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Heavy Period Symptoms

Even when a period is normal, it can be an annoyance. It requires use of special products and precautions to handle the blood flow. When that flow increases to the point of being exceptionally heavy, it brings special challenges. Some women have heavy period symptoms every month, and they have to juggle management of their symptoms with everyday tasks. This can pose a challenge, but there are some treatments to help reduce the flow.

  1. Amount

    • A heavy period is defined as one in which a woman bleeds so much that it interferes with her activities. The flow might be so heavy that she has trouble controlling it with regular women's hygiene products. She might avoid going out because of the fear of leaking. The blood flow might be heavy through the duration of the period or it might come in waves.

    Time Frame

    • Heavy periods typically last eight to 10 days. According to Netdoctor, an online health site, blood clots might present for two or more days during this span. In order to be considered heavy, these long periods should occur consistently during several months.

    Effects

    • Heavy periods can also be defined by their effects on a woman's health. Netdoctor warns that women who suffer from heavy periods could become anemic from the excessive blood loss. If you consistently have periods with a heavy flow that last for a week or longer, you could be at risk. Folic acid or iron supplements can keep the anemia under control.

    Treatment

    • Often heavy periods are not caused by an underlying medical condition so they do not need to be treated unless they are interfering with a woman's life. In younger women, heavy periods often stop on their own because of self-correcting hormone imbalances. Birth control pills could decrease the blood flow, and nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to reduce it by about 33 percent, according to Netdoctor. If there is a medical problem such as fibroids or endometriosis, treating it can alleviate the heavy bleeding.

    Warning

    • If you are age 45 or older and suddenly start having heavy periods, you should make an appointment to see your doctor. Even though heavy periods are not usually associated with other medical problems, the likelihood of an underlying disease decreases as a woman ages.

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