How To Make Your Period Flow Lighter

Changes In Your Periods

Your periods can change for example, they may last longer or get lighter. This does not necessarily mean theres a problem, but it does need to be investigated.

You can see your GP, or visit your nearest womens clinic or contraceptive clinic.

Bleeding between periods, bleeding after having sex, or bleeding after the menopause needs to be checked by a doctor.

It might be caused by an infection, abnormalities in the neck of the womb or, in rare cases, it could be cancer.

You could be pregnant if you miss a period and youve had sex. See your GP if youve taken a pregnancy test and the result is negative and youve missed 3 consecutive periods.

They will investigate the cause and recommend any necessary treatment.

Read more about stopped or missed periods.

Can Food Make Your Period Heavier A Light

What makes a period light or heavy?

What can I eat to make my period lighter?

Is there anything else I should be doing?

Can the food I eat shorten the length of my period?

Is there anything I should worry about?

The food you eat can affect everything from your physical health to your productivity, but did you know it can also determine what kind of period you have? Light, heavy, short, long, were taking a look at what youre eating that could be causing cycle issues, and what you may want to start consuming for a lighter period. Lets go

Do Menstrual Cups Affect How Heavy Your Periods Are

No. Ruby Cup is made from 100 percent medical-grade silicone. There are no hormones or other biologically-active chemicals in Ruby Cup that are absorbed into your body or change your bodys natural hormonal cycles.

Some people might worry that their periods are heavier after switching to a menstrual cup. Because you can actually see your menstrual flow and how much there is when using a menstrual cup, the actual amount of your menstrual flow may seem more than you expected. This is also because disposable tampons and pads are designed to be highly absorptive, so it is hard to actually tell how much blood they have sucked up.

Also Check: How To Slow Down A Heavy Period

What Else Might Be Causing This

Change in using birth control pills – If you recently stopped taking oral contraceptives, this may initiate a heavy flow. Be patient until your hormonal levels readjust.

Your form of contraception – If youve had an IUD placed, this tends to create a heavier flow than usual, at least initially. If the heavy period lasts more than four to six months, then you might think about changing your contraception method.

Just given birth. Menstrual bleeding after birth can be especially heavy. Your period should return to its normal level by about two months after giving birth.

If youve investigated possible causes of your heavy period and have tried the suggested methods, and still need further ideas…

Natural Treatment Of Very Heavy Periods

See my updated 2022 blog post and YouTube video: Natural treatment of heavy periods.

Heres a story about very heavy periods. Its 7pm on a Friday night when I get a panicked call from my patient Karen. Shes bleeding so heavily that she cannot leave the bathroom. Shed been at work earlier when she soaked through three super tampons in an hour and then ruined her favorite pair of jeans. Her work colleague had to help her into a taxi. Karen is understandably frightened. I sent her to a local medical center for the clotting drug tranexamic acid, which will slow her bleeding.

I know what will happen next. Karen will meet with her gynecologist who will tell her that her only options are the pill, the hormonal IUD, or surgery. Karen had always tried to use natural treatments. She never imagined she would end up in a situation like this.

There is hope. Natural treatment can work to prevent heavy periods and did eventually work for Karen. The key to success is to start natural treatment earlyas soon as you notice your periods getting heavier, and before they get too bad. This is especially true if you are forty or older and your mother or older sisters suffered very heavy periods. You know whats coming.

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Vitamin A And Vitamin C Supplements

Essential nutrients are needed to have a regular period. Naturally, the period is not supposed to be heavy. Some women cannot use birth control pills because of their side effects. Other methods also dont work for them, because they may want to have kids. How to make your period lighter naturally? Vitamin supplements will shorten the period length

Does A Light Period Flow Mean Reduced Fertility An Expert Answers

All women share a love-hate relationship with their period. No one likes the cramps and mood swings but we pay special attention to our periods because theyre also indicative of our overall health status. In particular, our periods can provide us with an insight into our reproductive health. For women who want to start a family of their own, even the slightest change can be a cause of worry.

On average, a woman will lose less than 80ml of blood during the course of a period. In addition, a period lasting anywhere between 3 to 7 days is considered normal. At the same time, keeping an eye on the flow is extremely important. Both heavy and light periods can point to hormonal issues, underlying illnesses and excessive stress.

When it comes to your period becoming lighter, you could notice:

• Bleeding for fewer days
• Needing to use fewer pads or tampons
• Not experiencing heavier bleeding in the first few days but bleeding lightly throughout
• Bleeding seems like spotting

Along the same lines, many women wonder if having a light period points to the fact that their fertility is low. To understand this, HealthShots spoke to Dr C.P. Dadhich, Director Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and IVF at Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur.

Why is your period flow lighter?

According to the expert, A light period, in terms of health, could be due to any reason. If this is a change youve noticed recently, you must make it a point to speak with your doctor.

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You Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Another reason why your period might be scanty is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS for short. This is a common disorder of your endocrine system that causes your hormones to become imbalanced. If you have this syndrome, you most likely have lots of small cysts on your ovaries that can cause the hormonal imbalance, causing excess hair, acne, obesity, and scanty periods. So if in addition to a light period you have these other symptoms, you might want to ask your doctor to check your ovaries for cysts.

What You Can Do For Your Cycle Health

A healthy body weight, diet and exercise are imperative for cycle regularity and reproductive health. Being overweight or underweight can lead to hormone changes that cause cycle irregularity.

Stress can also impact your cycle, leading to temporary changes in your monthly period.

Monitor your menstrual cycle and report any changes or symptoms that are affecting your life to your gynecologist or primary care physician.

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How Is Abnormal Menstruation Diagnosed

If any aspect of your menstrual cycle has changed, you should keep an accurate record of when your period begins and ends, including the amount of flow and whether you pass large blood clots. Keep track of any other symptoms, such as bleeding between periods and menstrual cramps or pain.

Your doctor will ask you about your menstrual cycle and medical history. He or she will perform a physical examination, including a pelvic exam and sometimes a Pap test. The doctor might also order certain tests, including the following:

• Blood tests to rule out anemia or other medical disorders.
• Vaginal cultures, to look for infections.
• A pelvic ultrasound exam to check for uterine fibroids, polyps or an ovarian cyst.
• An endometrial biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is removed from the lining of the uterus, to diagnose endometriosis, hormonal imbalance, or cancerous cells. Endometriosis or other conditions may also be diagnosed using a procedure called a laparoscopy, in which the doctor makes a tiny incision in the abdomen and then inserts a thin tube with a light attached to view the uterus and ovaries.

What Is The Reason For Less Bleeding During Periods

Menstrual flow is unique to every woman. This flow fluctuates slightly every month and changes over time. A womans period may get lighter as she ages. Women in their late 30s and early 40s may experience heavier or scanty periods. During perimenopause, periods often become scanty and more irregular.

A womans menstruation may be irregular if her body does not release an egg. Women who are underweight or who lose weight rapidly may experience less bleeding during periods.

In addition, the menstrual cycle can be affected by medical conditions that impact a person’s hormones, like thyroid conditions, polycystic ovary syndrome , perimenopause, and Cushing’s syndrome.

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Pineapples Can Induce An Early Period

Pineapples contain bromelain, which affects your uterus lining by softening it and helping it shed.

For me, the effect of the pineapple making my period heavier wasnt what I wanted, but I can imagine it being quite a nice alternative to try for people who are struggling with very light or irregular periods.

So if you want to speed up your next period, give eating lots of pineapples a try. Wait no more for the red flow to be back in town: eat some pineapples and shell be there faster than you can say.pineapple.

Youve Recently Had Surgery

Youll have been told this when undergoing your procedure, but doctor Datta warns that if youve had any work on your womb or cervix recently, it could certainly affect your monthly bleed, even if only subtly.

If youve had recent surgery to your womb or your cervix, for example to treat an abnormal cervical smear, this can also affect your periods initially, she explains. You may expect a lighter flow for a few months. As always, do visit your doctor if youre worried at all.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Heavy Periods:

Diagnosing heavy periods isnt always easy and women can often have the odd heavy one and then return to normal again. Below we outline some signs to look out for. If these are occurring more often than not, then it might suggest that your periods are heavy.

How much blood you lose:

The amount of blood loss per period is the obvious indicator of how heavy your period is. Periods are considered heavy if you lose more than 60 80ml per period . However, unless you have a tablespoon handy this might be hard to measure. Generally, if you are having to change your pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive hours then this is classed as a heavy period.

Flooding:

Flooding is a heavy surge of blood loss that often results in you soaking through your period product and onto your clothes or bedding. This shouldnt happen for an extended period of time or you can become anaemic very quickly. Frequent flooding suggests you have heavy periods.

Note make sure you are choosing the right period products for you. If the shape or size is wrong, you could leak as a consequence and confuse this for flooding.

Changing your period product during the night:

Generally having to get up during the night to change your period products can suggest you have a heavy flow.

During the night gravity means blood loss should be even slower, although flooding is more likely to occur when you stand up after a nights sleep if your periods are particularly heavy.

Blood clots:

What The Evidence Says

A recent review of the research on this topic found on the whole, NSAIDs were more effective than a placebo at reducing blood loss in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

But only one study in this review compared ibuprofen specifically to a placebo. This study, published in 1986, included 24 women. Half were given ibuprofen, and half a placebo. There was a modest reduction of 36mL in menstrual blood flow with ibuprofen treatment. This study is obviously very small, so doesnt provide evidence wed consider strong.

So, the evidence doesnt support the 50% reduction in menstrual flow the tweeter claimed.

The review found another drug, tranexamic acid, was actually more effective than NSAIDs at reducing menstrual flow, with a 54% reduction in menstrual blood loss. However, it isnt available over the counter, making it less accessible.

Its also important to note this review looked at women with heavy periods. Theres no strong evidence to suggest ibuprofen, or other NSAIDs, can significantly reduce menstrual flow in women with regular, healthy menstruation.

According to the review, ibuprofen also does not appear to be effective at reducing menstrual flow in women where a pre-existing medical condition is the reason for heavy bleeding. These conditions might include uterine fibroids , clotting disorders or hormonal imbalances associated with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.

Read more:It’s OK to skip your period while on the pill

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Ways To Decrease Menstrual Flow

Many of our USC Fertility patients ask me if there are ways to decrease their menstrual flow. Here are some tips to help get you started:

1. Ibuprofen Ibuprofen is one of several medications classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug . These drugs work by reducing your bodys production of inflammatory elements called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins have important actions on the blood vessels in the inner lining of the uterus, thereby affecting the amount of bleeding that occurs during a menstrual period.

Using an NSAID at the time of a period can decrease the amount of bleeding by 20-40%, and sometimes by even more if a woman normally has very heavy periods. NSAIDs also work great for relieving menstrual cramps.

2. Birth Control PillsEven if you do not need to take the pill for birth control, a great advantage of the pill is the reduction in heavy menstrual bleeding.

Birth control pills contain two hormonesestrogen and progesteronethat are similar to the hormones your body normally produces throughout the menstrual cycle. The progesterone part of the pill thins the inner lining of the uterus, which results in up to 40% less bleeding during the menstrual period. There is also the option to take continuous birth control pills, which can reduce the frequency of your periods to once every 3 months or even once a year!

So Heres The Story Of How I Accidentally Made My Period Flow Heavier

I love tracking everything about my period. Some may say Im a bit obsessed, but I just feel more in control that way. And after years of tracking, I feel like I know my period flow pretty well.

So I was really surprised that on day three there was still quite a lot of blood in my Ruby Cup . And also, all of a sudden those mean motherf*cking cramps came back. So I knew something was up.

I tried to remember if I had done anything to insult my period karma. I had been quite conscious about my choice of food the days before and during my period, trying not to succumb too much to the PMS-munchies. No caffeine, no alcohol, no crisps.

I even read something about pineapples and periods on , so I bought a lovely pineapple and had been feasting on it the past few days. #healthydiet, I thought.

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You Can Get Pregnant During Your Period

Itâs time to squash that age-old myth: Your period doesnât protect you from pregnancy. There are a couple of reasons why. First, some women may bleed when their ovaries release an egg each month, called ovulation, and mistake it for their period. Youâre at your peak fertility when you ovulate. So if you have sex during this time, it could actually make you more likely to get pregnant.

Second, you may ovulate before your period is over or within a few days after the bleeding stops. Since sperm can hang out in your body for up to 3 days, having sex during your period could lead to conception.

Use a condom or other form of birth control to prevent an unplanned pregnancy, no matter what time of the month it is.

How To Lighten A Heavy Period

CHECK-IN WITH YOUR HORMONES

Our key female sex hormones oestrogen & progesterone work together to control how much the lining of the uterus builds up, and when it sheds. Finding out how your body is producing and metabolising these hormones can help to shed some light on why you may be experiencing heavier bleeding during your period.

The Eve Test Complete is an easy, non-invasive way to find out exactly whats going on with your hormones and their metabolites, and includes diet, lifestyle and nutritional support recommendations tailored to your unique hormone picture.

HAVE YOUR IRON LEVELS TESTED

According to the World Health Organisation, Iron is the most common deficiency in the western world and women of childbearing age are at the greatest risk. Checking your iron levels can be done through a blood test arranged by your GP.

If your iron is on the lower side, we recommend the new BePure Iron Restore for a gut-friendly, high-quality iron supplement.

SUPPORT OVULATION

One of the many wonderful benefits of progesterone is ensuring your uterine lining thickens only as much as it needs to, and your period doesnt go on for too long.

To support your body to ovulate and ensure a juicy dose of progesterone each month, make sure to:

LOVE YOUR LIVER

To help your liver do its important job, make sure to:

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