How heavy should your period be – and when you must see your GP
BEING a woman is tough, and aunt Flo's monthly visit is one of those things we just have to deal with.
But if you suffer from heavy periods, it can make even the simplest of day-to-day tasks hard to manage.
One woman recently shared online the fact that she has to wear adult nappies due to how heavy her periods are.
TikTok user @ayaxh1 shared how she bleeds through normal pads in minutes, and her last period has lasted six weeks.
In her , which has been viewed over nine million times, she held up the large nappies she wears, in comparison to regular period pads.
She wrote: “Talking about periods should be normalised."
She said: "The amount of blood you lose on your menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, and "heavy" for one woman may be normal for another.
"Losing too much blood can lead to anaemia, which can cause symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness and shortness of breath.
"Heavy bleeding is defined as losing 80ml (which equates to 16 teaspoons) or more blood in each period, having a period that lasts more than 7 days, or both of these factors."
What causes heavy periods?
Sometimes your aunt Flo might just be being difficult, but there could be a more serious issue at bay if you always suffer with heavy periods.
Dr Sarah explained: "Some causes of heavy menstrual bleeding include bleeding disorders, fibroids (growth of tissue on your womb), polyps (growths on the neck of your womb or the inside of your womb), amongst others.
"It's important to see your health professional if your periods are changing or unusual for you, or if they are affecting your day to day life.
"If your bleeding is becoming heavier, you're feeling unwell in yourself, unable to carry out daily activities or your bleeding is irregular, then it's worth seeing your GP to discuss why this is happening and looking at treatment options."
The NHS states that heavy periods can also be caused by endometriosis - where the tissue that lines the womb is found outside the womb, such as in the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Although official guidance states that this condition is more likely to cause painful periods.
The 4 reasons you should go to a doctor if you're suffering from heavy periods
Dr Sarah Welsh highlights the reasons you should go to the doctor if you're periods are heavy
- If you're bleeding gets heavier than it usually is
- Feeling unwell in yourself
- Irregular bleeding
- Not being able to carry out daily activities
NHS guidance also highlights pelvic inflammatory disease, cancer of the womb and underactive thyroid gland as reasons as to why your periods could be heavy.
Medical treatments can also cause your periods to be heavy and these include some medicines used for chemotherapy, some herbal supplements and devices such as the coil.
Dr Shree Datta gynaecologist for wellbeing brand INTIMINA said: "Treatments for heavy periods really depends on what's causing the change in your bleeding. Common reasons for getting heavier periods include having fibroids or polyps in your womb, endometriosis, PCOS or pelvic infection.
"In a small cohort of women, heavy periods can be caused by cancer. Your Gynaecologist will investigate your symptoms by requesting blood tests and an ultrasound in order to find what's causing your symptoms and addressing any problem found.
"Depending on what these test results show, you may need further investigations - for example, a hysteroscopy to look inside your womb or a biopsy."
She added that you will also be checked for anaemia.
Dr Shree added: "Once we know what the problem is, we can treat it accordingly - for example, medication to reduce how heavy your periods are or surgery to remove polyps or fibroids.
"Don't forget medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or poorly controlled diabetes can also affect your periods."
When to see a doc
Dr Sarah explained what you need to look out for if you think you're heavy periods could be a sign of an underlying health condition.
She said you need to get help: "If your period lasts more than seven days, you soak through your pad or tampon every few hours (also known as 'flooding'), you pass large (3cm+) clots or if you have pain in your lower abdomen and back.
"Feeling generally unwell is also something that heavy menstrual bleeding can cause, including feeling tired, dizzy, short of breath and sometimes causing poor memory.
"These things can really affect your life as a whole and could be a sign that you're losing too much blood, and have anaemia."
One expert previously warned how women who suffer from painful and heavy periods could be at risk of varicose veins in their pelvic area
Many people are familiar with enlarged, swollen and dark purple veins on their legs, but experts have now warned that similar veins can also be present in the lower abdomen.
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS) is created when increased blood pressure blows out the valves in the veins.
This affects blood flow, which then starts to pool in the affected vein - which leads to PCS.
Dr Sriram Narayana, vascular and endovascular surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital’s The Harley Street Heart and Vascular Centre said it’s a painful condition and that symptoms can be mistaken for a range of issues such as constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Narayanan said it can take several years for this to be diagnosed.
He said an important clue is visible varicose veins in the upper thigh area.
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“Those with varicose veins high up in the thighs, groin and vulvar region, and at the back of the thighs have a higher chance of having PCS.
“In most cases, varicose veins of the leg tend to improve in the months after delivery as may the veins in the pelvis. However, in many others, the dilated veins persist both in the legs and in the pelvis.”