Fibroadenomas
A fibroadenoma (fy-broe-ad-uh-NO-muh) is a solid breast lump, its name comes from the words "fibroma" and "adenoma", basically it is a tumour made up of fibrous and glandular tissue. This breast lump is not cancer. A fibroadenoma happens most often between ages 15 and 35. But it can be found at any age in anyone who has periods.
A fibroadenoma often causes no pain. It can feel firm, smooth and rubbery. It has a round shape. It might feel like a pea in the breast. Or it may feel flat like a coin. When touched, it moves easily within the breast tissue. Most are only 1-2cm in size, it's rare for them to get larger than 5cm.
Fibroadenomas are common breast lumps. If you have found a lump your Dr will most likely send you for an ultrasound scan and based on the results may suggest a biopsy. If this confirms fibroadenoma, your health care provider may tell you to watch for changes in its size or feel. They could suggest surgery to remove it, although many fibroadenomas shrink and disappear with no further treatment.
There are a few different kinds:
Simple Fibroadenomas
They look the same all over when you view them under a microscope.
Complex Fibroadenomas
These are bigger and tend to affect older women. They might have cells that grow rapidly.
Juvenile Fibroadenomas
These are the most common type of breast lump found in girls and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18. They can grow large, but most shrink over time. Some disappear.
Giant Fibroadenomas
They can grow to larger than 2 inches. They may need to be removed if they press on or replace other breast tissue.
It's not known what causes fibroadenomas although many Dr's believe it could be related to changing levels in hormones as they often appear during puberty or pregnancy and go away after menopause. It is believed that about 10% of women have one of these breast lumps, many
without ever knowing it.
At Happy Breast Balm we often have women reaching out to us with questions who have recently discovered a fibroadenoma. What has caused this? How do I treat it naturally? Can I shrink this? Of course we are not Dr's and can't advise scientifically.... However, as we encourage for all breast health issues...
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Explore your hormonal status. There are some excellent tests these days that give valuable insight into what your hormones are doing, such as The DUTCH Test. We highly recommend True Foods Nutrition for this, based in Sydney they can arrange online consults.
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Look at our nutritional advice for breast health, as what you consume has a big influence on your breast health.
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Avoid tight fitting bras.
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Use natural deodorants.
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Stimulate your lymphatic system to clear and detox using dry skin brushing and massage
