One social media post claim sey only herbal medicines fit permanently “cure” fibroid.
Di post wey comot July 18 na sake of video wey Ini Dima-Okojie, di Nollywood actress, announce sey her fibroid don come back afta her surgery for 2020.
For di video ontop X, Dima-Okojie tok sey she cari di mata come public space make she fit encourage oda pipu wey dey battle di condition.
Di movie star tok sey she no dey rush for anoda surgery, sey she wan take time find anoda approach wey fit reduce di fibroids.
Na so @HerbalistChief, one X user, come dey advertise herbal medicine as di only solution, sey surgery no be di permanent solution for fibroids.
“No surgical procedures fit treat fibroids. In fact afta surgery, e go still come back. Only herbal medicine fit permanently cure am,” na so im tweet.
So far, di post don gada 1,700,000 views, 6,900 likes, 2,100 bookmarks, 1,900 retweets, and ova 300 comments.
WETIN BE FIBROIDS?
Fibroids na non-cancerous tumours wey dey grow inside di uterine walls. Dem dey come from di smooth muscle cells wey make up di uterus.
E never clear why fibroids dey appear in di first place, but dem get estrogen receptors and dem dey grow in response to estrogen stimulation.
Estrogen na di main sex hormone wey dey responsible for di development and regulation of di female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics.
Sake of dat, e dey hard make fibroid hapun before puberty and afta menopause — times wen ovarian estrogen production dey low.
Howeva, only half of people wey dey affected wit di condition dey show symptoms.
According to Alex Ades, one specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist accredited by di Health Insurance Commission and di Medical Board of Australia, one in five women go see doctor for dia lifetime sake of symptoms caused by fibroids.
Depending on di size and position within di uterus, fibroids fit cause heavy bleeding or pressure/pain symptoms.
Dem no usually dey associated wit infertility but dem fit cause miscarriages.
HOW WE CHECK DI CLAIMS FOR X
One of di claims wey di X user make tok sey no surgical procedure fit treat fibroids.
Di post add sey “afta surgery, fibroid go always come back”.
Fehintola Akintunde, one consultant obstetrician gynaecologist for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Teaching Hospital, explain sey difference dey difference dey between “treatment” and “cure”.
Di doctor tok sey while dem fit treat fibroids, dem no fit cure am. Dis na becos tumours wey don grow for uterus before fit grow again,” na so im add.
“Ordinary myomectomy go comot di fibroid and di symptoms go disappear,” na so Akintunde tell TheCable.
“Maybe wetin dem (di X post) dey tok be sey e fit come back. As long as woman get fibroids, microscopic wounds go dey wey fit come back in di next five, six, seven, 10 years.
“E fit come back but dem fit treat di patient and di symptoms go reduce.”
HOW WE CHECK DI CLAIM ABOUT WETIN HERBAL MEDICINE FIT DO
Funsho Abdul, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, faculty of clinical sciences, University of Ilorin, tok sey medical experts still dey find cure for fibroids.
“We still no sabi any one as I dey folo you talk now,” na so Abdul tok.
“I be specialist since 1994 and I neva see any case wey herbal medicine cure but I don see plenti wey surgical operations help.”
Akintunde na also senior lecturer for di department of obstetrics and gynaecology, College of Health Sciences, OAU.
Di gynecologist tok sey cases of fibroid wey dem use herbal medicine manage dey cause complications sometimes.
“Wetin dem dey do be sey dem go degenerate di fibroid and even dis one fit cause anoda kasala for di patient,” na so Akintunde tok.
Degenerated fibroids dey either become cystic or dem go strong come shrink add. But dem fit still cause pain and even interfere with fertility.
“I don see many of dem (patients) like dat wey dey come down wit severe pain afta dem use herbal remedies,” na so di gynaecologist tok.
“Herbal medicine no go do di kain work wey hospital medicine fit do.”
Abdul, wey dey do research for reproductive health, prenatal genetics, and fibroids, tok sey said drugs from hospital, surgical procedures, and cutting off blood supply to di part of di womb where di fibroid dey na methods wey experts don confam sey fit treat fibroids.
FINAL TOK
Di claim wey tok sey surgical procedure no fit treat fibroids no correct. Fibroids fit dey treated wi surgery. Even though e fit come back afta surgery, e no dey guaranteed.
Additionally, di claim wey tok sey only herbal medicine fit heal fibroids no dey proven. Experts neva verify di mata.
