Information On Menorrhagia (heavy Menstruation)

Menorrhagia is defined as excessively heavy or prolonged uterine bleeding, which may be caused by medical problems or hormone imbalances.

In a normal menstrual cycle, there is a balance between estrogen and progesterone, two hormones in the body. These hormones regulate the buildup of the endometrium (uterine lining of blood and tissue), which is shed each month during menstruation. Menorrhagia can occur because of an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. As a result of the imbalance, the endometrium keeps building up. When it is eventually shed, there is heavy bleeding. Because hormone imbalances are often present in adolescents and in women approaching menopause, this type of menorrhagia - known as dysfunctional uterine bleeding - is fairly common in these groups.

Women vary in how long it is from the start of one period to the next. In some it is less than a month and others it is longer. Some have an irregular pattern. The actual length of the period varies, too, and may be from three to seven days. In menorrhagia, some women have very prolonged blood loss , with only days before the next episode.

Heavy periods may be accompanied by cramp-like period pain, but some women find even their heavy periods painless.

Persistent heavy periods can lead to thinning of the blood (anaemia), which can cause tiredness, shortness of breath, faintness and even angina. Symptoms of this sort would usually prompt people to see the doctor anyway.

Many times there is no particular cause to be found. Sometimes a structural irritation in the womb is to blame, such as a quite common condition where there are localized areas of overgrowth of the muscle wall of the womb (fibroids or fibromyomas), and when there is a coil (or Intra Uterine Device) in the womb.

Heavy periods are more common after sterilization, and happen more in women who are overweight, and also with certain hormonal upsets.

If you are anaemic, you may need to take extra iron. There are medications which can cut down the blood loss. Some of these do not use hormones, and merely work on the way in which the blood clots. Many people see that as an advantage. Some pain relieving anti-inflammatory drugs which people take for period pain do actually cut down blood loss as well.

The oral contraceptive pill, tends to lead to lighter bleeds, which come regularly, and some people find this is the answer for them. There are also hormone treatments which can stop you having periods all together, this may be in tablet form or by injections.

If all else fails, and the symptoms drive you to it, an operation to remove your womb (hysterectomy) is an option, and more recently an operation using lasers or microwave technology has been used, to remove the lining of the womb (endometrium), which is the part that bleeds, while leaving the rest of the womb behind.

Discuss It!