we found ourselves comparing menopause stories. And as my new friend shared how tough the transition has been on her, I realized not only how beneficial it is for women to talk about menopause, but also how alone I felt during menopause because I had no idea it was happening. When painful fibroids led me to a hysterectomy at age 41, I asked fellow middle-aged friends for advice. However, other than the practical tips for taking care of myself during the recovery and the jokes about how much I was going to love not getting a period anymore, I didn't gather any insights on the long-term changes in my body or the anticipation of menopause. The six-week recovery was far worse than I anticipated. I was in constant pain, I couldn't sleep, and the pain medication made me so sick I had to stop taking it. Because I kept my ovaries — my total hysterectomy included the removal of my uterus, cervix and fallopian tubes — I stopped menstruating, but I didn't go into menopause. But for weeks I experienced night sweats, mood swings and a confusing sense of grief that I was suddenly infertile. Although those issues soon faded, I knew it was a preview of what would eventually come with menopause. At the end of the six weeks, I returned to work, chauffeuring my kids around, grocery shopping and exercising as normal life resumed. The hysterectomy, the pain, the grief and the post-surgical issues were behind me, morphing into gratitude that I was rid of the fibroids that had plagued me for too long. And, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed not getting a period anymore. All of these memories came flooding back when Emily from England confided in me on that beach in Mexico that she recently underwent a major surgery. 'I had a hysterectomy,' she said, lowering her voice as if she was revealing a dirty secret. 'I'm so sorry you had to go through that,' I replied. 'I had a hysterectomy six years ago. It was brutal.' 'You did?' Emily seemed surprised by my confession. 'So are you postmenopausal too?' Unlike mine, Emily's hysterectomy included the removal of her ovaries, so menopause jump-started for her immediately following the surgery. I explained to her that, while my doctor deemed my ovaries healthy and left them where they were, I had discovered a year earlier through hormone testing that I was postmenopausal at age 47. 'I didn't even know I was approaching menopause because I stopped getting a period after the hysterectomy and couldn't use that as a sign,' I told Emily. 'So learning I was postmenopausal and could have asked for help with my symptoms way earlier shocked me.' As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I realized not only how shaken I still was that I endured menopause without knowing it — without knowing to ask for help with my symptoms — but also how isolating my experience was because I didn't have conversations like this one, even with my doctors. After my hysterectomy, I repeatedly asked my gynecologist how I would know I was in perimenopause — the transitional period before menopause when the ovaries begin making less estrogen — and she repeatedly told me I would simply start noticing hot flashes. That seemed oddly unscientific to me, and I kept hoping I'd get a different answer every time I asked. There was no mention of hormone testing. When I actually did start experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and insomnia, I decided to conduct my own research. With information from the Internet and a list of questions in hand, I booked an appointment with my gynecologist and requested hormone testing. My results came through my patient portal a few days later, and I didn't need a Google search to interpret what my numbers meant: I wasn't perimenopausal. I was postmenopausal. This can't be right, I thought. Sure, I had a hysterectomy, but my gynecologist assured me that it wouldn't speed up my menopause timeline because my ovaries remained and that I likely had many years before I had to worry about menopause. However, the numbers sitting in my patient portal didn't lie. I had unknowingly gone through menopause and was already on the other side. I don't even know when my perimenopause started or how long I was in that stage. My online research told me that women who suspect perimenopause should get a baseline hormone test and repeat it periodically to track the results because hormone levels fluctuate. But I only had one test with no need to repeat it. Once postmenopausal, always postmenopausal. Over a million women in the United States enter menopause each year. And according to an AARP national survey, 90% of women ages 35 and over experience one or more menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, vaginal dryness and sleep disturbances. Not only that, but menopause puts women at an increased risk for other health issues, like heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. Yet, a 2023 study revealed that approximately 94% of American women reported never learning about menopause in school and 49% didn't feel informed about menopause at all. Furthermore, a recent study released in February 2025 that addressed the fact that women feel both unprepared to face menopause and unsupported by their health care systems during this phase, found that 'a significant number of individuals aged 30–45 years experience perimenopause-related symptoms.' The results highlight the need for more perimenopause education, even for women in their 30s. When focusing on physicians' roles, another study found that only about 20% of doctors in American obstetrics and gynecology residency programs had formal menopause training. So even if women seek professional advice and treatment for their menopause symptoms, there's a good chance their doctors won't fully know how to properly provide it. Given my own lack of knowledge surrounding menopause, my gynecologist's lack of guidance, and my conversation with Emily, I'm not surprised by these statistics. After receiving my test results, I went on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for a year. A few short weeks after applying my first estradiol patch, the shift was life-changing. The night sweats and hot flashes stopped. My moods leveled off, and I no longer fought bubbles of rage building up at the slightest stressor. My sleep improved, and I lost some weight. I was no longer baffled by my body and my emotions, no longer wondering if all my symptoms were a figment of my imagination, no longer waiting for a doctor to offer some insights. Most importantly, I learned that it was up to me to advocate for my health — because no one else will. The more I shared with Emily during our vacation chats about my hysterectomy and menopause, the more she shared about her journey. Her surgery recovery was slow and painful. Months later, she still struggled at her job, where she worked with young children and wasn't able to sit on the floor with them like she once did. Her instant menopause led to instant weight gain, her moods were all over the map, her sleep was disruptive, and she wasn't sure her HRT was working. She was exhausted — physically and emotionally — with a sense of hopelessness that she would never feel normal again. Maybe worst of all, she'd been keeping it all inside, trying to push through, not confiding in anyone but her husband, who obviously couldn't relate. Tears shimmered in her eyes as I empathetically told her I went through everything she described. I too wondered if the HRT would work, but eventually my symptoms abated. I too struggled with weight gain, but I found that walking 10,000 steps daily, lifting weights and cutting down on sugar helped me lose those stubborn pounds. And I too felt alone, but talking with other women and doctors about menopause without shame or embarrassment can temper that loneliness. I look back and realize I wasn't proactive enough when I first suspected I was menopausal. Combine my silence with the fact that my doctor never suggested regular hormone testing after my hysterectomy or offered me a checklist of other symptoms besides hot flashes, and the result is that I likely suffered unnecessarily for months — possibly years. Emily thanked me for helping her feel less alone, a feeling I wish I'd had while enduring the worst of menopause. I never saw her again after that heart-to-heart talk, but I hope she's back in England healing, practicing patience and kindness to herself, and maybe sharing her experience with other women so they feel less alone with their menopause too. While I'm encouraged that more studies are being done and more news segments are calling attention to menopause, women's health needs to be discussed more, at every age and stage. We know our bodies. We know when something needs to be addressed by a doctor. And we need to know that it's up to us to advocate for our own health. Heather Sweeney's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The TODAY Show, Newsweek, Business Insider, Good Housekeeping and Healthline, among others. Her memoir, 'CAMOUFLAGE: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage,' will be released in fall 2025. You can learn more about her at and follow her on Instagram, Bluesky and Threads. Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@ Sometime In My 50s, I Became Invisible To Men. Here's What I Didn't Expect To Feel. I Went Through Menopause At 44 And I Was Shocked By What It Did To My Body I'm 70 And I've Lived Alone My Entire Adult Life. Here's What Everyone Gets Wrong About Single People.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years
Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years originally appeared on Parade. Venus Williams revealed that her doctors dismissed her fibroid symptoms for years before she got proper treatment. While appearing on the Thursday, July 3, episode of the Today Show, Williams, 45, explained that she experienced extreme symptoms with her periods for years. Her menstrual cramps and nausea got so bad that she often found herself 'hugging the toilet, waiting for this to pass.' While talking to her doctors about her pain, she said that many of the professionals she spoke to dismissed her discomfort and insisted it was "normal." 'It just got too bad, and I couldn't handle it,' she explained of the pain. William said she knew that she had fibroids, though doctors never told her how large they were or that they were related to the pain she felt during her periods. She even experienced persistent anemia from heavy periods, which led to repeated iron transfusions. 'I'm sharing now because I was outraged that I didn't know this was possible. I didn't know what was wrong with me,' she said of why she was sharing her experience. 'No one should have to go through this.' Fibroids are "common growths of the uterus" that "often appear during the years you're usually able to get pregnant and give birth," according to the Mayo Clinic. "Uterine fibroids are not cancer, and they almost never turn into cancer." Williams explained that she used to experience excessive bleeding and pain during her periods, which would cause her to have low energy. 'I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia,' she said. 'It was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids and something else I had never heard of, which is adenomyosis.' When she was training for Wimbledon in 2016, the pain got so bad that she couldn't eat. 'We had a doubles final to play next, and I was just lying on the floor in the locker room, like, 'It's gonna pass. It's gonna pass,'' she said. 'Thank God Serena [Williams] got the doctor … and I was able to get up and eat and start playing — bad luck for the opponents.' As her pain worsened, doctors suggested that she undergo a hysterectomy. However, Williams didn't know if she wanted to have the surgery and that having the choice of naturally carrying a pregnancy "taken away" felt like a "nightmare." Williams finally found some information about fibroids while scrolling on social media during the summer of 2024. She saw an ad about a center that offered treatment for fibroids, which led her to seek treatment at NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care led by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian. Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Shirazian recommended that Williams undergo a myomectomy, which removes the fibroids from the uterus. While the athlete was initially put off by the idea due to her past of being dismissed by doctors, she ultimately decided to have the surgery. Luckily for Williams, the surgery was a success and she now lives a more comfortable life. 'Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way,'' Williams shared. 'I'm very passionate about this at this point in time because I know that other people can live better than what I lived.' Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years first appeared on Parade on Jul 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years
Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years originally appeared on Parade. Venus Williams revealed that her doctors dismissed her fibroid symptoms for years before she got proper treatment. While appearing on the Thursday, July 3, episode of the Today Show, Williams, 45, explained that she experienced extreme symptoms with her periods for years. Her menstrual cramps and nausea got so bad that she often found herself 'hugging the toilet, waiting for this to pass.' While talking to her doctors about her pain, she said that many of the professionals she spoke to dismissed her discomfort and insisted it was "normal." 'It just got too bad, and I couldn't handle it,' she explained of the pain. William said she knew that she had fibroids, though doctors never told her how large they were or that they were related to the pain she felt during her periods. She even experienced persistent anemia from heavy periods, which led to repeated iron transfusions. 'I'm sharing now because I was outraged that I didn't know this was possible. I didn't know what was wrong with me,' she said of why she was sharing her experience. 'No one should have to go through this.' Fibroids are "common growths of the uterus" that "often appear during the years you're usually able to get pregnant and give birth," according to the Mayo Clinic. "Uterine fibroids are not cancer, and they almost never turn into cancer." Williams explained that she used to experience excessive bleeding and pain during her periods, which would cause her to have low energy. 'I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia,' she said. 'It was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids and something else I had never heard of, which is adenomyosis.' When she was training for Wimbledon in 2016, the pain got so bad that she couldn't eat. 'We had a doubles final to play next, and I was just lying on the floor in the locker room, like, 'It's gonna pass. It's gonna pass,'' she said. 'Thank God Serena [Williams] got the doctor … and I was able to get up and eat and start playing — bad luck for the opponents.' As her pain worsened, doctors suggested that she undergo a hysterectomy. However, Williams didn't know if she wanted to have the surgery and that having the choice of naturally carrying a pregnancy "taken away" felt like a "nightmare." Williams finally found some information about fibroids while scrolling on social media during the summer of 2024. She saw an ad about a center that offered treatment for fibroids, which led her to seek treatment at NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care led by Dr. Taraneh Shirazian. Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Shirazian recommended that Williams undergo a myomectomy, which removes the fibroids from the uterus. While the athlete was initially put off by the idea due to her past of being dismissed by doctors, she ultimately decided to have the surgery. Luckily for Williams, the surgery was a success and she now lives a more comfortable life. 'Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way,'' Williams shared. 'I'm very passionate about this at this point in time because I know that other people can live better than what I lived.' Venus Williams, 45, Says Doctors Dismissed This Health Problem for Years first appeared on Parade on Jul 3, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Venus Williams Reveals the Painful Medical Condition That Left Her 'Laying on the Locker Room Floor' Before Wimbledon
Venus Williams shared that she underwent surgery last year for a medical condition that caused her "extreme pain" and left her lying on the locker room floor before Wimbledon in 2016 The tennis pro shared her health struggle with Today show anchor Zinhle Essamuah on the July 3 episode of the NBC morning show Essamuah, who has the same condition, told PEOPLE that she and Williams want to amplify their stories and raise awarenessVenus Williams revaled that she's had an ongoing, painful struggle with fibroids, which left her 'laying on the floor in the locker room' before one of her most iconic matches. The tennis pro shared her health struggle with Today show anchor Zinhle Essamuah on the July 3 episode of the NBC morning show. Essamuah has been candid about her history with fibroids, which are benign but painful tumors in the uterus that can lead to debilitating symptoms. As NYU Langone Health's Center for Fibroid Care explains, they 'can cause heavy and prolonged periods, pelvic pain, and bladder symptoms.' 'My symptoms were extreme pain. You know, getting so much in pain that maybe you throw up. Or you can't get off the ground … I missed practices because of that. Just, you know, hugging the toilet,' Williams, 45, told Essamuah, 30. As Essamuah, whose mother had fibroids as well, tells PEOPLE, "We know that women and and their pain is often ignored." And that was the case for Williams, who shared that before winning her sixth doubles match with sister Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2016, she was 'just laying on the floor in the locker room. Like, it's gonna pass, it's gonna pass. And thank God Serena got the doctor. And I was able to get up and eat and start playing [which was] bad luck for our opponents.' Williams said that at first, she thought her symptoms had to do with Sjögren's syndrome, which causes fatigue and swollen joints. She first shared her Sjögren's diagnosis in 2011. 'I live with an autoimmune disease. So I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia or something like that. But really it was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids.' But her symptoms were dismissed, she said. 'One doctor told me [when I was 37] … this is a part of aging. This is normal.' Another told her to get a hysterectomy. 'I've never been so sad in my life," she recalled. "I had never been running to have kids but I always wanted to have a choice and to have that taken away is just frightening.' She finally landed with Dr. Tara Shirazian from NYU's Langone Health's Center for Fibroid Care, who performed a myomectomy a year ago. It's a surgical procedure that removes the fibroids while keeping the uterus intact. As Williams said, the fibroids could be 'big like an orange.' 'Women know their bodies. They will tell you how they feel,' Dr. Shirazian told Today. 'They will explain their symptoms. Really all we have to do is listen.' For July's Fibroid Awareness Month, Williams is speaking out to encourage women to keep seeking answers. As she told Essamuah, 'You can be denied the best health care no matter who you are. And that you have to be your own advocate. Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way.' " Essamuah echoed that sentiment to PEOPLE, urging women to continue to push for answers when they feel like something is wrong. "I was once given advice. It's okay to be brassy," she said. "So many of us women, we defer to wanting to be people pleasers. We don't want to ruffle feathers, but when it comes to our health and our bodies, ultimately you are the one living in your body. You are the one who knows what it feels like to be. And that would be my message. It's okay to push." As Essamuah tells PEOPLE, "many women are only offered hysterectomies when there are so many other options. And so the hope is by amplifying stories like one of the greatest athletes in the world, we can also make sure that doctors and patients are aware: Hey, more is available, we just need to offer it and we just need to invest it." And it's a worthwhile investment, given that up to 80% of women may develop fibroids in their lifetime. While Williams hints at a return to the court — "I'm not playing badly so you never know," she told Essamuah — "I've been taking this time to rest and recover and live my life and be, you know, a happy person without fibroids.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
