Heavy menstrual bleeding
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If your periods are heavy and they’re interfering in your life, you have heavy menstrual bleeding. Up to 1 in 3 people who have periods have heavy menstrual bleeding at some point in their life.
Because people don’t often talk about their periods, it can be hard to know whether your flow is “normal”.
Some signs you might have heavy menstrual bleeding:
Your periods last longer than a week
You need to change your pad or tampon every hour for several hours in a row
You need to change your menstrual cup or disc more often than is recommended
You need to change your period product during the night
You need to use two types of period products together
You have clots larger than a 50-cent coin
You “flood” through to your clothes (you have a sudden heavy flow of blood)
You feel very tired, sometimes feel dizzy and look pale
Your periods cause you stress and anxiety, restrict your daily activities like going to work, school, playing sport, or social life
If you think you might have heavy menstrual bleeding, you should see a nurse or doctor. They can help work out what’s causing it – and how to treat it.
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What is heavy menstrual bleeding?
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Heavy menstrual bleeding is where your period is heavier than normal, and it’s interfering with your emotional, social, and material quality of life.
A normal period:
Happens every 21-35 days
Lasts for 5 days on average
Blood loss is between 30-34 ml in total (this means you fill a regular pad or tampon in 4-6 hours)
A heavy period:
Lasts longer than seven days
Blood loss is 80ml or more in total (this means you fill a super pad or tampon in under 4 hours)
Affects your day-to-day life
Some people with heavy menstrual bleeding also have other symptoms, like pain in the stomach or lower back.
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What causes heavy menstrual bleeding?
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Heavy menstrual bleeding can be more common when you first start your periods, or if you’re in perimenopause. It can be caused by:
A hormonal imbalance
A gynaecological problem like fibroid, polyps, or an infection
A problem with blood not clotting properly, which can be inherited to due to medication
Other medications
Because heavy menstrual bleeding can be a symptom of another condition, it’s important to see a nurse practitioner or doctor to get it checked out.
Sometimes, a cause for the heavy menstrual bleeding can’t be found. But it can still be treated.
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How can you treat heavy menstrual bleeding?
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How we treat heavy menstrual bleeding will depend on what’s causing it. It might be possible to treat the root cause of the heavy bleeding. Or it might be a case of using medicine to reduce your bleeding. This could include:
A hormonal IUD (like the Mirena)
Anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen
Tranexamic acid
Oral progesterone
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How we can help
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If your heavy periods are impacting your life, make an appointment to see us. We can help work out what’s going on, and how to treat it.
It can be helpful to keep a record of how long your period lasts, and how many period products you need to use.
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