Treatment Of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
At Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, adolescent medicine specialists are able to manage the majority of cases of heavy menstrual bleeding. However, if necessary, a coordinated approach may be used with specialists from gynecology, hematology, radiology and endocrinology and others to accurately diagnose and treat patients with heavy menstrual bleeding.
Treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding will be recommended by your adolescents physician based on:
- Your adolescents age, overall health and medical history
- Cause and severity of the condition
- Your adolescents tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
- Your adolescents future childbearing plans
- Effects of the condition on your adolescents lifestyle
- Your adolescents opinion or preference
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What Causes Heavy Periods With Blood Clots
According to the CDC, Menorrhagia is one of the most common problems women report to their doctors. It affects more than 10 million American women each year. Despite heavy bleeding being so prevalent, most women are not aware that they can get help to manage it. Some are too embarrassed to even bring it up. But being open with your doctor about periods is crucial for ensuring accurate diagnoses.
Is heavy menstrual bleeding a concern for you? Are your periods disrupting your everyday life? It may help for you to speak with a gynecologist about treatment options. Read on to learn about what causes blood clots during menstruation, and the possible underlying health implications.
What Does Period Blood Clot Treatment Look Like
Treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding depends on the underlying reason youre having a heavy flow and clots in the first place, Dr. Greves says. Here are a few options your doctor may recommend:
Regardless of whats behind your heavy bleeding, Dr. Minkin stresses that you cant get help if you dont tell your doctor whats going on. Seeing a trusted physician is your first step any time something feels a bit off with your body, especially when it comes to your vaginal health.
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What Tests Might Be Needed For Heavy Periods
Your doctor might do or advise one or more of the following tests:
- An examination to see whether the bleeding is coming from your cervix, not your uterus. This is done in a similar way as a cervical smear or HPV screening test.
- Blood tests to look for anaemia, iron levels, thyroid disease or a bleeding disorder.
- An ultrasound of your uterus and ovaries to detect abnormalities in your uterus, such as polyps or fibroids.
- A cervical smear in which a sample of cells is collected from your cervix and then looked at to see if you have an infection, inflammation or changes in the cells that might be or cause cancer.
- A sample of the lining of the uterus to see whether there are any precancerous or cancerous changes.
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Should I Be Concerned About Large Blood Clots During My Period
See your doctor if you have heavy menstrual bleeding or you have clots larger than a quarter. Menstrual bleeding is considered heavy if you change your tampon or menstrual pad every two hours or less, for several hours. You should also seek immediate medical help if you’re passing clots and think you could be pregnant.
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How To Prevent Blood Clots During Your Period
Hormonal birth control can help keep your period in check, says Dr. Coleman, but if youd rather not use hormonal contraception or are trying to conceive, taking ibuprofen up to three times a day on your heaviest days can reduce your flow and ease cramping.
A healthy diet and lifestyle can actually help balance out hormones and excessive bleeding that is related to hormonal changes, says Dr. Gupta. However, if bleeding is due to actual anatomical problems such as fibroids, then those will need to be addressed.
Your best bet? See your OB/GYN if you think the blood clots during your period may be pointing to something more serious. He or she can help provide an individualized treatment plan for you.
Bodys Natural Defence Mechanism
Blood clots happen due to your bodys natural defence mechanism that makes your blood coagulate in a bid to prevent excessive bleeding that can be deadly. Once your body recognises that your menstrual flow isnt dangerous, the anti-coagulants in the blood break down the clots to help them pass through the vaginal opening. In case of a heavy period, it may not be possible to disintegrate all the clots and thats why they come out as jelly-like blobs.
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There Will Be Blood: Women On The Shocking Truth About Periods And Perimenopause
The menopause brings an end to menstruation but in the lead-up, many women experience periods that can disrupt their lives and careers
If Emma Pickett needs to make a long journey, she checks her calendar very carefully. She will often take an emergency change of clothes when she goes out, and if giving a lecture for work, has to ensure it is no longer than half an hour. Yet she rarely hears anyone talk about the reason so many older women secretly go to all this trouble why theyve started to stick to black trousers, give up the sports they loved, or plan days out especially with children meticulously.
If you have a bunch of 12-year-olds in the car, you cant say: Sorry chaps, Im just bleeding heavily today, says Pickett, a 48-year-old breastfeeding counsellor and author of The Breast Book, who also happens to be among the one in five British women who suffer from heavy periods in the run-up to menopause . You can talk about hot flushes, make a joke about it. But because menstrual blood is gross in our society, theres no conversation about it. There must be women round the world just pretending they need to dash off for some other reason.
No one says erectile dysfunction is just part of mens lives. We say this is a typical thing and theres treatment
Ive come across women who are having extended sick leave because they didnt feel able to manage their bleeding
How Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Treated
Treatment depends on what’s causing your bleeding, how severe your bleeding is, your health, age and medical history. Also, treatment depends on your response to certain medicines and your preferences. For instance, you may not want to have a period at all, or you may want to reduce your bleeding. In addition, your plans to get pregnant will affect your treatment options.
Talk with your provider about your health concerns and your goals for treatment.
Medications used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding
- Iron supplements improve your iron stores.
- Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs like Ibuprofen® or Aspirin® can ease your cramps and reduce your bleeding.
- Birth control may help make your periods more regular and lighten your blood flow.
- Hormone therapy can help balance the amount of estrogen and progesterone in your body so that your menstrual flow isn’t as heavy. HT is often recommended for heavy menstrual bleeding associated with perimenopause but comes with risks that you should discuss with your provider.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists can temporarily stop or reduce bleeding by preventing ovulation.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists can manage heavy period bleeding related to fibroids.
- Desmopressin nasal spray can stop bleeding associated with von Willebrand disease by helping your blood clot.
- Antifibrinolytic medicines, like tranexamic acid, prevent clots from breaking down and causing excessive bleeding.
Procedures used to treat heavy period bleeding
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Heavy Periods In Perimenopause: More Like An Exclamation Point
Itâs like your menstrual cycle is going out with a bang. For many women, their periods get more erratic and heavier before they stop entirely. During a time that is already stressful, concerns about leaking and excessive bleeding can negatively impact the quality of your life. Youâre not alone.
Occasional heavy periods, , are common in perimenopause. One study of more than 1,300 middle-aged women reported that 91 percent of them experienced at least one occurrence of heavy flow lasting three or more days during a three-year timeframe. Twenty five percent reported up to three episodes of heavy bleeding for 10 or more days during a six-month time period.
Diagnosis And Treatment For Abnormal Bleeding
Treatment of menorrhagia is possible once your doctor is aware of the condition.
Your doctor will most definitely ask of your medical history if you are an adult. This is most likely because if it were an adolescent, his or her first guess would be anovulation due to her age.
He or she may recommend you for some test procedures after he or she must have told you to keep tabs on your menstrual cycle. These tabs or notes will now help the doctor during diagnosis.
Some test which might help to diagnose menorrhagia include:
- Ultrasound or laparoscopy. These tests due to its imaging abilities help to show the image of your uterus, pelvis and ovaries using sound waves/ direct visualization and so can help detect abnormalities if spotted.
- Pap smear/test. This test works with the collection of cells from your cervix. These cells are tested to look out for inflammation or an infection around the cervix which may be cancerous and so lead to heavy bleeding when you menstruate or irregularly.
- Blood tests. Your doctor takes your blood sample and checks if there is a case of iron deficiency in your blood due to Anemia and some other problems like blood-clotting anomalies and thyroid disorder .
- Endometrial biopsy. A tissue sample of your uterine wall might be taken to a pathologist by your doctor in order to know why it keeps shedding blood.
- Further tests such as hysteroscopy, sonohysterography, etc. depending on what the previous set of tests would show.
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What Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding is when your periods are extremely heavy or prolonged. “Heavy” means that your period lasts longer than seven days or that you lose more blood than is typical during menstruation. You may bleed so much that you have to change your tampon or pad every hour for several hours back-to-back. You may pass blood clots the size of a quarter or even larger.
Menstrual bleeding that’s so heavy that it interferes with your daily life is never normal. Your provider can recommend treatments to manage heavy blood flow.
Is It Normal To Have Blood Clots During Period
Yes. During the early stages of your period you may experience severe increase bleeding with blood clots. These subsides in few days. A menstrual cup can help with heavy clots during periods.
Other causes of causes of blood clots in period are vaginal infection, endometrial thickening or cancer. You should inform your doctor if period bleeding is more than 7 days.
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Nearing 40 Expect Changes To Your Period
Chances are youve been managing, trackingand perhaps lamentingyour period for decades. And you may know your menstrual cycle well. But dont get too comfortable change is likely just around the corner.
Some women believe their period changes after pregnancy. But its our age that affects our menstrual cycle, explains , OB/GYN at Main Line Health. Around age 40, expect to see some changes in your period.
Heres whats possible:
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Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Serious
Heavy menstrual bleeding can be serious if you lose so much blood that you show signs of anemia. Anemia is a condition arising from having too little iron in your body. Anemia can be life-threatening without treatment.
Also, some of the conditions that can cause heavy period bleeding, like cancer, require early medical intervention. Speak with your healthcare provider to discuss any risks related to your period bleeding.
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What To Do About Heavy Periods
Heavy bleeding isnât only annoying and inconvenient, it can have some negative effects on your health. Here are steps to take to minimize bleeding and its effects.
Up your fluid intake. Blood loss can result in a lower blood volume. Tell-tale signs are dizziness, heart pounding, or lightheadedness when you get up from lying or sitting. To prevent a drop in blood volume, bump up your fluid intake by four to six cups a day. If you notice any of these symptoms, include some salty fluids like tomato juice and broths.
Eat more iron-rich foods. Repeated heavy cycles could deplete your iron stores, resulting in anemia. Good sources of iron include fortified, whole-grain cereals, beef, shellfish, spinach and other dark leafy greens, dried fruits, and mushrooms. Since the iron in plant sources is harder to absorb, combining these foods with foods high in vitamin C increases absorption. You might also want to talk to your doctor about an iron supplement, but donât supplement on your own since too much iron can be problematic.
Manage your weight. Fat tissue produces estrogen, which, as explained above, thickens the uterine lining, and the thicker lining results in a heavier period. If youâre carrying around some extra pounds, making some sensible diet and exercise changes could be a win-win.
Take NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or Aleve can help reduce blood loss.
Whats Considered A Heavy Period
You might be surprised to learn that about one in five women experience menorrhagia, the medical term for heavy periods. Because each womans period is unique, it can be tricky to know if what you think is normal for your cycle is actually excessive bleeding. In fact, half of women who experience menorrhagia dont realize they have it.
While the best way to know if your heavy periods are chronic is to talk to a doctor, you can keep an eye out for some common symptoms of menorrhagia.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, any of the following is considered a symptom of heavy bleeding:
- Bleeding for more than seven days
- Blood soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour
- You need to change your pad or tampon during the night
- You need to double up on protection to keep from leaking
- The blood clots in your flow are the size of a quarter or larger
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For Chronic Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Hormonal medication
- If the woman is not wanting to become pregnant in the near future and there is no distortion of the endometrium on ultrasound then Mirena is the recommended first line treatment.
- If Mirena is not suitable due to contraindication or patient preference:
- first choice is continuing on the oral contraceptive pill as this is protective against endometrial carcinoma
- second choice: progestogens . Starting doses: medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg od or norethisterone 5 mg bd. Note this does NOT provide contraception.
Trial for at least 3 full months and preferably 46 months.
Non-hormonal medication:
- Antifibrinolytics: Tranexamic acid 1 g tds for 35 days, and/or
- NSAIDs: Ibuprofen 400mg tds for 34 days.
Your Periods May Get Lighter
About 60 percent of women older than age 40 begin to experience lighter and more manageable periods, explains Dr. Einhorn. Having very light periods or even skipping a period is normal and no reason for concern. Just enjoy having a cycle thats a little easier to handle. Even if your period is irregular or barely there, you can still get pregnant. You wont officially reach menopause until its been a year since your last period, which occurs on average around age 50.
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Why Is My Period Blood Jelly
If you notice on heavy days of your period that blood seems extra-thick, and can sometimes form a jelly-like glob, these are menstrual clots, a mix of blood and tissue released from your uterus during your period. They can vary in size and color, and usually, they are nothing to worry about.
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How Big Should Period Clots Be
For the most part, period clots are a completely normal part of menstruation, Mary Jane Minkin, M.D.,3 a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale Medical School, tells SELF.
But if youre seeing clots the size of a quarter or larger, you should visit your doctor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .4
If someone is passing quarter-size clots, that tells me that there could be something wrong the uterus that needs further investigation, Dr. Ruiz says. You can even take a picture of what youre seeing so that your doctor can look during your visit. It helps show me the magnitude of whats been going on, Dr. Ruiz says.
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Can A Fibroid Fall Out
Complete expulsion of a uterine fibroid is a rare condition that may be associated with profuse hemorrhage and can pose a risk to the patient. When it occurs during perimenopause, it can mimic several clinical conditions. Therefore, gynecologists must remain alert to make the correct diagnosis and treatment.
What Causes Blood Clots During Periods
Although small period blood clots may be normal in most cases, there can be several underlying health issues that may cause them. Large blood clots during periods typically indicate an underlying issue, therefore, its important to be aware of any new changes in your cycle. To determine what is causing your period clots, we recommend tracking your symptoms and sharing detailed descriptions with your doctor.
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