How do you know when your menstrual bleeding is abnormally heavy? The most convenient way to know if you are experiencing menorrhagia is to take note of how typically you have to change your pad or tampon.
If your period is heavy enough to need altering more often than every one or 2 hours, or if you have a period that lasts more than a complete week, you might be experiencing menorrhagia.
Causes of Heavy Menstrual Period
Sometimes, the cause of heavy menstrual bleeding is unknown, however a number of conditions may cause menorrhagia. Common causes include:
- Hormone imbalance. In a normal menstrual cycle, a balance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone manages the accumulation of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), which is dropped during menstruation. If a hormone imbalance happens, the endometrium develops in excess and ultimately drops by method of heavy menstrual bleeding.
- Dysfunction of the ovaries. If your ovaries don’t release an egg (ovulate) during a menstruation (anovulation), your body does not produce the hormone progesterone, as it would during a typical menstruation. This results in hormone imbalance and might lead to menorrhagia.
- Uterine fibroid tumors. It’s essential to comprehend that fibroid growths are generally benign (non-cancerous). They frequently happen in the uterus during a woman’s 30s or 40s. While the cause of uterine fibroid growths is unclear, it is known that they are estrogen-dependent.A number of surgical treatments are offered, consisting of myomectomy, endometrial ablation, uterine artery embolization, and uterine balloon therapy, along with hysterectomy. Non-surgical pharmacological treatments include GnRH agonists and contraceptive pills. Some women find natural progesterone to be an efficient treatment.Frequently, when symptoms are not severe or bothersome, a “wait and see” technique is taken. When menopause occurs, uterine fibroid tumors usually diminish and vanish without treatment.
- Cervical polyps. These are small, vulnerable developments that start in either the mucosal surface of the cervix or the endocervical canal, and which protrude through the opening of the cervix. The cause of cervical polyps is not clear; nevertheless, they are often the result of an infection and are likewise associated with an unusual action to increased estrogen levels or blockage of the capillary in the cervix. Women most commonly impacted by cervical polyps are those over the age of 20 who have had children. An easy outpatient workplace procedure can be done to eliminate the growth, followed by antibiotics.
- Endometrial polyps. These are generally non-cancerous developments that extend from the lining of the uterus. The cause of endometrial polyps is uncertain, though they are frequently connected with an excess of estrogen following hormone treatment, and even with some types of ovarian growths.Treatments for endometrial polyps include hysteroscopy and D&C. A pathology lab will examine endometrial polyps for cancer following their removal.
- Adenomyosis. This condition happens when glands from the endometrium ended up being ingrained in the uterine muscle, typically causing heavy bleeding and painful menses. Adenomyosis is more than likely to establish if you’re a middle-aged woman who has actually had children.
- Intrauterine device (IUD). Menorrhagia is a popular side effect of using a nonhormonal intrauterine device for contraception. When an IUD is the cause of extreme menstrual bleeding, you might have to remove it.
- Pregnancy complications. A single, heavy, late period may be due to a miscarriage. If bleeding happens at the usual time of menstruation, nevertheless, miscarriage is unlikely to be the cause. An ectopic pregnancy– implantation of a fertilized egg within the fallopian tube instead of the uterus– likewise might cause menorrhagia.
- Cervical cancer. This is a type of cancer that takes place when cells in the cervix ended up being abnormal, multiply out of control, and damage healthy parts of the body. The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the cause of over ninety percent of all cervical cancers.
- Endometrial cancer. This cancer occurs when unusual cells in the uterus or the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) multiply out of control and issue the uterus and other organs. While the cause of endometrial cancer is unidentified, it is understood that women diagnosed with this type of cancer have the tendency to be over 50, frequently have endometrial hyperplasia, or use hormone replacement therapy (HRT).The first treatment for endometrial cancer is generally a hysterectomy, possibly followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.
- Bleeding conditions. This is when it is hard for a person to stop bleeding. While there are numerous types of bleeding disorders, the most common type in women is von Willebrand Disease or VWD. Treatments for von Willebrand Disease include the release of saved clotting aspects in the blood or, in severe cases, replacing the clotting factor with an IV treatment or with a recommended nasal spray.
- Medications. Specific drugs, consisting of anti-inflammatory medications and anticoagulants, can contribute to heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.
- Other medical conditions. A number of other medical conditions, consisting of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), thyroid problems, endometriosis, and liver or kidney disease, might be associated with menorrhagia.
