Although doctors still aren’t sure what it is exactly that causes fibroids — muscular tumors that develop in the wall of a uterus — they have found that some certain women are more likely to develop them. Here’s what they know.

• Family History. Like many other medical problems, a woman whose family has a history of developing fibroids is more likely to develop fibroids herself. In fact, if a woman’s own mother had fibroids, she is about three times as likely to also develop fibroids than the average person.
• Ethnicity. Researchers have found that women of certain ethnic origins are more likely than other ethnicities to develop fibroids. African-American women, in particular, are far more likely to need uterine fibroid treatments than caucasian women are.
• Obesity. Obesity has also been shown to increase a woman’s risk of developing fibroids. In fact, very heavy women have a risk of developing fibroids that’s two to three times greater than average.
• Diet. Eating habits have also been connected with an increased risk of fibroids. Women who tend to eat a lot of red meat, such as steak for example, are linked to a higher risk of fibroids.

If you find that you fall into one or more of these categories, you could very well develop such symptoms of fibroid cysts as abnormal menstrual bleeding, abdominal swelling, pelvic pressure, and even pain during intercourse, so you may want to discuss the various uterine fibroids treatment options that are out there just to know what you can do.

On the bright side, all this also means that there are certain steps that can be taken to lower the chance of developing problematic fibroids. Women who’d like to avoid needing fibroid treatments should perhaps consider getting more exercise, and changing their diets, as obesity, and eating habits have both been linked to increased risk of developing fibroids, as previously mentioned.

If you have questions about the signs and symptoms of fibroids, feel free to share in the comments.