Uterine fibroids are very common in women of childbearing age, but most don’t even know they have them, as fibroid symptoms can easily be mistaken for something else. 50% of women with fibroids do not have any symptoms and only now have fibroids during a pelvic exam or when they are having trouble conceiving.

Here are some common symptoms to watch out for, so you know when it’s time to act.

Abdominal swelling: If your belly protrudes but feels hard when you touch it, this is a common symptom of fibroids. Many women with fibroids look pregnant when they are not, and notice that the swelling gets worse over time.

Heavy menstruation: If you notice that you constantly have to change your super plus tampons or that night pads are not enough during your period, this is also a sign that fibroids are causing abnormal bleeding. Some bleeding can be so severe that blood transfusions are needed.

Abnormal bleeding: In addition to heavy bleeding, you may notice that you are spotting between periods, or that your periods last 6 days or longer. Some women also pass a lot of heavy black clots in their menstrual blood.

Vaginal bleeding after menopause: Women who have gone through menopause may experience bleeding after several years without having periods. This is another indication that the fibroids are out of control.

Back pain or pain in the back of the legs: Women with fibroids sometimes experience pain in seemingly unrelated places. This is because the nerves that connect the uterus to the brain are located near the nerves in the back and legs.

Cramps: Fibroids can cause severe spasms as the uterus recognizes them as a foreign body that needs to be expelled. Some women may feel like they are in labor, and the pain may be so bad that pain medicine won’t take it away.

Pelvic pain: This can come in the form of a constant dull ache, to sharp pains, depending on the type of fibroid. Some fibroids can compress other organs and cause them to feel under pressure as well.

Urinary problems: Women with large fibroids may experience frequent urination, as the fibroid presses on the bladder, or difficulty urinating, if the fibroid blocks any part of the urinary system. Frequent urinary tract infections are also linked to fibroids that interfere with the function of the urinary system.

Constipation: Fibroids pressing on the colon can prevent regular bowel movements, cause painful digestion, and are easily mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. If you’re in a relationship, fibroids can also cause painful intercourse, depending on where the fibroid is located. Being in constant pain or feeling exhausted due to anemia or fibroid symptoms can also decrease sexual desire, causing relationship difficulties in some couples.

Infertility and miscarriage: Fibroids can make it difficult to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy. They can block the fallopian tubes, preventing implantation from occurring, or in pregnant women, interfere with fetal development or cause spasms of the uterus and miscarriage.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is essential to take steps to shrink your fibroids now, rather than waiting until later. Even if your fibroids are small and don’t cause you any problems, they can grow very quickly and have a serious impact on the health of your other organs.

Remember that for every woman who appears to be 6 months pregnant because of her fibroids, or who is bleeding so much that she needs blood transfusions, there was a time in her life when her fibroids were very small and not causing her any problems. That is why it is so important not to procrastinate.