Losing Too Much Blood On Period

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:

• Bleeding that lasts more than 7 days.

• Bleeding that soaks through one or more tampons or pads every hour for several hours in a row.

• Needing to wear more than one pad at a time to control menstrual flow.

• Needing to change pads or tampons during the night.

• Menstrual flow with blood clots that are as big as a quarter or larger.

What Should I Do About It

To treat HMB, you and your healthcare provider need to determine its cause orcauses. This can be done by a few simple tests including a blood test, atransvaginal ultrasound and/or taking a sample tissue from the uterine lining.

• Polyps: Surgical removal of the polyp is the most effective therapy.

• Adenomyosis: Treatment with hormonal contraception, especially anintrauterine device that releases a hormone called progestin.

• Fibroids: Some medical or hormonal therapies are effective, althoughprocedures involving surgery are often necessary.

• Cancer or pre-cancer: Most pre-cancers can be treated with medication, butcancers usually require surgery.

• Blood clotting disorder: Tranexamic acid or hormonal medications are theusual treatment strategy.

• Ovulatory disorders: Ovulatory disorders can generally be treated withhormonal medication such as progestins or other hormonal contraceptivemedications.

• Endometrial disorders: People with endometrial disorders can respond well totranexamic acid, use of simple NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen or mefenamicacid, the progestin-releasing intrauterine system or other types of hormonalcontraception. When a copper intrauterine device is the cause, some of thetreatments for endometrial disorders can be effective.

• Iron deficiency: Whenever there is an iron deficiency, and especially ifthere is anemia, an iron replacement should be part of the treatment.

How Is Menorrhagia Treated

Your healthcare provider will consider your age and overall health and your personal preferences when finding the best treatment for you.

Treatment for hormone problems may include:

• Prostaglandin inhibitors. These are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines , including aspirin or ibuprofen. They help reduce cramping and the amount you bleed.
• Birth control pills. These stop ovulation and result in lighter periods.
• Progesterone. This is a type of hormone treatment.

Treatment for problems with the uterine lining may include:

• Ablation. Healthcare providers use this procedure to destroy the lining of the uterus .
• Resection. In this procedure, the lining of the uterus is removed.
• Hysterectomy. This is the surgical removal of the whole uterus.
• Iron supplements. If you have anemia as a result of the heavy loss of blood, you may need iron supplements.

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Is Losing Too Much Blood During Your Period Life

You might be asking, when should you go to the hospital for heavy menstrual bleeding? Blood loss from heavy periods can lead to a more severe, urgent medical condition. Heavy blood loss can decrease the amount of circulating blood in the body and the usual amount of oxygen the body needs. So, can losing too much blood during your period be life-threatening? The answer is, if youre experiencing any of the following while you have heavy vaginal bleeding, you should seek immediate medical attention:

• Shortness of breath

Very Heavy Menstrual Flow

When periods are very heavy or you are experiencing flooding or passing big clots you have what doctors call menorrhagia. The purpose of this article is to define normal and very heavy menstrual bleeding, to explain what causes heavy flow, and to show what you yourself can do in dealing with heavy flow.

This, and the article called Managing MenorrhagiaEffective Medical Treatments for your doctor or health care provider, are to help you avoid surgeries for heavy flow (

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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.

Symptoms Of Significant Heavy Bleeding

The official definition of menorrhagia is based on the amount of bleeding and how long it lasts.

During an average period, 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood is lost over 4 or 5 days. Its considered heavy bleeding if you lose more than this amount of blood during your period and/or if you bleed for at least 7 days.

If you have any of the following signs or symptoms, its worth talking with a doctor:

• You pass clots the size of a quarter or larger.
• You get up during the night to change your pad or tampon.
• During the day, you have to change your pad or tampon at least every hour for several hours in a row.
• You use a reusable menstrual cup and bleed 5 milliliters or more an hour for several hours in a row.
• You bleed so much that having your period keeps you stuck at home.
• You have significant abdominal pain and cramping that interferes with your regular routine.
• You dont meet those above criteria, but the bleeding is affecting your well-being.

There are several possible causes of heavy menstrual bleeding. Your doctor will ask more about your symptoms and medical history. Bloodwork or medical imaging may be done to further investigate.

Here are some reasons why your bleeding may be so heavy.

Heavy menstrual bleeding can have major effects on your health and well-being. Its important to pay attention to your body and seek help if you need it.

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What Are The Side Effects Of Losing Too Much Blood On Your Period

When you lose a lot of blood during your period, your iron levels can drop. This can cause anemia. Anemia can make you feel tired and weak. Call your doctor if you think you have anemia.

Can you pass out from losing too much blood on your period?

Heavy periods also can lead to blood loss that causes anemia. When you are anemic, the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry is lower. When your brain senses even the slightest drop in oxygen levels, it triggers the changes that may lead to fainting.

Causes Of Menstrual Clots

During menstruation, the endometrial cells that line the uterus strip away and leave the body.

As this happens, the body releases proteins that cause the blood in the uterus to coagulate. This coagulation prevents the blood vessels in the uterine lining from continuing to bleed.

The blood that the body has already shed also contains these coagulation proteins.

When the flow is most substantial, the coagulation proteins within the blood may start to clump together, resulting in menstrual clots.

Although it is normal to have clots in the blood during menstruation, this symptom can sometimes signal a medical issue. It is advisable to seek medical advice if the clots:

• are larger than a quarter in size
• are very frequent
• occur with an abnormally heavy flow that requires a person to change their pad or tampon at least every 12 hours
• occur with significant pain

The following conditions may cause abnormal menstrual clots:

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How Is Heavy Bleeding Diagnosed

After a thorough history and clinical examination including a cervical screening test and swabs your doctor might order blood tests and/or a pelvic ultrasound to eliminate some of the possible causes listed previously. The gold standard is to perform a hysteroscopy and curette in all women over 35 years of age to rule out endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. This is where the lining of the womb is viewed with a telescope the hysteroscope and is then lightly scraped away and a biopsy taken for examination.

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Are You Bleeding Too Much During Your Period

The average woman loses about four tablespoons to as much as a cup of blood during her period. This amount may seem like a lot, but considering you lose a combination of menstrual fluids and blood, its actually quite normal.

Blood loss also varies among women, but if youre consistently experiencing heavy periods or an excessive amount of blood loss, it might be a cause for concern.

So how much is too much? Here are some signs your period has crossed over into the heavy range.

• Your period is a consistently heavy flow, not just heavy bleeding on the first or second day of your period.
• Your periods last longer than seven days.
• You have blood clots that are larger than the size of a quarter.
• Having your period makes you feel lightheaded or short of breath due to blood loss.
• You have to wear both a tampon and a pad during your period to prevent leaks.

Also, a consistently heavy flow could indicate the presence of an underlying pelvic condition such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, or polycystic ovary syndrome. So if you feel like you have a heavy flow, make an appointment with your gynecologist ASAP.

xx, The FabFitFun Team

Signs You Are Losing Too Much Blood During Period

Every month the cycle repeats and the days come when you go through a phase wherein you lose blood. Blood loss is a part of a womans normal life. But the loss in the blood isnt quantified. At times you might lose more blood than usual or you might bleed less.

This natural process is known as menstruation or periods. The menstruation cycle is of 2830 days and you bleed every month for 37 days. The days are associated with mild pain and cramps and for some these days can be with immense pain.

Heavy bleeding is a major concern among women. Heavy bleeding can disrupt your daily living. It can give you intense pain, leakage, cramps, and other health-related problems as well.

But since you cannot quantify the blood how you would come to know whether its bleeding heavily or not. How do you determine that you are bleeding heavy or light?

Look for signs and symptoms that will tell if you bleed more. Guess what are they? Let me tell you guys. These symptoms are easy to notice and when you observe them in your periods blood it means you are bleeding heavily.

Signs which would help you recognize if you lose too much blood.

If you are suffering from any of these signs you might bleed heavily in your periods. But hey! You are not the only one. There are many like you and also these signs do not mean you have a serious problem. Though its unpleasant and troublesome, it can be normal too. The doctor will better tell you about it.

About Menorrhagia

Causes for heavy bleeding

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What Will The Doctor Do

After listening to the story and doing a physical examination, the doctor generally will do some screening blood tests. Basic tests recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists include a complete blood count and some tests to look for bleeding problems. Along with checking to see if her bleeding has caused her to be anemic, its important to check to see if there might be a problem such as low platelets, or Von Willebrand disease, or some other condition that might cause her to bleed more heavily than normal. Some of these conditions dont become apparent until a girl starts menstruating. In retrospect, there is often a history of easy bruising and bleeding, or a family history of heavy periods or other bleeding.

In most cases, doctors will also do a pregnancy test. This may seem like a strange or silly test to do in a young teenager, but pregnancy can cause heavy bleeding and the reality is that we can never entirely know everything about the lives of young girls. Its always better to be safe than sorry.

There are many other causes of heavy periods. If initial tests dont show anything and the bleeding doesnt get better, the doctor may want to check thyroid function as well as some other hormones, and also do some tests to check overall health. Most of the time, though, more tests arent needed.

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About the Author

Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Blood Disorders Related To Heavy Periods

The three most common blood disorders we see in young women with heavy periods are:

• Von Willebrand disease : A genetic disorder caused by a defective or missing clotting protein called the von Willebrand factor if left untreated, people can bleed heavily with monthly cycles, surgeries, and dental procedures, as well as develop anemia
• Platelet disorders: When platelets, a type of cells in the blood, do not function properly, increasing the likelihood of bleeding.
• Hemophilia carriers or problems with other clotting factors: When women have an abnormal X chromosome that carries a hemophilia gene, which can cause her to bleed longer than usual after an injury, bruise easily, experience heavy periods, and even experience microbleeding inside their joints.

To properly identify the cause of heavy bleeding, we have in-depth conversations with patients about family history, because many of the bleeding disorders have a genetic component to them. If we feel that a patient might have a bleeding disorder, we do further testing to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Over time, excessive blood loss can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, a condition in which blood lacks healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

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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 adolescent’s physician based on:

• Your adolescent’s age, overall health and medical history
• Cause and severity of the condition
• Your adolescent’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
• Your adolescents future childbearing plans
• Effects of the condition on your adolescents lifestyle
• Your adolescent’s opinion or preference

Bleeding Due To Miscarriage

During a normal miscarriage, vaginal bleeding is usually heavier than a typical menstrual period, so how can you know how much is too much? What qualifies as normal bleeding and what constitutes a hemorrhage?

Immediately seek medical help if your bleeding is heavy enough to soak through a menstrual pad in less than an hour.

Its also important to seek immediate medical assistance if you have any symptoms that could suggest an ectopic pregnancy, regardless of the amount of bleeding. Symptoms of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy may include the sudden onset of pain in your abdomen or back, a rapid pulse, lightheadedness, or loss of consciousness.

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Signs That You Have Abnormal Blood Loss

There are a few key signs that your period is heavier than normal and you may be losing a harmful amount of blood.

1. Bleeding too much: It’s a sign of menorrhagia if you need to double up on pads or have to change your pad in the middle of the night, says Astrid von Walter, MD, an OBGYN at Rockville Gynecology.

2. Bleeding too quickly: If you soak through a tampon or pad in less than an hour, for several hours in a row, this is a sign that you’re bleeding too much and you should get medical attention as soon as possible.

3. Bleeding for too long: It’s also concerning if you have “heavy periods lasting more than 7 days,” von Walter says.

4.Large blood clots: “If you’re passing clots the size of a quarter or larger,” this is an indicator of menorrhagia, says Christine Greves, MD, an OB-GYN at Winnie Palmer Hospital.

It’s also common to have cramping along with heavy bleeding, or feel weak and fatigued, von Walter says.

You should also ask yourself how your period affects your quality of life, Greves says. “If you are having to change your activities etc. and revolve things around your period because it is too heavy, then that is not normal.”