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
How Long Does A Woman Usually Have Periods
On average, women get a period for about 40 years of their life.6,7 Most women have regular periods until perimenopause, the time when your body begins the change to menopause. Perimenopause, or transition to menopause, may take a few years. During this time, your period may not come regularly. Menopause happens when you have not had a period for 12 months in a row. For most women, this happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age of menopause in the United States is 52.
Periods also stop during pregnancy and may not come back right away if you breastfeed.
But if you dont have a period for 90 days , and you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or nurse. Your doctor will check for pregnancy or a health problem that can cause periods to stop or become irregular.
Reasons Why Your Period Is Suddenly Lasting Forever
Lets not be coy here: Bleeding out of your vagina every single month is already kind of a pain, so when your period decides to extend its visit a little longer than usual, it can be downright infuriating and concerning.
Honestly, theres a pretty big range of normal when it comes to your periods length . If your period is a day or two more or less than your usual, and you dont see any other issues , you likely dont need to be concerned.
But and theres always a but, isnt there? if your period lasts 10 days or more, or suddenly changes significantly in length for three or more cycles in a row, that warrants a call to your gynae, says Dr Tom Toth, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF.
Still, theres no need to panic most causes of prolonged menstrual bleeding arent a big deal and can be fixed or improved with the help of your doctor, says Dr Toth.
1. You have an IUD.
One of the most common causes of long periods in younger women are intrauterine devices , a type of birth control placed directly into your cervix. There are two main types: a non-hormonal, copper-based IUD , and a hormonal, progestin-based IUD .
With either IUD, if the prolonged periods dont settle down after three cycles, its time to go back to your doctor, as its possible the IUD moved out of position or simply doesnt play nice with your body.
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2. Youre actually ovulating.
3. Youre pregnant .
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What Is Prolonged Period
Women period is due to endometrial shredding that occurs during your menstrual cycle. It occurs due to the interplay of many hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
If your period lasts between two and seven days, then its normal. Women can have periods that last for three days or longer periods that last up to six to seven days. This is normal.
However, any menstrual blood flow more than seven days is considered abnormal.
Period blood flow more than seven days is prolonged and requires urgent treatment. Long periods, in women of reproductive age, can prevent pregnancy or cause infertility.
What Underlying Conditions May Cause Prolonged Menstrual Bleeding
A visit with your gynecologist or other healthcare professional is the first step in determining the cause of your prolonged menstrual bleeding. Your doctor will make a diagnosis after performing a series of tests.
Depending on your age and other symptoms, your doctor may test your blood for pregnancy, hormone levels, and thyroid function. Other diagnostic tests may include Pap smears, endometrial biopsies, ultrasounds, and other procedures.
Medical conditions that could be the cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding include:
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Why Has My Period Lasted More Than Two Weeks
There could be many reasons, so its best to ask a healthcare provider, like a family doctor or one of our practitioners.
Not all reasons are a cause for concern, it could be a common side effect of having an IUD or being on hormonal birth control.
Tracking your period and symptoms on your calendar or using an app can help give your healthcare provider helpful information when you see them.
***We are currently closed until April 6th, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so please contact us on if you need assistance. Many services in the community are limited to prevent exposure to the virus and slow the spread, so its best to call 811, your family doctor, or a walk-in clinic to see what services they can provide at this time.
Youre Experiencing An Ectopic Pregnancy
An unusually heavy period can be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy , says Dr. Horton. Taking a pregnancy test can help you figure out if that’s what’s going on.
If you have a positive pregnancy test and have pain and vaginal bleeding, you should be evaluated, she says. Your doctor will get blood work and a pelvic ultrasound to see where the pregnancy is located and, if it is ectopic, treat it with medicine or surgery. Unfortunately, it’s not safe for a mother to carry an ectopic pregnancy.
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You Have Uterine Polyps Or Fibroids
“Uterine abnormalities, such as polyps or fibroids, can cause prolonged periods because they distort the endometrial cavity which can lead to increased blood flow,” Dr. Toth explains. Basically, your body senses something in your uterus that isn’t supposed to be there, and tries extra hard to get rid of it.
Polyps and fibroids sound scary, but they’re pretty commonup to 80 percent of women will have at least one before they’re 50, per the OWH. On their own, they don’t indicate a serious disease, like cancer. Important to note: Black women are two to three times more likely to have fibroids than white women, and the reasons for their increased risk are not well understood or well studied due to lack of representation of Black women in research, notes Dr. Horton. Black women are also more likely to be hospitalized due to fibroids due to heavy, prolonged vaginal bleeding, pain, and symptoms from anemia.
But for many people, these benign growths don’t have any symptoms, and if they do, it’s usually prolonged periods, says Dr. Toth. Most likely your doc will just recommend keeping an eye on them, but if they cause pain or grow very large they can be surgically removed.
Track Your Menstrual Cycle In A Journal Or App
If you suspect youre bleeding at irregular intervals, its a really good idea to start tracking your cycle in a journal or app. This can help you understand the rhythms of your own body and communicate any concerns to your doctor.
But even if your periods are regular, it’s still good practice to track them so you know when your next one is likely to start and when you’re ovulating. Remember, everybody has their own cycle and flow, and it may be affected by many factorsboth internal and external.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Hemophilia
The extent of your symptoms depends on the severity of your factor deficiency. People with a mild deficiency may bleed in the case of trauma. People with a severe deficiency may bleed for no reason. This is called spontaneous bleeding. In children with hemophilia, these symptoms may occur around age 2.
Spontaneous bleeding can cause the following:
- blood in the urine
- extreme sleepiness
- continuous bleeding from an injury
If youre pregnant, its important that you see a doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms.
If youre experiencing a medical emergency, you should seek emergency medical care through a local hospital. For follow-up care and condition management, you can connect to a primary care doctor in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool.
How Does My Menstrual Cycle Change As I Get Older
Your cycles may change in different ways as you get older. Often, periods are heavier when you are younger and usually get lighter in your 20s and 30s. This is normal.
- For a few years after your first period, menstrual cycles longer than 38 days are common. Girls usually get more regular cycles within three years of starting their periods. If longer or irregular cycles last beyond that, see your doctor or nurse to rule out a health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome .5
- In your 20s and 30s, your cycles are usually regular and can last anywhere from 24 to 38 days.
- In your 40s, as your body starts the transition to menopause, your cycles might become irregular. Your menstrual periods might stop for a month or a few months and then start again. They also might be shorter or last longer than usual, or be lighter or heavier than normal.
Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days, or if you are worried about your menstrual cycle.
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Diagnosis Of 2 Week Long Period
For a problem such as irregular or prolonged period, it is always advisable to take quick measures and consult your gynecologist. This is helpful in determining the cause of the problem for prolonged menstrual bleeding and finding suitable remedies. The gynecologist will be able to recommend firm conclusions only after a series of tests to detect the actual cause of the problem.
There are certain common tests that all doctors recommend such as the pregnancy detection test, hormone levels and thyroid function tests. Depending on the case background and family history, the doctor may prescribe other diagnostic tests and procedures such as the Pap smear screening test, any kind of endometrial biopsies, and ultrasounds of specific parts of the probably affected organs.
Lets understand this in a little detail.
If a patient is suffering from abnormally long menstrual periods, the doctor will start the examination of the case with a pelvic checkup. Alongside this, medical history may also be collected, where you need to inform your doctor about all the medications and supplements in your normal course of routine and any kind of disease or treatment undergone in the recent past.
Based on the pelvic examination, and the specific symptoms, a gynecologist may prescribe some of the following diagnostic tests:
Is Vaginal Bleeding Really A Second Period
Every 21 to 35 days, a new reproductive cycle starts as the uterus sheds its lining and menstruation occurs. Period flow can last anywhere from a few days to a week and can range from light to heavy.
But if youre bleeding 14 days after your last period, dont jump to the conclusion that its necessarily a second period. There are many possible reasons for uterine or vaginal bleeding between periods, a phenomenon called intermenstrual bleeding.
Its definitely worth noting how much uterine or vaginal bleeding is occurring and understanding whether youre spotting or experiencing heavy bleeding.
In general, spotting would mean a few drops of blood on your underwear or toilet paper with wiping. You might want to wear a panty liner or Leakproof Underwear, but you dont require a tampon or pad.
If youre bleeding more heavily, to the point where you need a pad or tampon, its worth consulting a doctor to understand whether the bleeding is due to menses or another cause. Abnormal blood loss could be a cause for concern, as it could potentially result in, or exacerbate, anemia and/or be due to an underlying cause.
But what could those causes be? Given the specific timing of the question, it could be ovulation.
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What Does It Mean To Have Prolonged Periods
The average menstrual cycle lasts anywhere between 3 to 7 days. Any period that is lasting more than this is considered as prolonged periods. Sometimes, a woman may bleed for 10 days or so as well.
It is most common during the time when a girl just starts her periods. During the initial days, periods are irregular, long and painful. As time goes by, they start becoming systematic. By the end of your first year of menstrual cycles, you will have a set period pattern.
You can either have a period for 4 days with heavy flow or for seven days with less flow. It totally depends upon the individual.
However, any period that lasts more than seven days is considered as an abnormal period.
How Do I Know If Im Ovulating
A few days before you ovulate, your vaginal mucus or discharge changes and becomes more slippery and clear. This type of mucus helps sperm move up into your uterus and into the fallopian tubes where it can fertilize an egg. Some women feel minor cramping on one side of their pelvic area when they ovulate. Some women have other signs of ovulation.
Luteinizing hormone is a hormone released by your brain that tells the ovary to release an egg . LH levels begin to surge upward about 36 hours before ovulation, so some women and their doctors test for LH levels. LH levels peak about 12 hours before ovulation.1 Women who are tracking ovulation to become pregnant will notice a slight rise in their basal temperature around ovulation. Learn more about tracking ovulation to become pregnant.
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