Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Causes And Treatment!
Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, Definition, And Facts:
Menorrhagia is menstrual bleeding that lasts more than 7 days. It can also be bleeding which is very heavy. How do you know if you have heavy bleeding? If you need to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor.
- Untreated heavy or prolonged bleeding can stop you from living your life to the fullest.
- It also can cause anemia. Anemia is a common blood problem that can leave you feeling tired or weak.
- If you have a bleeding problem, it could lead to other health problems.
- Sometimes treatments, such as dilation and curettage (D&C) or a hysterectomy, might be done when these procedures could have been avoided.
Causes:
Possible causes fall into the following three areas:
- Uterine-related problems:
- Growths or tumors of the uterus that are not cancer; can be called uterine fibroids or polyps.
- Cancer of the uterus or cervix.
- Certain types of birth control—for example, an intrauterine device (IUD).
- Problems related to pregnancy, such as a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, can cause abnormal bleeding. A miscarriage is when an unborn baby (also called a fetus) dies in the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy is when a baby starts to grow outside the womb (uterus), which is not safe.
- Hormone-related problems.
- Other illnesses or disorders:
- Bleeding-related disorders, such as von Willebrand disease (VWD) or platelet function disorder.
- Nonbleeding-related disorders such as liver, kidney, or thyroid disease; pelvic inflammatory disease; and cancer.
In addition,
certain drugs, such as aspirin, can cause increased bleeding. Doctors have not been able to find the cause in half of all women who have this problem. If you have to bleed such as this, and your gynecologist has not found any problems during your routine visit, you should be tested for a bleeding disorder.
Signs and symptoms:
You might have menorrhagia if you Have a menstrual:
- Flow that soaks through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row.
- Periods lasting more than 7 days.
- Flow with blood clots the size of a quarter or larger.
- A heavy menstrual flow that keeps you from doing the things you would do normally.
- Constant pain in the lower part of the stomach during your periods.
- Are tired, lack energy, or are short of breath.
- Need to double up on pads to control your menstrual flow.
Complications of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding include the following:
1. Anemia:
- Menorrhagia can cause blood loss anemia by reducing the number of circulating red blood cells. The number of circulating red blood cells is measured by hemoglobin, a protein that enables red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues.
- Iron deficiency anemia occurs as your body attempts to make up for the lost red blood cells by using your iron stores to make more hemoglobin, which can then carry oxygen on red blood cells.
- Menorrhagia may decrease iron levels enough to increase the risk of iron deficiency anemia. Signs and symptoms include:
- Pale skin.
- Weakness, and fatigue.
- Although diet plays a role in iron deficiency anemia, the problem is complicated by heavy menstrual periods.
2. Severe pain:
Along with heavy menstrual bleeding, you might have painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea). Sometimes the cramps associated with menorrhagia are severe enough to require medical evaluation.
Diagnosis of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding:
Finding out if a woman has heavy menstrual bleeding often is not easy because each person might think of “heavy bleeding” in a different way. Usually, menstrual bleeding lasts about 4 to 5 days and the amount of blood lost is small (2 to 3 tablespoons).
However, women who have menorrhagia usually bleed for more than 7 days and lose twice as much blood. If you have bleeding that lasts longer than 7 days per period or is so heavy that you have to change your pad or tampon nearly every hour, you need to talk with your doctor.
To find out if you have menorrhagia, your doctor will ask you about your medical history and menstrual cycles.
He or she may ask you questions like the following, How:
- Old were you when you got your first period?
- Long is your menstrual cycle?
- Many days does your period usually last?
- Many days do you consider your period to be heavy?
- Do your periods affect your quality of life?
Your doctor may also ask if any of your family members have had heavy menstrual bleeding. He or she may also have you complete this questionnaire to help determine if you need to be tested for a possible bleeding disorder.
You might want to track your periods by writing down the dates of your periods and how heavy you think your flow is (maybe by counting how many pads or tampons you use). Do this before you visit the doctor so that you can give the doctor as much information as possible. 
Above is a picture of a chart that is used by some doctors to track your period. You can make your own chart based on the one shown.
Your doctor also will do a pelvic exam and might tell you about other tests that can be done to help find out if you have menorrhagia.
Tests:
Your doctor might tell you that one or more of the following tests will help find out if you have a bleeding problem:
-
Blood test:
In this test, your blood will be taken using a needle. It will then be looked at to check for anemia, problems with the thyroid, or problems with the way the blood clots.
-
Pap test:
For this test, cells from your cervix are removed and then looked at to find out if you have an infection, inflammation, or changes in your cells that might be cancer or might cause cancer.
-
Endometrial biopsy:
Tissue samples are taken from the inside lining of your uterus or “endometrium” to find out if you have cancer or other abnormal cells. You might feel as if you were having a bad menstrual cramp while this test is being done. But, it does not take long, and the pain usually goes away when the test ends.
-
Ultrasound:
This is a painless test using sound waves and a computer to show what your blood vessels, tissues, and organs look like. Your doctor then can see how they are working and check your blood flow.
Using the results of these first tests, the doctor might recommend more tests, including,
-
Sonohysterogram:
This ultrasound scan is done after fluid is injected through a tube into the uterus by way of your vagina and cervix. This lets your doctor look for problems in the lining of your uterus. Mild to moderate cramping or pressure can be felt during this procedure.
-
Hysteroscopy:
This is a procedure to look at the inside of the uterus using a tiny tool to see if you have fibroids, polyps, or other problems that might be causing bleeding. You might be given drugs to put you to sleep (this is known as “general anesthesia) or drugs simply to numb the area being looked at (this is called “local anesthesia”).
-
Dilation and Curettage (D&C):
This is a procedure (or test) that can be used to find and treat the cause of bleeding. During a D&C, the inside lining of your uterus is scraped and looked at to see what might be causing the bleeding.
A D&C is a simple procedure. Most often it is done in an operating room, but you will not have to stay in the hospital afterward. You might be given drugs to make you sleep during the procedure, or you might be given something that will numb only the area to be worked on.
Treatment:
The type of treatment you get will depend on the cause of your bleeding and how serious it is. Your doctor also will look at things such as your age, general health, and medical history; how well you respond to certain medicines, procedures, or therapies; and your wants and needs.
For example,
Some women do not want to have a period, some want to know when they can usually expect to have their period, and some want just to reduce the amount of bleeding. Some women want to make sure they can still have children in the future. Others want to lessen the pain more than they want to reduce the amount of bleeding.
Some treatments are ongoing and others are done one time. You should discuss all of your options with your doctor to decide which is best for you. Following is a list of the more common treatments.
1. Drug Therapy:
- Iron supplements: To get more iron into your blood to help it carry oxygen if you show signs of anemia.
- Ibuprofen (Advil): To help reduce pain, menstrual cramps, and the amount of bleeding. In some women, NSAIDs can increase the risk of bleeding.
- Birth control pills: To help make periods more regular and reduce the amount of bleeding.
- Intrauterine contraception (IUC): To help make periods more regular and reduce the amount of bleeding through drug-releasing devices placed into the uterus.
- Hormone therapy (drugs that contain estrogen and/or progesterone): To reduce the amount of bleeding.
- Desmopressin Nasal Spray (Stimate®): To stop bleeding in people who have certain bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease and mild hemophilia, by releasing a clotting protein or “factor”, stored in the lining of the blood vessels that help the blood to clot and temporarily increasing the level of these proteins in the blood.
- Antifibrinolytic medicines (tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid): To reduce the amount of bleeding by stopping a clot from breaking down once it has formed.
Each body reacts differently to medicines. Therefore it is impossible to tell which medicine works best for you. Please consult your physician.
2. Surgical Treatment:
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C): A procedure in which the top layer of the uterus lining is removed to reduce menstrual bleeding. This procedure might need to be repeated over time.
- Operative hysteroscopy: A surgical procedure, using a special tool to view the inside of the uterus, that can be used to help remove polyps and fibroids, correct abnormalities of the uterus, and remove the lining of the uterus to manage the heavy menstrual flow.
- Endometrial ablation or resection: Two types of surgical procedures using different techniques in which all or part of the lining of the uterus is removed to control menstrual bleeding.
While some patients will stop having menstrual periods altogether, others may continue to have periods but the menstrual flow will be lighter than before. Although the procedures do not remove the uterus, they will prevent women from having children in the future.
- Hysterectomy: A major operation requiring hospitalization that involves surgically removing the entire uterus. After having this procedure, a woman can no longer become pregnant and will stop having her period.
Menorrhagia is common among women.
But, many women do not know that they can get help for it. Others do not get help because they are too embarrassed to talk with a doctor about their problem. Talking openly with your doctor is very important in making sure you are diagnosed properly and get the right treatment.
Ways to Slow Down Bleeding Caused by Menstrual Cycle:
Heavy bleeding can be somewhat manageable when a woman doesn’t have any children but adding children to the equation makes it even more difficult to deal with this each month. Every bit of energy is needed to take care of the kids and dealing with heavy bleeding is something every woman can do without.
Here are 3 tips that can help slow down heavy bleeding and also give women more energy when they need it most.
1. Cut back on sugar:
If sugar is cut out completely … at least during the first three days of the menstrual cycle… this should help to slow down the bleeding and not sap so much energy from the body.
2. Get Active:
Exercise for some reason slows down the bleeding… plus, it will increase oxygen to the brain and provide the body with more energy. The problem with this is that when kids are involved, there is not much time to exercise… so tip number three might be the best solution.
3. Drink raw apple cider vinegar:
This is a solution that is proven to work to slow down the bleeding associated with menstrual cycles. It is especially great when a woman has to be out in public and it is her 2nd or 3rd day of her period… when most women bleed the most… and she just doesn’t want to be embarrassed by being in the bathroom the whole time.
- Add one tablespoon of vinegar to about 16 to 20 ounces of water and drink it throughout the day.
- If the bleeding is extra heavy, drink two glasses of water with 1 tablespoon of raw (must be “raw”. Braggs raw apple cider vinegar is awesome) apple cider vinegar a day.
Some people can’t stomach the taste of the vinegar,
So instead, put it in a glass of apple juice (preferably sugar-free) or grape juice and drink it that way… to hide the strong taste.The number of pads or tampons should increase a great deal after drinking the vinegar for only one or two days… and it is not uncommon to go through only a pad or two after the 3rd day of the period. When vinegar is first used, don’t be surprised if more clots are discharged as the body might experience some detoxification. This is normal. This is a good thing as it is cleaning things out… detoxifying the system.
Diet And Nutrition for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding:
Superfoods to stop heavy menstrual bleeding
The first step when fighting fibroids, as well as various symptoms including heavy bleeding, is looking at your diet and noting if there are any changes you can make such as eliminating dairy, red meats, and so on. There are also various foods that can help to fight heavy menstrual bleeding and normalize your menstrual cycle such as;
1. Bananas:
Are the perfect food as they are jam-packed with various vitamins and minerals such as potassium, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamin B6 as well as soluble fiber. This makes them excellent for digestion, menstrual difficulties as well as being essential for athletes because the nutrients in bananas are able to quickly replace what your body loses during your menstrual cycle or when you are exercising frequently.
In addition, if diarrhea is one of the symptoms during your monthly cycle, bananas are an ideal treatment when you eat them in conjunction with rice, apples as well as dry toast – which is more commonly known as the BRAT treatment.
2. Bee pollen:
Which has been made very popular by many famous athletes who usually take it regularly for strength and endurance is another great natural remedy for heavy bleeding. Bee pollen has been used successfully to treat a variety of ailments including allergies, asthma, menstrual irregularities, constipation, diarrhea, anemia, low energy, cancer, rheumatism, arthritis, and toxic conditions.
Do be aware that bee pollen can cause allergic reactions in those who are taking it for the first time, so it is important to start with small amounts and gradually build up to a teaspoon or so per day. Bee pollen is available in powder form, capsule form, or tablet form and is also available in raw unprocessed honey that you can mix with cereal or spread on toast for a tasty snack.
3. Iron-rich foods:
One of the complications of heavy menstrual bleeding is anemia as mentioned above. Anemia is caused by iron deficiency due to heavy blood loss because iron is a major component of red blood cells. Iron deficiency causes fatigue and low energy levels and can be fatal if severe.
To counteract iron loss,
there are various iron-rich foods you should consume such as dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, liver, soy foods, blackstrap molasses, certain fruits, etc, which are great choices. To ensure optimal absorption of the iron contained in these various foods, try consuming them with various citrus foods as these contain vitamin C which helps promote optimal iron absorption.
Try to stay away from alcohol,
caffeinated beverages, or salty foods, and as always, make sure that you choose unsaturated fats (healthy fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc). Unhealthy fats will only exacerbate the bloating, cramps, and other symptoms that you may experience during that time of the month.
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
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