Menorrhagia / Heavy Periods

What defines menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia describes abnormal bleeding associated with your menstrual cycle. Heavy bleeding alone is not necessarily a medical issue, but if the bleeding prevents you from doing normal activities and is accompanied by lots of cramping and blood loss, you should seek treatment.

What are the signs of menorrhagia?

Signs that your bleeding warrants a doctor’s attention include:

• Use of more than one pad to control your flow
• Restricting certain activities due to blood loss
• Bleeding for longer than seven days
• Needing to change your pad or tampon in the middle of the night
• Bleeding through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours
• Passing blood clots larger than a quarter

Menorrhagia can also cause so much blood loss that you become anemic, with symptoms such as shortness of breath and extreme fatigue.

What are possible causes of menorrhagia?

The doctors at Tangchitnob MD can help determine the cause of your irregular bleeding. Among the many possible causes are:

• Hormone imbalances
• Ovarian dysfunction
• Uterine fibroids and polyps
• Intrauterine devices to prevent pregnancy
• Certain medications and genetic bleeding disorders
• Pregnancy complications

You may undergo blood tests, ultrasounds, Pap smears, and biopsies so the doctors at Tangchitnob can reach a diagnosis.

How is menorrhagia treated?

The treatment for menorrhagia depends on the cause. You may need minimally invasive surgery to have fibroids or polyps treated or ovarian dysfunction corrected. If an IUD is the cause, you may need an alternative birth control method. The doctors at Tangchitnob MD can also prescribe medications, offer hormone therapy, and provide other appropriate treatment strategies if they diagnose ovarian dysfunction or hormone imbalances.

In some cases, more complex surgery and treatment are necessary. A hysterectomy and endometrial ablation are examples of more involved treatment plans for irregular bleeding.  

You can help the doctors evaluate the cause of your menorrhagia by sharing your family history, especially if there’s any genetic bleeding disorders. For example, keep track of how much and how often you bleed over the course of a month, perhaps by counting the number of tampons or pads you use during the course of one menstrual cycle.

If you have heavy, lengthy bleeding associated with your menstrual cycle, call the office of Tangchitnob MD for an appointment or book online, as many effective treatments are available.  

*Individual results may vary.