Heavy Periods Specialist

What constitutes a heavy period?

While every woman’s menstrual flow is different and many women have naturally heavier periods than others, sometimes a heavy flow is abnormal. Your period may be abnormally heavy if you:

• Have periods lasting longer than a week
• Pass blood clots larger than the size of a quarter
• Must change your tampon or pad every hour for several hours on end
• Have to get up in the middle of the night to replace your sanitary product
• Have to use a tampon and a pad at the same time
• Bleed through your clothing

The clinical term for a disruptive, abnormally heavy flow is menorrhagia. Menorrhagia is characterized not only by a heavy flow, but by periods so severe that they cause you to miss work or school because of extreme blood loss and heavy cramping.

If you have the symptoms of a heavy flow on a regular basis, come into Alliance OB/GYN for an assessment and treatment.

Why do I have a heavy period?

You may be experiencing a heavy period flow for any number of reasons, the most common including:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine or cervical cancer
• Uterine polyps
• Uterine fibroids
• Hormonal issues polycystic ovary syndrome
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Pelvic infections
• Insulin resistance
• Thyroid problems
• Ovaries that don’t release an egg each month
• Intrauterine devices (IUD)
• Pregnancy complications

You may also experience abnormally heavy periods if you’re overweight or obese.

How can you treat heavy periods?

How your Alliance OB/GYN doctor treats your heavy period depends on the reason that you have it in the first place. For example, if you’re suffering from uterine polyps or fibroids, the team may decide the best course of action is minimally invasive robotic surgery to remove them.

If irregular estrogen and progesterone levels are causing your heavy flow, they may prescribe birth control pills to balance your hormones.

Your Alliance OB/GYN physician can also find ways to ease the symptoms of your heavy flow. For instance, to relieve anemia symptoms, like fatigue, during your period, they may suggest you take an iron supplement.

If you have fibroids or polyps, your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive procedure to remove them. If other treatments aren’t successful, your doctor may suggest endometrial ablation to reduce or eliminate heavy periods.

Your period is natural, but a period that totally disrupts your life isn’t. To find answers and treatment for your heavy periods, schedule an appointment at Alliance OB/GYN online or over the phone today.