What Can Cause Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?Heavy menstrual bleeding, known as menorrhagia medically, is a common condition where women experience unusually heavy or prolonged menstrual periods. This can have a major impact on your regular life, affecting the daily activities you can undertake and reducing your overall quality of life. While menstrual flow will vary between individuals, the most common symptoms of menorrhagia include soaking through one or more sanitary pads every hour for consecutive hours; needing to use double sanitary protection; and experiencing periods that last longer than seven days. Women may also notice they are passing large blood clots or are experiencing fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
There are a wide variety of conditions that can cause menorrhagia, including:
| Treatment for menorrhagia will vary depending on what underlying condition is causing your heavy menstrual bleeding. One of the first steps is medication such as over-the-counter pain relief, hormonal therapy, or tranexamic acid. In some cases, sampling of the lining of the uterus is essential to exclude precancerous lesions. It is done via hysteroscopy, which is a camera introduced into the uterus via the vagina. Your doctor might also recommend a minimally invasive procedure such as endometrial ablation, uterine artery embolisation, or myomectomy. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common yet very treatable condition. Understanding the symptoms and what could be causing yours is crucial to ensuring you are able to enjoy a high quality of life and improve your overall wellbeing. |