Understanding Menorrhagia (Heavy Menstrual Bleeding): Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
What is Menorrhagia?
Menorrhagia refers to abnormally heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. Such bleeding is often consistent and difficult to manage. It is not the same as having a slightly heavier period occasionally.
Instead, it involves significant blood loss over time. This could even lead to complications such as fatigue or iron deficiency. Many women ignore the signs simply because they are not aware of the condition, menorrhagia. So, if your periods start seriously affecting your quality of life, visit a gynaecologist.
What are the Common Causes of Heavy Menorrhagia?
Menorrhagia can result from several factors. Below are the primary menorrhagia causes:
- Hormonal Imbalances: Your menstrual cycle is regulated by hormones like estrogen and progesterone. If these hormones are Unstable, the lining of your womb can become too thick. This leads to heavy bleeding during your period.
- Uterine Fibroids: These are common, noncancerous growths that form in the uterus (womb). They can alter the shape of your uterus and increase blood flow. This often results in heavier and longer periods.
- Bleeding Disorders: Certain medical conditions can affect your blood’s ability to clot. For example, von Willebrand disease. This causes excessive menstrual bleeding.
- Intrauterine Device (IUD): Certain types of IUDs may be one of the reasons for heavy bleeding during periods. These are particularly non-hormonal ones.
- Medications: Certain medications may also cause or exacerbate heavy menstrual bleeding. These include blood thinners, anti-inflammatory drugs, and some hormonal treatments.
- Thyroid Disorders: Issues with your thyroid gland can disrupt menstrual regulation, resulting in heavier periods. Both overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can have this effect.
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): An infection in your reproductive organs may also lead to abnormal menstrual flow.
- Liver or Kidney Disease: These can interfere with the body’s ability to manage hormones and blood clotting. This ultimately causes heavy periods.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
The following signs may indicate what is heavy menstrual bleeding:
- You have to change your pads or tampons every hour in a row. This may become more frequent during the night.
- Passing blood clots that are larger than a quarter is also common in this condition.
- The duration of your period may last longer than seven days.
- You need to use double protection at once to control the flow. For example, a tampon and a pad.
- Heavy bleeding prevents you from doing your normal daily activities.
- You may feel tired or short of breath due to blood loss.
- Sometimes in this condition, you may notice signs of anaemia. That means pale skin, dizziness, or fatigue (feeling tired).
What Diagnoses and Testing are Required for Menorrhagia?
When you experience menorrhagia symptoms, your gynaecologist will start with a diagnosis. Following is the list of what you can expect:
- Medical History: Your gynaecologist will ask about your menstrual cycles. That means questions like how long your periods last or how heavy they are.
- Physical Exam: This includes a pelvic examination to assess for any physical issues or signs of infection.
- Blood Tests: These are used to evaluate conditions such as anemia, thyroid function, and clotting disorders.
- Pelvic Ultrasound: This imaging test can help identify structural issues, such as uterine fibroids or polyps. Uterine polyps are soft, noncancerous growths on the uterine lining. The ultrasound checks for any ovarian abnormality that causes heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Endometrial Biopsy: A small tissue sample is taken from the lining of the uterus. This helps detect cancer or other serious conditions.
- Hysteroscopy: During this procedure, a gynaecologist uses a small camera to examine the inside of your uterus.
Treatment Options for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Menorrhagia treatment requires the gynaecologist to understand the underlying cause. The treatment also depends on the severity of the condition. Your future plans, whether you plan to become pregnant or not, are also important. Below are the common options:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These are medications like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, or aspirin. They can help reduce blood flow and relieve cramps.
- Tranexamic Acid: This is a non-hormonal pill. You take this only during your period to slow down the bleeding.
- Hormonal Treatments: This includes options like birth control pills, hormonal IUDs, or progesterone therapy. It can regulate your cycle and make your periods lighter.
- Iron Supplements: If you are anaemic from blood loss, your gynaecologist may prescribe iron. This will boost your energy and help address iron deficiency.
- Endometrial Ablation: This procedure destroys the lining of the uterus to reduce or stop bleeding. However, it is not an option for you if you want to have children later.
- Myomectomy: This is a surgery to remove uterine fibroids that are causing heavy bleeding.
- Hysterectomy: A hysterectomy is the removal of the entire uterus. It is a permanent solution. Therefore, it is typically considered only when other treatments have not been effective.
FAQs
Menorrhagia affects about 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years. It is a common menstrual problem.
There are many complications of menorrhagia. It can lead to anaemia, fatigue, and shortness of breath. It can also cause significant problems in performing daily tasks.
Untreated menorrhagia can lead to severe blood loss. It may cause you weakness and other long-term health issues.
Sometimes, menorrhagia goes away on its own. This occurs when the condition is triggered by temporary hormonal fluctuations. But in many cases, it does not improve without help. Treatment is often needed to manage the bleeding and prevent complications.
It can be prevented by treating the cause early. It requires using the right medications. Additionally, it is recommended that you receive regular health checkups.