Heavy Periods? Check with Your Physician

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Women with abnormally heavy and painful menstruation should not ignore the issue.

Most women experience a period that lasts two to seven days and expel two to three tablespoons of blood over that timeframe.

Minimal cramping or managing cramping with over-the-counter medication is normal. However, extremely painful, debilitating cramps are not. The latter can cause women to take sick leave.

“Woman having heavy periods is often normalized and diminished by not only friends and family, but also providers,” said Olivia Higgins, a physician with Rochester Regional Health. “It’s important to address because it can not only impact that individual’s quality of life, ability to go to work, and ability to participate in life, but can also impact health.”

For example, extreme bleeding can cause iron deficiency or chronic anemia. Women may experience chronic fatigue. It can even cause issues with mental health and cognition.

Many women delay seeking help for heavy periods. If it’s minimized, they may think they’re “being wimps” for speaking up and asking for help from their healthcare providers. Beyond stoicism, they may also fear a diagnosis of cancer or a disease in their reproductive system. The thought of various treatments may prevent them from seeking help. Higgins said that treatment may include medication, surgery or other interventions.

“We have non-hormonal medication, hormonal medication and more,” said Michelle Chin, a physician with Rochester Regional Health.

As to which is appropriate depends upon other health factors and the patient’s preference.

Heavy periods do not often indicate a serious issue. In fact, “most likely, there’s nothing seriously wrong and there’s a treatment that can give them relief,” said Carol Peterson, a physician and assistant professor at URMC.

“It’s important to pay attention to this because most of us don’t have lifestyles that can sustain four to five days of cramps and misery,” she added.

Very heavy periods could also indicate fibroids, endometriosis or cancer. Even these more serious diagnoses can potentially be treated. But the first step is to seek help from a provider.

“Talk with your doctor and figure out what’s going on,” Peterson said. “You can take medication that help decrease the flow. We have lots of ways to treat heavy periods. You may have a form of hemophilia, which is treated in a different way. Some just have very heavy periods but can be treated.”

For very heavy bleeding, tampons and pads may need changing more than is convenient. Washable period underwear can also provide an additional barrier of protection against leaks.

Menstrual cups and disks require less frequent attention and are reusable, saving money and landfill space. Using a cup can also help women know exactly how much they’re bleeding as some cups include measuring marks. This information can be helpful when talking with a healthcare provider.

Women should discuss with their healthcare provider how to address heavy periods and how treatments relate to their other health concerns and any medications.