The Source Of The Issue
Long periods can be the result of a variety of factors such as health conditions, your age and your lifestyle.
Underlying health conditions that can cause long periods include uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, or more rarely, a precancerous or cancerous lesion of the uterus. A long period can also result from hormonal imbalances or a bleeding disorder.
Many women struggle with long and heavy periods for years without knowing there are ways to manage and improve their symptoms. I encourage all patients to seek out medical care if they have questions about their menstrual cycle or other gynecologic issues.
The first step to managing long periods due to a specific condition is to treat it. This can include things like removing an endometrial polyp or correcting hypothyroidism. Hormonal contraceptives are commonly used to help regulate abnormal cycles resulting from a wide variety of causes. Most of these methods take three to six months before youll notice some improvement.
What Are Possible Complications From A Long Period
Delaying a diagnosis could result in a more invasive procedure or intensive treatment for the underlying cause.
Additionally, if your long period causes heavier blood loss, you could be at risk of developing anemia. This may contribute to feelings of tiredness and weakness.
Your doctor can use results from a blood test to diagnose anemia. If your iron levels are low, your doctor may recommend boosting your diet with iron-rich foods and a possible iron supplement to get your levels back to normal.
Long periods may also be painful and interfere with your well-being and quality of life. You may miss days of school or work, or withdraw from activities you enjoy because of your long period.
Von Willebrand Disease: Types Causes And Symptoms
What is von Willebrand disease?
Von Willebrand disease is a bleeding disorder. Its caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand factor . This is a type of protein that helps your blood to clot. Von Willebrand is different from hemophilia, another type of bleeding disorder.
Bleeding happens when one of your blood vessels breaks. Platelets are a type of cell that circulates in your blood and clumps together to plug broken blood vessels and stop bleeding. VWF is a protein that helps platelets clump together, or clot. If your levels of functional VWF are low, your platelets wont be able to clot properly. This leads to prolonged bleeding.
According to the
Three main types of von Willebrand disease exist:
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Can Menopause Be Treated
Menopause is a natural process that your body goes through. In some cases, you may not need any treatment for menopause. When treatment for menopause is discussed, its about treating the symptoms of menopause that disrupt your life. There are many different types of treatments for the symptoms of menopause. The main types of treatment for menopause are:
It is important to talk to your healthcare provider while you are going through menopause to craft a treatment plan that works for you. Every person is different and has unique needs.
Why Spotting Between Periods Happens And When To Be Concerned
Bleeding or spotting between regular monthly periods can be alarming. When this happens, you may see just a spot or two of blood on your underwear or toilet tissue, or you may be bleeding as if youve started your period.
I often get questions about spotting between periods from my patients. While most of the time spotting isnt anything to worry about, it can point to a more serious issue that might need treatment.
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How Is Von Willebrand Disease Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you questions about your personal and family history of abnormal bruising and bleeding. Type 3 tends to be the easiest to diagnose. If you have it, youll likely have a history of severe bleeding starting early in life.
Along with taking a detailed medical history, your doctor may also use laboratory tests to check for abnormalities in your VWF levels and function. They may also check for abnormalities in clotting factor VIII, which can cause hemophilia. Your doctor can also use blood tests to learn how well your platelets function.
Your doctor will need to collect a sample of your blood to conduct these tests. Then, theyll send it to a laboratory for testing. Because of the specialized nature of these tests, it may take up to two or three weeks to receive your results.
If you have von Willebrand disease, your treatment plan will vary, depending on the type of condition you have. Your doctor may recommend several different treatments.
Do You Have To See A Doctor For Mirena Removal
To avoid possible complications, Bayer doesnt recommend women remove their own Mirena. A doctor or health care provider performs Mirena intrauterine device removal in a medical office. Most insurance plans cover Mirena IUD removal. The procedure should only take a few minutes. There are several reasons why a doctor will remove Mirena.
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Are Cramps After A Period Has Ended Normal
Cramps after your period may signal a reproductive disorder, which is why its worth bringing up with your doctor.
That said, they’re also extremely common: More than half of all women who menstruate experience period pain. Among adolescents and young women, an estimated 10 percent also have secondary dysmenorrhea.
How Is Bleeding Between Periods Treated
If you have not yet discussed your vaginal bleeding with your doctor, its important you make an appointment to do so, as vaginal bleeding cannot be treated without knowing the cause.
If your doctor has diagnosed the cause of your bleeding, you can treat the bleeding by following their advice, such as by taking a course of antibiotics if you have an infection, or by changing to a different form of contraception if the bleeding is caused by the contraception you have been taking. If the bleeding is light and isnt bothering you, and a serious cause of the bleeding has been ruled out, it may not be necessary to do anything at all.
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Hormone Treatment And Therapy
Estrogen and progesterone therapy
Hormone therapy , or menopausal hormone therapy , consists of estrogens or a combination of estrogens and progesterone . This was formerly referred to as hormone replacement therapy . Hormone therapy controls the symptoms of menopause-related to declining estrogen levels , and HT is still the most effective way to treat these symptoms. But long-term studies of women receiving combined hormone therapy with both estrogen and progesterone were halted when it was discovered that these women had an increased risk for heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer when compared with women who did not receive HT. These risks were most pronounced in women over 60 taking hormone therapy. Later studies of women taking estrogen therapy alone showed that estrogen was associated with an increased risk for stroke, but not for heart attack or breast cancer. Estrogen therapy alone, however, is associated with an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women who have not had their uterus surgically removed.
Hormone therapy is available in oral , transdermal forms . Transdermal hormone products are already in their active form without the need for first pass metabolism in the liver to be converted to an active form. Since transdermal hormone products do not have effects on the liver, this route of administration has become the preferred form for most women.
How To Stop Your Period
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For many women, periods are just a monthly nuisance. But for some of us, periods are painful and disabling, causing us to miss out on school and work and life.
For the majority of my teenage years, my monthly period triggered a migraine and cramps so severe I might throw up or even blackout. I spent a lot of time lying in bed with a heating pad and popping prescription ibuprofen.
I was in my early 20s before a doctor finally told me that I could stop my period altogether. Its called menstrual suppression and typically involves continuous use of birth control pills. The hormones trick the body into acting like its pregnant, and periods stop. My quality of life improved within two months.
Women suppress their periods for a variety of reasons. Athletes use the method to avoid the hassle of periods and cramps during important competitions. Brides and vacationers use period suppression so a special event or trip isnt ruined by a difficult period.
Research shows that the idea of never having periods appeals to women. In 2005, the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals surveyed more than 1,100 women and 55 percent said theyd be interested in learning more about suppression.
I would get terrible mood swings, cramps, night sweats, she said. I basically felt like I was going through early menopause in my late 20s.
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What Conditions Might Cause Someone To Bleed Between Periods
Bleeding between menstrual cycles can be due to structural issues within the uterus or womb, including endometrial polyps or fibroids. Polyps are small abnormal tissue growths that can occur in a number of places, including the cervix and uterus. Most polyps are benign, or noncancerous.
Spotting can also be due to sexually transmitted infections that typically infect the cervix, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Learn the symptoms of sexually transmitted infections and contact your doctor if you suspect you have one.
Summary And Clinical Implications
Although the classic description of the menopausal transition as a stage first marked by increased variability in menstrual cycle lengths followed by increasing frequency of very long cycles until permanent amenorrhea occursdescribes the experience of the majority of women, marked differences occur in the magnitude of change in womens menstrual experience. Approximately 15-25% of women experience minimal or no change in menstrual regularity prior to their FMP. Short cycles are most frequent in the early transition while long cycles are most frequent in the late transition, with older age at menopause associated with longer menstrual cycles, both during the transition and throughout reproductive life. The duration and amount of blood loss during the menopausal transition is more variable, and women are most likely to experience excessive blood loss during this reproductive life stage, particularly during the late transition. Excessive bleeding is most often associated with ovulatory cycles in this reproductive phase, although spotting and bleeding more than eight days are associated with anovulatory cycles. Heavy bleeding during the transition is more common in obese women and in women with leiomyomas.
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Pms Is Still A Mystery
Itâs 1 or 2 weeks before your period starts, and here come the breakouts, sluggishness, cravings, bloating, and mood swings. Sound familiar? Every woman is different, but for many, PMS is a fact of life.
But doctors donât know exactly why that is. It seems to be a mix of hormone changes during your menstrual cycle, chemical changes in the brain, and other emotional issues you might have, such as depression, that can make PMS worse.
Whatâs more, once you get your period, the rollercoaster may continue. One study found that period-related pains such as cramps, bloating, backaches, and headaches can cloud your thinking, because the pain may make it harder for you to focus on the tasks at hand. Not that you canât still do them — you can. It may just feel like it takes more work.
Lifestyle changes are usually the best way to take control of PMS. Aim to get about 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, get 8 hours of shut-eye per night, and donât smoke. Your diet makes a difference, too, so fill up on fruits, veggies, and whole grains while you limit salt as well as sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
Let your doctor know if PMS keeps you from doing what you normally do, or if you have symptoms of depression or anxiety. You may have a more serious condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder that needs medical attention.
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How Is Hemophilia Diagnosed
Hemophilia is diagnosed through a blood test. Your doctor will remove a small sample of blood from your vein and measure the amount of clotting factor present.
The sample is then graded to determine the severity of the factor deficiency and the severity of the condition.
Hemophilia A severity levels include:
- Mild: occurs when factor levels are between 6 and 30 percent
- Moderate: occurs when factor levels are between 1 and 5 percent
- Severe: occurs when factor levels are less than 1 percent
Hemophilia B severity levels include:
- Mild: occurs when factor levels are between 6 and 49 percent
- Moderate: occurs when factor levels are between 1 and 5 percent
- Severe: occurs when factor levels are less than 1 percent
Treatment for hemophilia can vary based on the type of hemophilia you have. The main goal of treatment is to replace the clotting factors so a person can form clots and prevent bleeding.
A doctor may prescribe the following based on the type of hemophilia you have:
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Why Your Periods Might Suddenly Come Back
Many women going through the menopause find that they can go months or even years without a period, only to wake up one day and discover that theyve returned! Today Im exploring why hormones and even diet can cause your periods to return, and when you should go and see your doctor.
Eileen Durward
Changes To The Cervix
Bleeding between your periods may be caused by changes in the cells of your cervix. This may be due to inflammation, hormonal changes, a Human Papilloma Virus infection or cervical cancer. If you have bleeding between your periods, your doctor will be able to examine your cervix using a speculum and can take a sample of cells for a cervical screening test.
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When Should I See My Doctor
Bleeding between periods is common in fact, it happens to most women at some point during their lives. However, it is not considered normal to bleed frequently in one month, or to bleed between your periods for several months. Bleeding after having sex should always be discussed with your doctor. There are many possible causes for bleeding between periods and a lot of them arent serious, but you should speak to your doctor if you bleed between periods as it can occasionally signal something serious.
Why Does This Happen
Hormones
Now, this can be caused by a variety of factors. Very often it’s just your hormones having one last fling. They go, “I don’t want to stop yet. I want to have one more go at having periods before I calm down for good.” So this is usually the most common reason.
Diet
But another interesting fact is if you decide to overhaul your diet, and a lot of women going through the menopause get to the point where they say, “I need to do something about my diet. I need to eat healthy, or I need to exercise a bit more.” If you are giving your body a lot more extra nutrition, that can very often feed your hormones as well. And that can be one of the primary reasons for getting a period back, if you have decided just to sort everything out.
Prolapses
Now, there can be other reasons as well. There’s something called a prolapse, where the pelvic floor muscles tend to get a little bit weak. And that allows either the womb, or the bladder, or the bowel to slightly shift position. And this could maybe irritate the womb and trigger a bleed as well.
Fibroids
There can be other issues as well such as fibroids, which you might not even been aware that you had. And suddenly because your hormone levels are changing or maybe sometimes the womb starts to get a little bit thinner as you go through the menopause, this could irritate the fibroid. So when you get to this stage, it is really important that you just get things checked out by your doctor as well.
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When Should You Call Your Doc About Long Periods
If your period lasts longer than seven days, or if it suddenly changes significantly in length for three or more cycles in a row, that warrants a call to your ob-gyn, says Tom Toth, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF. It’s also worth seeing your doc if you’re soaking a pad or tampon every hour for several hours or passing clots.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with something serious, but you want to get to the root of your period problem sooner rather than later. That’s because once you’re north of seven days and still bleeding, you’re at an increased risk for menorrhagia.
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Simply put, menorrhagia is when bleeding is too heavy and interferes with your quality of life or requires interventions like blood transfusions, iron transfusions, medications or surgical procedures, Dr. Shepherd explains. Menorrhagia can also lead to other issues, like anemia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Anemia can cause you to experience fatigue, weakness, and, in severe cases, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Taking iron supplements can help improve symptoms, but you need to see your doc to get an the cause of the heavy bleeding.