Prolonged Periods: Causes, Signs, Treatment Options

Prolonged periods are defined as those that last for more than 10 days or have a heavy level of bleeding, which can be causes by numerous conditions. Medical treatment might be essential to deduce and deal with the reason for prolonged periods.

The majority of women pass roughly 40 mL of blood in a 3 to seven day period during their duration. The actual length and thickness of the circulation will vary from female to lady, however the basic symptoms related to their period should continue to be constant from month to month. The timing between durations (around 21 to 35 days) must likewise stay consistent if the menstruation is healthy.

Abnormal durations can handle a couple of different qualities. Women who often suffer from identifying between their regular period are considered to have abnormal periods. This also uses to those that do not have a constant menstruation. This might be referred to as menorrhagia.

Women might also struggle with excessive bleeding during their menstrual cycle, which can be considered an unusual condition. This condition might likewise be used to explain those that have extended bleeding that lasts longer than the average menstrual cycle. Some women might suffer from chronic bleeding for more than 6 months.

Symptoms and Complications of Prolonged Periods

Long term bleeding can be specified by a variety of symptoms. Those who keep in mind these symptoms taking place might have to see a doctor to help relieve their distress.

Extreme bleeding at night. You may find yourself needing to wake up during the night to alter your pad in order to avoid leaking.

Needing double security. Patients may not have the ability to manage their circulation with one tampon or sanitary napkin. You might find yourself using among each or wearing two pads to attempt to manage the bleeding.
Soaking through your protection quickly. You may need to alter your tampon or pad more than once in an hour because they have actually been soaked through.
Long term bleeding. Bleeding lasts for longer than one week when you reach your menstrual cycle.

Other signs that you are dealing with an abnormal period come from the complications that arise from your condition.

Anemia. Constant bleeding or heavy bleeding can leave the body starved for iron. Anemia can also cause shortness of breath, tiredness or make you tire quickly.
Limitation of daily activities. You may find that you do not have the energy to complete your daily schedule. You may also need to restrict your activities to handle the bleeding without leaks.

Passing blood clots. As you alter your sanitary napkin you might notice a number of big clots in the blood.
Pain. You may experience dysmenorrhea, or excessively painful cramping that limit your capability to move as quickly during your menstruation.

Causes of Prolonged Periods

A variety of conditions can add to an unusual menstruation. Your doctor can carry out an assessment or tests that will assist you figure out which may be causing your pain.

Information verified by the iytmed.com team.

Adenomyosis. This is triggered by glands in the endometrium becoming ingrained in the muscles of the uterus, which is more common in middle aged women who have actually experienced childbirth.
Cancer. Uterine, cervical and ovarian cancer can cause excessive or irregular bleeding to occur.
Dysfunction of the ovaries. If the ovaries are not operating correctly it can cause a reduction in progesterone levels, resulting in heavy bleeding.

Intrauterine device (IUD). Excessive menstrual bleeding can be triggered by the insertion or management of an IUD.
Hormonal imbalance. The hormones that help balance and manage your menstruation are not at the right levels to keep healthy bleeding.
Inherited bleeding conditions. Coagulation conditions that modify the blood clotting mechanisms in the body can result in unusual durations.

Pregnancy complications. If the heavy bleeding all of a sudden starts or happens just once it can be a sign that you are dealing with an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage.
Medications. Medications that enhance your risk of bleeding can likewise have an effect on the menstruation.
Polyps. Small developments on the lining of the uterus normally occur during reproductive age, causing excessively high hormone levels.

Uterine fibroids. Tumors on the uterus appear during childbearing years and can increase the seriousness of your menstrual cycle.

Other risk factors that could add to heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding include thyroid problems, liver disease, kidney disease, pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis.

Treatments for Prolonged Periods

If you are handling irregular vaginal bleeding, bleeding that occurs after you have actually experienced menopause or bleeding that is so severe that it soaks through your tampon or pad in less than an hour you will need to look for medical assistance. This is particularly essential if your heavy bleeding lasts for a number of hours at a time.

Medications

Medications are regularly used to assist managed durations that are not acting the method they should. First your doctor will carry out a test to make sure that there are no underlying conditions that could be adding to your condition. You might require antibiotics to improve an infection that is triggering your body to bleed excessively. Prostaglandin inhibitors are frequently used to assist manage your menstruation better. If you have actually been using contraception you might have to switch your prescription. Those not utilizing contraceptives are frequently given birth control to assist control their menstrual cycle better.

Surgery

In the event of a severe condition, you might need surgery to remove your pain. Among the most typical procedures is a dilatation and curettage or D&C. This enables the doctor to dilate the cervix and carefully scrape away the lining. You may likewise need to have surgery to get rid of fibroids, polyps, an ectopic pregnancy or growths. In severe scenarios a hysterectomy might be necessary to relieve a major disease such as cancer that can be causing your abnormal or extreme bleeding.

Prolonged Periods with heavy bleeding and blood clots

Menorrhagia is menstrual bleeding that lasts more than 7 days. It can likewise be bleeding that is very heavy. How do you understand if you have heavy bleeding? If you have to change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours or you pass embolisms the size of a quarter or larger, that is heavy bleeding. If you have this type of bleeding, you should see a doctor.

Signs

You may have menorrhagia if you:

Have a menstrual circulation that soaks through several pads or tampons every hour for numerous hours in a row.
Need to double up on pads to manage your menstrual flow.

Had to alter pads or tampons during the night.
Have menstrual durations lasting more than 7 days.
Have a menstrual circulation with embolism the size of a quarter or larger.

Have a heavy menstrual circulation that keeps you from doing the important things you would do normally.
Have constant pain in the lower part of the stomach during your periods.
Are worn out, do not have energy, or are short of breath.

Treatment for heavy bleeding during periods

The kind of treatment you get will depend on the cause of your bleeding and how major it is. Your doctor also will look at things such as your age, general health, and case history; how well you react to specific medications, procedures, or treatments; and your wants and requires. For instance, some women do not wish to have a period, some wish to know when they can normally expect to have their period, and some desire simply to reduce the quantity of bleeding. Some women wish to ensure they can still have children in the future. Others want to reduce the pain more than they want to lower the quantity of bleeding. Some treatments are continuous and others are done one time. You ought to discuss all of your choices with your doctor to choose which is best for you. Following is a list of the more typical treatments.

Drug Therapy

Iron supplements. To get more iron into your blood to help it carry oxygen if you reveal signs of anemia.
Ibuprofen (Advil). To assist reduce pain, menstrual cramps, and the quantity of bleeding. In some women, NSAIDS can increase the risk of bleeding.

Birth control pills. To help make durations more routine and reduce the quantity of bleeding.
Intrauterine contraception (IUC). To help make periods more regular and minimize the quantity of bleeding through drug-releasing devices positioned into the uterus.
Hormone therapy (drugs that contain estrogen and/or progesterone). To minimize the quantity of bleeding.
Desmopressin Nasal Spray. To stop bleeding in individuals who have particular bleeding conditions, such as von Willebrand disease and moderate hemophilia, by launching a clotting protein or “aspect”, saved in the lining of the capillary that helps the blood to clot and briefly increasing the level of these proteins in the blood.

Antifibrinolytic medicines (tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid). To decrease the quantity of bleeding by stopping an embolism from breaking down once it has actually formed.

Surgical Treatment

Dilation and Curettage (D&C). A procedure in which the leading layer of the uterus lining is removed to decrease menstrual bleeding. This procedure may need to be repeated gradually.
Operative hysteroscopy. A surgical procedure, utilizing an unique tool to see the inside of the uterus, that can be used to help eliminate polyps and fibroids, appropriate abnormalities of the uterus, and remove the lining of the uterus to manage heavy menstrual circulation.

Endometrial ablation or resection. Two types of surgeries using various techniques where all or part of the lining of the uterus is removed to manage menstrual bleeding. While some patients will stop having menstrual periods entirely, others might remain to have durations but the menstrual flow will be lighter than in the past. Although the procedures do not eliminate the uterus, they will avoid women from having children in the future.
Hysterectomy. A significant operation needing hospitalization that involves surgically removing the entire uterus. After having this procedure, a lady can no longer become pregnant and will stop having her duration.

Menorrhagia is common among women. However, many women do not understand that they can get help for it. Others do not get help because they are too embarrassed to talk with a doctor about their problem. Talking honestly with your doctor is extremely important in making certain you are detected correctly and get the right treatment for prolonged periods, heavy bleeding with blood clots.