When Should I Talk To A Doctor About My Period Blood Clots
Put simply, you should consult a professional if you notice a sudden change in your period or if youre experiencing overall discomfort, Wysocki says. Some people might think that normal is being miserable, which it doesnt have to be.
Since heavy bleeding and period blood clots *can* signal more serious issues, theyre worth getting checked out if youre concerned or feel like your life is being disrupted , per the ACOG.
You should also get checked out if you need a new tampon or pad after less than two hours or your blood clots during your period are bigger than a quarter, the Mayo Clinic says.
Reasons Why You May Be Passing Big Blood Clots
Menstrual Clots And Heavy Periods
The normal menstrual cycle lasts 25 to 32 days. A normal flow lasts between four and seven days and may be accompanied by blood clots. A normal period should normally cause mild to moderate discomfort beginning the first day and then subside.
A period is considered heavy if it soaks through a pad or tampon every hour for several hours or if it lasts for over seven days. Large clots in period blood are also considered signs of heavy periods. Moreover, heavy periods can cause constant pain in the lower abdomen.
Heavy menstrual bleeding can negatively affect a womans quality of life and lead to other conditions such as anemia where the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells that can carry oxygen to different organs and tissues in the body. Anemia can make a person feel weak and tired.
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What Is A Normal Period
What’s normal for you may not be what textbooks define as a “normal” period. Generally speaking, though, a period is considered normal if it:
- Comes anywhere between every 24 day to 38 days
- Varies as much as 20 days over the course of the year
- Lasts between four-and-a-half to eight days
- Includes between 5 milliliters and 80 ml of blood
How Much Is Heavy Bleeding
Itâs difficult to define exactly what a heavy period is because it varies from woman to woman. Heavy for 1 woman may be normal for another.
Most women will lose less than 16 teaspoons of blood during their period, with the average being around 6 to 8 teaspoons.
Heavy menstrual bleeding is defined as losing 80ml or more in each period, having periods that last longer than 7 days, or both.
But itâs not usually necessary to measure blood loss. Most women have a good idea of how much bleeding is normal for them during their period and can tell when this changes.
A good indication that your periods are heavy is if you:
- are having to change your sanitary products every hour or 2
- are passing blood clots larger than 2.5cm
- are bleeding through to your clothes or bedding
- need to use 2 types of sanitary product together
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Has Anyone Ever Died From A Heavy Period
When womens rights collide with doctors Last month, Parbati Buda Rawat, a 21-year-old woman, was found dead in a remote district of far-west Nepal after being removed from the family home to a shed while menstruating in which she suffocated after lighting a fire to keep warm. And she isnt the first.
When should I be concerned about blood clots in my period?
If you need to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass clots the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor. Untreated heavy or prolonged bleeding can stop you from living your life to the fullest. It also can cause anemia.
What does a fibroid look like in the uterus?
Fibroids are typically rounded growths that can look like nodules of smooth muscle tissue. In some cases, they can be attached with a thin stem, giving them a mushroom-like appearance.
How Is Menorrhagia Treated
Treatment for menorrhagia depends on how serious the bleeding is, the cause of the bleeding, your health, age, and medical history. Also, treatment depends on your response to certain medicines and your wants and needs. You may not want to have a period at all, or just want to reduce the amount of bleeding. In addition, your decision to get pregnant or not will affect what treatment you choose. If you do not have anemia, you can choose to not have treatment.
Common treatments include:
- Hormone therapy to reduce bleeding
- Desmopressin nasal spray to stop bleeding for certain bleeding disorders
- Antifibrinolytic medicines to reduce bleeding
- Dilation and curettage to reduce bleeding by removing the top layer of uterus lining
- Operative hysteroscopy to remove fibroids and polyps and remove lining of uterus
- Endometrial ablation or resection to remove all or part of the lining of the uterus
- Hysterectomy to surgically remove the uterus and you will stop having your period
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Normal Period Blood Clots
Your menstrual period starts when hormones trigger your body to shed the endometrium, or lining of the uterus. As the lining sheds, small blood vessels bleed.
To prevent too much blood from being lost, your body forms blood clots. It does so by using a combination of plasma, or the liquid part of blood, and platelets, or tiny blood cells that bind together to form clots.
Mixed into the menstrual blood are also bits of tissue from the uterine lining. Thus, what appears to be a blood clot may actually be a clump of endometrial cells. It can also be a mixture of both.
The color of period blood clots can vary. Dark red or blackish clots may appear during the first few days of your period when the flow is heaviest. Your period may start or end with bright red blood clots, too. This means the blood is flowing quickly and doesn’t have time to darken.
When your menstrual flow is heavier, blood clots tend to be bigger because there’s a larger amount of blood sitting in the uterus.
In order to pass large blood clots, the cervix has to dilate a bit, causing pain that can be quite intense. This partially explains why, if you have a heavy flow, you’re more likely to have cramping.
Reasons Your Period Is Heavier Than Usual
From no-biggie birth control changes to serious medical problems.
When it comes to menstruation, not all periods are created equal. Any Mean Girls fan knows that some women just have a heavy flow and wide-set vagina! And while you shouldnt worry if you typically use super tampons while your friends always grabbing the light ones, something might be up if your flow has dramatically changed and is now heavier than it usually is.
Women are definitely aware of whats normal for them, says ob-gyn Jennifer Ashton, M.D. If one of my patients is experiencing something irregular and it happens three months in a row, I like to see her.
From no-biggie birth control changes to serious medical problems, here are seven reasons why you might be bleeding more than usual.
Considering that hormonal birth-control pills often regulate and lessen periodsin fact, some doctors prescribe it specifically to lighten up heavy flowsit makes sense that if you switch to a non-hormonal pill or stop taking oral contraception completely, youre going to be going through your tampons faster. And although IUDs like Mirena also lighten periods, Ashton says that non-hormonal IUDs tend to cause heavier periods in most women. While this is generally normal, see a healthcare professional if your heavy bleeding continues three months after insertion.
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Normal Vs Abnormal Period Blood Clots
Its important to know when period clots should be considered normal or abnormal.
If the blood clots during your period arent larger than a quarter and happen occasionally, thats normal. Also keep it in mind that period clots are not life-threatening.
You may notice that your blood clots change in color from red to almost black. This change is also absolutely normal.
But if you are or suspect you are pregnant and have noticed blood clots, its a sign to visit your health care provider as soon as possible to exclude the possibility of miscarriage.
And if you notice large clots on a regular basis, its best to make an appointment with your OB-GYN to check for any complications.
Normal clots:
- Are smaller than 1 inch
- Occur occasionally, usually around the beginning of your period
Abnormal blood clots:
- Are larger than a quarter
- Occur frequently
How To Deal With Large Blood Clots During Periods
Of course, a woman who has abnormally large blood clots during menstruation should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Correct diagnosis will be an important step in solving this problem. And self-medication can lead to more serious consequences.
For General information, we will provide below possible treatment options for menstrual large blood clots.
Managing heavy menstrual bleeding is the finest method to control menstrual clots.
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Are Period Clots Serious
If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, it can be serious. But Dr. Zanotti says it depends on each situation. Doctors will consider the size and frequency.
A lot of women have really small clots that might be a dime-size or a quarter-size during their period and thats normal for them, she says. Its problematic if youre passing golf ball-sized clots and passing them every couple of hours.
You should also be concerned if you must change your pad or tampon about every hour.
You may have heavy bleeding if youre soaking through your pad in an hour and it happens for a couple of hours in a row, says Dr. Zanotti. Thats a significant amount of bleeding.
Its also possible to become anemic or have low blood pressure after losing too much blood, says Dr. Zanotti.
If heavy bleeding happens once during a cycle and its not repetitive, thats not so concerning, she says. You have to look at the pattern of how frequently its happening and how long its actually lasting.
If youre pregnant and experience blood clots, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room. You may be having a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, which can be life-threatening.
Difference Between Normal Menstrual Clots And Abnormal Menstrual Clots
Clots that are small and are around the size of a quarter or less are normal in the menstrual cycle. If they are occasional and infrequent, it is not something you need to worry about. Normal menstrual clots occur usually at the beginning of your menstrual cycle. It is usually the clots that form in the blood vessels that are dangerous as they are capable of blocking the blood flow. But the clots during the menstrual cycle are not the same as the venous clots and hence not harmful to the female body.
But if the blood clots in periods are frequent and larger than the earlier mentioned size, it can be a sign that you need medical attention. Abnormal menstrual clots occur not only in the beginning and more frequently.
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Some Are Normal But Others Can Be A Sign Of Issues Like Uterine Fibroids
Peter Weiss, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN and expert in women’s health.
For most individuals who menstruate, occasional period blood clots are normal and nothing to be concerned about. That said, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and other conditions can cause blood clots to appear in your period blood too.
One sign of an abnormal blood clot is that it is the size of a quarter or larger.
This article explains what period blood clots are made of, how they form, and signs that they may not be normal and need to be evaluated by a healthcare practitioner.
Check If You Have Heavy Periods
You may have heavy periods if you:
- need to change your pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, or empty your menstrual cup more often than is recommended
- need to use 2 types of sanitary product together, such as a pad and a tampon
- have periods lasting more than 7 days
- pass blood clots larger than about 2.5cm
- bleed through to your clothes or bedding
- avoid daily activities, like exercise, or take time off work because of your periods
- feel tired or short of breath a lot
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Diagnosis Of Underlying Conditions
If you see a healthcare provider about period blood clots, they will begin their evaluation by asking you some questions that can help guide their next steps:
- How long does your period last?
- How heavy is your usual flow?
- Have you noticed changes in your flow over time?
- What size are the clots?
- Have you been pregnant before?
- Have you ever had pelvic surgery?
- Do you use birth control and, if so, what kind?
- What medications are you on?
If the clots seem abnormal or there isn’t an obvious cause, they will perform a pelvic exam. They may also want to do some tests to figure out what might be causing your blood clots.
The Restricting Effects Of Fibroids
Fibroids are generally believed to prevent the uterus from contracting the way it needs to. Menstrual bleeding, therefore, is in a sense left unchecked. This explains why flow is so much heavier in women who have these growths.
Additionally, fibroids can produce proteins that activate blood vessels within the uterus. Those vessels, in turn, bleed more freely into the uterine cavity. Remember that this is the source of blood clots during the period, forming when the body cannot produce enough anticoagulants to keep pace with flow. The number of clots you pass during menstruation, therefore, becomes more numerous.
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Potential Causes For Large Blood Clots During Your Period
Passing blood clots during your menstrual cycle is often a normal occurrence during the heaviest days of your period. In fact, most women experience clots at some point in their lives however, heavy bleeding and passing large clots can sometimes Read More
Passing blood clots during your menstrual cycle is often a normal occurrence during the heaviest days of your period. In fact, most women experience clots at some point in their lives however, heavy bleeding and passing large clots can sometimes be a cause for concern.
Are huge blood clots normal during your period? What other symptoms can you look out for to ensure that more worrisome health conditions arent occurring?
Menorrhagia is defined as menstrual bleeding that can be heavier than usual. If youre changing your tampon every two hours or sooner, or are passing blood clots the size of a quarter or larger, you may be suffering from heavy periods. This is uncomfortable and often painful, and many women suffer from the debilitating symptoms that come from heavy periods.
There are numerous potential reasons that your period is getting heavier and youre passing abnormal period clots, and the good news is that many of the conditions and reasons for these symptoms are both common and treatable.
Here are seven reasons why you may be passing big blood clots and experiencing heavier-than-normal periods:
Abnormal Period Blood Clots
Menorrhagia refers to heavy menstrual bleeding and menstrual bleeding that lasts more than seven days.
Your flow is considered heavy when you have to change your pad or tampon after less than two hours, or you are passing blood clots that are the size of a quarter or larger.
Depending on your age and medical history, there are many conditions that could be increasing the volume of your menstrual flow and/or causing abnormally large clots to form.
Some of these conditions include:
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Why Did My Period Get Heavy All Of A Sudden
A sudden heavy period may be the result of normal hormonal fluctuations or a side effect of birth control. However, heavy periods can also indicate an underlying health condition. A person should talk to their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding or cramping that prevents them from completing normal activities.