Uterine / Ovarian Conditions

Q I am about to get married and was told I have a uterine fibroid. Will it affect pregnancy? Can Korean medicine help me prepare for pregnancy?

A. Not all fibroids interfere with pregnancy; the effect varies depending on location and size. If you are planning a pregnancy, it is realistic to first get a gynecological evaluation and then combine Korean medicine care that improves the uterine environment.

Q My menstrual flow is so heavy, perhaps because of a uterine fibroid, that I am always dizzy from anemia. Is the anemia managed together as well?

A. Heavy menstrual bleeding from uterine fibroids or adenomyosis readily leads to iron-deficiency anemia, so it is best to manage them together. While confirming the cause of the bleeding, Korean medicine treatment that replenishes qi and blood can be combined.

Q Since being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, my acne has worsened and the hair on my face and body has become coarser. Will these improve together too?

A. Acne and excessive hair growth are common accompanying symptoms related to the male-hormone dominance of polycystic ovary syndrome. When ovulation and hormonal balance are restored, these skin and body-hair symptoms often improve together.

Q I have a uterine fibroid along with menstrual pain. Is there anything I can do at home for everyday self-care?

A. Keeping the lower abdomen warm at all times is key. Use a warm water bottle, foot baths, and half-body baths to help lower abdominal circulation, and reduce cold foods and exposure to air conditioning.

Q I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. How should I change my lifestyle to help my periods return?

A. Regular sleep, light aerobic exercise, and a low-glycemic-index diet are key to stabilizing your hormonal rhythm. Try starting with going to bed before 11 p.m. and taking a 20 to 30 minute walk each day.

Q I suddenly have a tearing pain on one side of my lower abdomen and I am breaking out in a cold sweat. What should I do in this situation?

A. Sudden, severe one-sided pelvic pain can be a sign of ovarian torsion (a twisted ovary) or a ruptured cyst, so you must get an emergency room or gynecological examination immediately. This is not a situation to endure or to handle with Korean medicine.

Q I am taking birth control pills prescribed by my gynecologist. Is it okay to take herbal medicine at the same time?

A. There is no need to suddenly stop the birth control pills or hormone medication you are taking. They can be taken together with a time interval between them, and once your condition is stable, we gradually adjust them in consultation with your attending physician.

Q I heard uterine fibroids shrink on their own after menopause. Can I just leave it and watch until then?

A. Fibroids usually shrink after menopause as hormone levels decline. However, if symptoms are severe or the fibroid grows rapidly before then, simply watching is not enough and active management is needed.

Q I was told I have a cyst on my ovary and to come back in a few months. Do these cysts sometimes disappear on their own?

A. Functional ovarian cysts that form temporarily during ovulation often disappear on their own over one or two menstrual cycles without any particular treatment. That is why we usually follow up over time.

Q A health checkup found a uterine fibroid. Why do fibroids develop in the first place?

A. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the muscular wall of the uterus. They are known to enlarge under the influence of the female hormone estrogen. They are very common in women of reproductive age and are almost always unrelated to cancer.

Q I was told I have an ovarian cyst, but I also heard the terms endometriosis and adenomyosis. How are they different from one another?

A. When tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, it is called endometriosis; when that tissue forms a fluid-filled cyst on an ovary, it is an endometrioma (chocolate cyst). When the same tissue burrows into the muscular layer of the uterus, it is called adenomyosis.

Q My hands and feet are usually cold and I tend to enjoy cold foods. Does this affect uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts?

A. Cold foods and a cold body can reduce pelvic blood flow and worsen symptoms such as menstrual pain and heavy bleeding. Rather than being a direct cause of the disease, it is best understood as creating an environment in which symptoms readily occur.

Q I heard that with polycystic ovary syndrome I need to lose weight. Is diet really that important? What foods should I be careful about?

A. Polycystic ovary syndrome is closely related to insulin resistance, so a low-glycemic-index diet that reduces refined carbohydrates and sugar, along with weight management, is key to restoring ovulation. It is best to start by cutting down on sugary drinks and flour-based foods.

Q I work in Dongincheon and find it hard to come often. How frequently is treatment for uterine fibroids or polycystic ovary syndrome usually needed?

A. You do not need to come every day. Treatment usually proceeds with acupuncture and moxibustion once or twice a week and daily herbal medicine, and if you visit at key points aligned with your menstrual cycle, the burden is small.

Q When I first visit a Korean medicine clinic for uterine fibroids or endometriosis, in what order does the consultation and treatment proceed?

A. First, we confirm the type, size, and location using your test results such as ultrasound, and we examine the cold patterns and blood stasis of the uterus through thermal diagnosis and pulse diagnosis. We then establish a step-by-step treatment plan that warms the uterus and aids circulation.

Q For uterine conditions, what treatments do you use besides herbal medicine? I am curious whether acupuncture alone is enough.

A. With tailored herbal medicine as the foundation, we use large-moxa and deep heat therapy that delivers heat deep into the abdomen, yard fumigation (jwahun) therapy, and acupuncture together. Rather than a single method, we combine ways to warm and circulate the uterine environment.

Q I heard that taking herbal medicine shrinks uterine fibroids. Does the mass really get smaller?

A. To be honest, we cannot guarantee that herbal medicine will necessarily shrink a fibroid that has already formed. However, it often helps to relieve accompanying symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding and menstrual pain, and to slow the progression.

Q I have been taking birth control pills for 7 years for polycystic ovary syndrome, but when I stop, my periods stop again. Can I manage without the medication?

A. Birth control pills only induce a period artificially; they do not change the body's underlying ability to ovulate on its own, so periods tend to stop again once you discontinue them. By adjusting the body's foundation so that ovulation occurs well, it is possible to aim for a state that relies less on medication.