What Are The Best Home Remedies For Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Heavy menstrual bleeding, as the name suggests is characterized by abnormally heavy or prolonged periods. In some the symptoms can be severe that can last even for seven days. Large blood clots, fatigue, breathlessness, and mood swings are common symptoms associated with heavy menstrual periods. Do seek medical attention immediately if you are having this problem for a long duration.
You can try to keep them in control by following these home remedies.
It is an effective and proven way to control heavy bleeding. They are rich in iron and they also aid in the production of red blood cells. Also, they regulate the amount of blood loss during menstruation. To make them, add 2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to a cup of warm water or milk. Stir it and drink it once daily. Do not use this more than once per day. You can drink this best before going to bed every night.
Apple cider vinegar also is one of the good sources to curb the problem of heavy bleeding. It can also help to treat symptoms like cramping and headaches and also prevents fatigue. To use them, mix 2 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Drink this mixture twice or thrice a day during the periods for the best results.
Heavy bleeding leads to a decrease in blood volume which can be maintained by drinking 5 to 7 extra cups of water daily. Add electrolytes to the water to compensate for the extra fluid you are taking.
Skip Your Placebo Week Of Oral Contraceptives
Some types of birth control pills come with three weeks of active pills and one week of placebo pills. If you skip the week of placebo pills and start a new pack of active pills, instead, then the hormones in the active pills will prevent you from bleeding that week.
However, its important to note that if this is your first time skipping a placebo week you may experience some irregular bleeding or light spotting, says Ross.
After two to three months of skipping your placebo week, you should see little to no spotting. Therefore, Ross recommends planning several months ahead if you know your period will coincide with a big upcoming occasion.
Moreover, you can get birth control pills in packs that last 28 days, 90 days, and even 365 days. Thats right, you can go a year without your period while on the pill.
Being able to stop your period completely is one of the most beneficial side effects associated with the pill and its completely safe, says Ross.
Balance Female Hormones Naturally
In a normal menstrual cycle, a balanced level of estrogen and progesterone regulates the buildup of the uterus lining in preparation of possible fertilization. When fertilization does not occur, the uterine lining sheds off in the form of menstruation.
During menstruation, a hormone called prostaglandin triggers the uterine muscle to contract to discharge the linings. The contraction causes pain and cramps called dysmenorrhea. When progesterone levels drop, heavy menstrual bleeding and severe cramps may occur. Discover the top 10 tips for menstrual cramps relief. If you experience flooding, cramping, and heavy, painful periods you might consider natural progesterone cream to aid in hormonal balance especially for estrogen dominance.
Natural Female Hormone Balance is a supplement that is getting a lot of excitement to balance female hormones naturally. The name says it all and women are loving how it balances their hormones, quickly and effectively through the use of time tested balancing herbs.
You can also consider the Cycle Balance Oil to balance female hormones naturally as well as relief for menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding. It has progesterone, which plays a key role in regulating hormones since insufficient levels of progesterone in the body may result in menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding as well as help with inflammation of the muscles around the uterus.
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What Are Heavy Menstrual Periods
When you have heavy menstrual periods , you are losing more than 80 ml of blood per menstrual period and the usual amount of blood loss per period is 10 to 35 ml. You may:
- Pass large blood clots and soak through your usual pads or tampons.
- Bleed for more than 7 days.
Heavy periods can be messy and unpleasant, and they may disrupt your life. But in most cases, they arent a sign of a serious problem.
A doctor can suggest treatments to ease your symptoms and make sure that you dont have a more serious condition.
What Are The Treatment Options For Heavy Periods
Your doctor should take your symptoms seriously, ask the right questions and use the best tests to find the cause of your heavy periods without undue delay. Treatment will depend on the cause as mentioned above, often no cause is found. However, there are still treatments that can make periods lighter. Your doctor will explain the benefits and the possible side-effects.
You should be given information about the full range of treatments that could help and what they involve. Your doctor should also support you to choose one that is right for you. If you are still having problems, your doctor should refer you to a healthcare professional with specialist knowledge of diagnosing and treating heavy periods.
Treatment aims to reduce the amount of blood loss. The rest of this leaflet discusses treatment options for women who have regular but heavy periods with no clear cause . This is the majority of cases. If there is an underlying cause, such as a fibroid or endometriosis, treatment options may be different. See the relevant leaflets to read about treatment for these conditions.
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Frequently Asked Questionsexpand All
- How common is heavy menstrual bleeding?
Heavy menstrual bleeding is very common. About one third of women seek treatment for it. Heavy menstrual bleeding is not normal. It can disrupt your life and may be a sign of a more serious health problem. If you are worried that your menstrual bleeding is too heavy, tell your obstetriciangynecologist .
- When is menstrual bleeding considered heavy?
Any of the following can be a sign of heavy menstrual bleeding:
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Bleeding that lasts more than 7 days.
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Bleeding that soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row.
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Needing to wear more than one pad at a time to control menstrual flow.
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Needing to change pads or tampons during the night.
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Menstrual flow with blood clots that are as big as a quarter or larger.
Heavy menstrual bleeding may be a sign of an underlying health problem that needs treatment. Blood loss from heavy periods also can lead to a condition called iron-deficiency anemia. Severe anemia can cause shortness of breath and increase the risk of heart problems.
Many things can cause heavy menstrual bleeding. Some of the causes include the following:
Bleeding disordersWhen the blood does not clot properly, it can cause heavy bleeding.
When you see your ob-gyn about heavy menstrual bleeding, you may be asked about
pregnancy history
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture .
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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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.
Dont Be A Couch Potatoe
Get up and get moving when your cycle kicks in. Says Molinaro, There are no specific activities to avoid. Some women find that exercise and the associated release of endorphins may help to lessen the cramping and pain experienced during their period.This boost of endorphins is also great for counteracting mood swingsso you can stay on the up-and-up.
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Heres The Evidence On Which Methods Actually Work
- Reviewed By: Julie Lamonoff, CNM, OBGYN-NP
Know your period is coming soon? Lets say you have a special occasion or a vacation to plan for . Learn which methods can work to delay your period, whether they be natural methods or with medicine, so you can feel more in control.
Are you hoping for a natural way to skip your periods? You might be out of luck. But well let you know more about them later so you can decide for yourself.
Options For Treating Heavy Periods
Each month, the lining of your uterus thickens to ready itself for pregnancy. If you dont conceive and a fertilized egg doesnt implant in your uterine wall, your uterus sheds its lining and a menstrual period occurs.
During a menstrual period, your body loses an average of about 2.7 ounces of blood. But some women experience heavy periods, during which they lose more blood than that. This condition is known as menorrhagia. Approximately 9-14% of women experience heavy periods.
With an average menstrual blood flow, it takes about four hours to fully soak a tampon or pad. If you have heavy periods, saturation can occur in as little as one or two hours. You may even feel weak from the loss of blood, although not all women with heavy periods do. In some cases, heavy bleeding can lead to iron deficiency.
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Causes Of Heavy Periods
Heavy periods are caused by a variety of factors. It can be frustrating to not know the root cause or how to stop heavy period bleeding without an official diagnosis, but here are some of the more common causes.Hormonal changesThe most common cause for heavy bleeding is a change in your hormone levels. Hormones can shift due to a number of conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome , thyroid problems, and irregular ovulation.Lifestyle changesMenorrhagia can also be caused by a sudden change in lifestyle, such as rapid weight gain, the birth of a baby, changes in diet, or even an influx of stress.Medication changesAnytime you begin or stop taking medication, your menstrual cycles could be impacted. Its common to see heavy periods as a result of changing birth control medications, steroids, blood thinners, or antidepressants and antipsychotics.Other medical conditionsIf none of the above apply to you, a heavy period could also be the result of other medical conditions affecting your body. Uterine fibroids , polyps , and endometriosis can impact flow, as can illnesses like cancer, kidney dysfunction, and insulin resistance.
Birth Control Pills And Mini
Birth control pills are hormonal contraceptives. They contain either a combination of estrogen and progestin , or just progestin .
Women whose main reason for taking birth control pills is to manage heavy periods often choose to take the mini-pill. The low-dose progestin-only mini-pill is taken every day, without any breaks. This usually causes menstrual bleeding to become irregular, and sometimes women may even stop getting their period.
Combination pills are mainly used as contraceptives. Most women take the combination pill for 21 days per cycle. The bleeding starts during the seven-day break that follows. Low-dose combination pills can be taken continuously too. Then the woman usually stops getting her period completely, and only has light spotting at the most.
But combination pills have not yet been approved for continuous use in Germany. So if they are used in this way it is considered to be off-label use . Its important to discuss the possible consequences of this type of use with your doctor.
The possible side effects of birth control pills include fluid retention, headaches and breast tenderness. The combination pill in particular increases the likelihood of blood clots , so women who have a greater risk of thrombosis are advised not to take it.
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Emergency Treatment To Rapidly Stop Heavy Bleeding
Some women have very heavy bleeding during a period. This can cause a lot of blood loss, and distress. One option as an emergency treatment is to take a course of norethisterone tablets. Norethisterone is a progestogen medicine. Progestogens act like the bodys natural progesterone hormones they control the build-up of cells lining the womb .So, if a period is very heavy or prolonged, your doctor may advise that you take norethisterone tablets. A dose of 5 mg three times daily for 10 days is the usual treatment. Bleeding usually stops within 24-48 hours of starting treatment. If bleeding is exceptionally heavy then 10 mg three times daily may be given. This should then be tapered down to 5 mg three times daily for a week, once your bleeding has stopped.
Why Do I Have Heavy Bleeding During My Periods
Occasional heavy menstrual bleeding may just be a part of your normal cycle. As the lining of your uterus sheds, it may simply release more material at the beginning of your period. Heavy bleeding days might require changing a pad or tampon more often or sleeping with extra protection, but these shouldnt be too frequent. If you experience consistent heavy bleeding, there could be something else going on, and that warrants a conversation with your doctor.
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Who Shouldnt Stop A Period
Girls under the age of 15 should not stop their periods because in the first years of the menstrual cycle, its important to observe the interval between cycles, the quantity of blood lost, and which symptoms you have.
Observing the duration and symptoms of a girls cycle help to assess the health of her reproductive system, if the ovaries are working correctly, or if there is a problem such as ovarian cysts.
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- Have depressive mood and extreme weakness
When To See A Doctor?
Most women have heavy flow days and do not experience heavy blood loss enough to be diagnosed with menorrhagia. As you know that any serious health problems must be cured medically in the most appropriate way. Long-lasting heavy bleeding can have negative effect on your emotion, daily activities as well as social life. Additionally, it may lead to serious dysmenorrhea, iron deficiency or anemia.
Once you have heavy menstruation for more than seven days, the best source for advice on treating this problem is your doctor. After asking you to talk about your health history and symptoms, the doctor may do a physical exam and make tests including ultrasound, Pap test and blood tests or take a sample of the tissue lining your uterus. Then he or she will often be able to diagnose properly the problems and give youre the right treatment depending on your underlying cause. Do not forget to seek evaluation at a hospitals emergency department if any of the following warning situations occur with heavy menstrual bleeding flow:
If you are not suffering from the above serious situations or you want to combine a natural option with doctors advice to recover more quickly, select the best tips on how to stop heavy menstrual bleeding flow as below:
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Signs And Symptoms Of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding may include:
- Soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours
- Needing to wake up to change sanitary protection during the night
- Needing to use double sanitary protection to control the menstrual flow
- Menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than a week
- Symptoms of anemia, like fatigue, light-headedness and shortness of breath
- Passing blood clots larger than a quarter
- Restricting activities because of heavy menstrual flow
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If You Are Someone Who Goes Through Heavy Bleeding Or Know Someone Who Does You Can Try Out These Simple And Natural Home Remedies That Might Come In Handy When It Comes To Regulating Your Blood Flow During Your Periods
The average menstrual cycle is 28 days. But since a menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of a period to the first day of the next period, the cycle can vary from woman to woman. Some women face heavy and prolonged bleeding and pain during their menstrual cycle that can hamper their day-to-day routine.
If you are someone who goes through heavy bleeding or know someone who does, you can try out these simple and natural home remedies that might come in handy when it comes to regulating your blood flow during your periods. However, do consult with your doctor first.
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