Heavy Menstruation: When to See a Doctor?

Menstrual cycles in normal healthy women are between 21-35 days long, while menstrual bleeding lasts about 5-7 days on average. Heavy menstruation, or menorrhagia, refers to abnormally heavy bleeding experienced during a menstrual period, with menstrual cycles remaining regular in duration. It is important to distinguish this symptom from prolonged menstrual bleeding, where menstrual cycles may become irregular, as this can be a sign of something more serious.

Heavy menstruation

Heavy menstruation can be a very subjective symptom. Many women who complain of heavy periods may not actually suffer from excessive bleeding. Conversely, there are also many women who perceive their period flow to be normal despite losing an abnormally high volume of blood.

When does heavy menstruation warrant a visit to the doctor?

A woman should generally seek medical advice if she experiences any of the following:

• Heavy flow that soaks through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours.
• Menstrual periods lasting more than seven days, especially if the menstrual cycles become irregular.
• The need to use double sanitary protection to control menstrual flow or the need to change sanitary protection at night. The need to change underwear or clothes due to blood soaking through sanitary protection.
• Periods that include large blood clots.
• Heavy menstrual flow interfering with lifestyle.
• Bleeding that is associated with a positive urine pregnancy test.
• A good practice for all menstruating women is to keep a menstrual calendar. This calendar should record not only the days during which menstrual flow is experienced, but also the amount of bleeding (whether light, normal or heavy and the number of pads/tampons used) experienced. Do take this calendar along to see the doctor who can then objectively determine the severity of the problem. 

Are there any signs/symptoms that indicate that the heavy menstruation may be serious?

Heavy periods over many cycles can eventually cause anaemia. A woman with anaemia may complain of feeling lethargic and giddy, and be easily short of breath with minimal physical exertion. She may also complain of heart palpitations (subjective sensation of the heart beating very quickly) and in severe cases, chest pain. Women experiencing such symptoms should see a doctor early. As mentioned, irregular or prolonged periods can be indicative of more serious problems and should prompt an early medical consultation.

Ref: Z00

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Heavy Menstruation: Causes and Treatments