Heavy menstrual bleeding can interfere with work, sleep, exercise, travel, and relationships. Some women organize their lives around bathroom access or avoid leaving home during the first days of their period.

Heavy bleeding is common, but that does not mean it should be ignored.

Signs Your Period May Be Too Heavy

Talk with your OB-GYN if you:

• Soak through pads or tampons every hour
• Need to use multiple menstrual products at once
• Wake repeatedly to change protection
• Pass large blood clots
• Bleed longer than seven days
• Feel dizzy, weak, short of breath, or unusually tired
• Miss work or activities because of bleeding

Changing pads or tampons every hour for more than two consecutive hours, especially with dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath, requires urgent medical attention.

What Causes Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?

Possible causes include:

• Uterine fibroids
• Endometrial polyps
• Adenomyosis
• PCOS or irregular ovulation
• Thyroid disorders
• Bleeding disorders
• Pregnancy-related complications
• Certain medications
• Perimenopause
• Changes in the uterine lining
• Less commonly, gynecologic cancer

Your symptoms and age help determine which causes need to be considered.

How Is Heavy Bleeding Evaluated?

An evaluation may include:

• Menstrual and pregnancy history
• Pelvic examination
• Pregnancy testing
• Blood count and iron testing
• Thyroid or hormone testing
• Pelvic ultrasound
• Endometrial biopsy
• Hysteroscopy

Not every patient needs every test. The plan depends on your bleeding pattern, health history, and risk factors.

Treatment Options

Treatment may include:

• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Tranexamic acid
• Birth control pills, patches, or rings
• Progestin treatment
• A hormonal IUD
• Iron supplementation
• Treatment of a thyroid or bleeding disorder
• Removal of a uterine polyp
• Fibroid treatment
• Endometrial ablation
• Hysterectomy in selected cases

Endometrial ablation may be considered for certain patients who have completed childbearing. Women who want future pregnancies require different options.

Women’s Health and Menopause Center performs and coordinates several common gynecologic procedures used to evaluate or treat abnormal bleeding.

Do Not Wait Until You Become Anemic

Heavy bleeding can gradually reduce iron levels. Symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or difficulty concentrating.

A blood count may identify anemia, but normal testing does not mean disruptive bleeding should be dismissed.

Your period should not regularly prevent you from participating in daily life. An individualized evaluation can identify the cause and help you compare treatment options.

Schedule an appointment with Women’s Health and Menopause Center in West Bloomfield to discuss heavy or irregular periods.

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Every woman’s period is a little different. Some cycles are naturally lighter, some are heavier, and bleeding can change over time due to stress, hormones, birth control, perimenopause, pregnancy changes, fibroids, or other health conditions. But when bleeding starts interfering with your daily life, it is worth paying attention.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is not just an inconvenience. It can affect your energy, sleep, comfort, confidence, and overall health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists several signs of heavy menstrual bleeding, including bleeding that lasts more than seven days or bleeding that soaks through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row.

Signs Your Period May Be Too Heavy

A heavy period may look different from person to person, but common signs include:

• Soaking through pads or tampons quickly
• Needing to double up on menstrual products
• Waking up at night to change protection
• Passing clots larger than a quarter
• Bleeding longer than a week
• Feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or short of breath during or after your period
• Avoiding work, school, exercise, errands, or social plans because of bleeding

Mayo Clinic also notes that heavy menstrual bleeding may include fatigue or shortness of breath related to blood loss.

Why Heavy Periods Should Not Be Ignored

Some women are told heavy periods are “just part of life,” especially if they have had them for years. But heavy bleeding can sometimes point to an underlying condition that deserves evaluation.

Possible causes may include uterine fibroids, polyps, hormonal imbalance, adenomyosis, thyroid concerns, certain medications, bleeding disorders, or changes related to perimenopause. Fibroids are one common reason women experience heavy or prolonged bleeding. You can learn more about uterine fibroids and how they may affect periods.

Heavy bleeding can also lead to iron deficiency or anemia. This can make you feel unusually tired, weak, lightheaded, or short of breath. If you are planning your life around your period, changing clothes because of leaks, or feeling drained each cycle, those symptoms are worth discussing.

When to Call Your OB-GYN

You should contact your OB-GYN if your bleeding is heavier than usual, lasts longer than normal, happens between periods, occurs after sex, or returns after menopause. MedlinePlus describes abnormal bleeding as bleeding that is heavier than usual, lasts more days than normal, happens between periods, happens after sex, or occurs after menopause.

You should also call if period pain is worsening, clots are becoming larger or more frequent, or your cycle suddenly changes after being predictable.

Seek urgent medical attention if you are soaking through products very quickly, feel faint, have chest pain, feel short of breath, or have severe pelvic pain.

How Your OB-GYN May Evaluate Heavy Bleeding

An evaluation may include a discussion of your cycle history, medications, pregnancy possibility, birth control use, pelvic pain, and family history. Your provider may also recommend a pelvic exam, bloodwork, pregnancy test, ultrasound, Pap testing if needed, or other testing depending on your symptoms.

Sometimes treatment is simple. Other times, heavy bleeding may be connected to a condition that needs more specific care. WHMC also provides information about common gynecological procedures that may be recommended for certain causes of abnormal bleeding.

You Deserve Answers

Heavy periods are common, but they should not be dismissed. If your bleeding feels excessive, disruptive, or different from your normal, it is worth bringing up.

Women’s Health & Menopause Center can help you understand what may be causing your symptoms and what treatment options may be right for you. Schedule an appointment to talk with an OB-GYN about your period concerns.

The post What Counts as a Heavy Period? appeared first on Women's Health and Menopause Center.

A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing the uterus. There are three primary types of hysterectomy that your doctor may recommend based on your medical needs. They include:

• Total Hysterectomy – This procedure includes removal of the uterus and cervix.
• Subtotal Hysterectomy – This procedure includes removal of the uterus only, leaving the cervix intact.
• Radical Hysterectomy – This procedure involves removal of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, and support structures. Lymph nodes may also be removed.

Why Do I Need a Hysterectomy?

The idea of having a hysterectomy may sound frightening. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that around 600,000 women in America have hysterectomies each year. This procedure is one of the most common surgeries women undergo in the country. It is done for multiple reasons, including:

• Prolapsed uterus
• Cancer found in the cervix, ovaries, or womb
• Heavy periods that are often caused by fibroids
• Pelvic pain due to fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Medically Necessary vs. Elective Hysterectomies

Out of those 600,000 women quoted by the CDC, an estimated 20% to 30% or more have a medically unnecessary hysterectomy. Women with endometrium issues like polyps, fibroids, and heavy bleeding may choose to have the surgery to relieve discomfort.

A prolapsed uterus happens when the pelvic organs descend due to weakened ligaments or muscles. This can lead to problems with intercourse, increased discharge, constipation, cosmetic issues, and discomfort. Women can choose to have a uterine suspension or a hysterectomy to correct the problem.

In cases involving cancer, a hysterectomy may be deemed medically necessary if the patient has progressed to an advanced stage. The procedure can be used to treat cervical, ovarian, uterine, and fallopian tube cancer.

Your OB/GYN can provide more insight into whether a hysterectomy is the best option for you. Contact your gynecologist at Women’s Health and Menopause Center today to make an appointment.

#WomensHealthandMenopauseCenter #Hysterectomy #OBGYN #WomensWellness

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