Hypermenorrhea: What is it? | Heavy or Prolonged Bleeding

Are you looking for some information about a heavy and/or long period? Then keep on reading for all the details you need to know about what’s officially known an hypermenorrhea.

Overview of Hypermenorrhea

Hypermenorrhea, also known as menorrhagia, is a menstrual period with abnormally heavy and/or prolonged bleeding. Sometimes women can naturally bleed more than others, but heavy bleeding is usually when there are serious fertility or health problems present.

During menstruation, the average blood loss is usually around 30 to 40 milliliters, which is equal to 2 or 3 tablespoons over a 4 or 5 day cycle. This usually requires changing your pad or tampon every 6-8 hours. Or, emptying a menstrual cup 2-3x a day.

Hypermenorrhea: Definition

But with Hypermenorrhea, or Menorrhagia, there are 80 milliliters lost in a single cycle, which is twice the regular amount.

This kind of flow can last more than a week and requires the affected woman to change her tampon or pad every 2 hours or perhaps even more.

A common question that your doctor will ask is how often you have to change your tampon. If it’s every hour or two for multiples times in a row, you may be diagnosed with this condition.

You may also experience a very heavy flow with clots. If the clots are larger than the size of a quarter, you might considered to have a very heavy flow

One of the Most Common Menstrual Conditions

It’s one of the most commonly known and reported gynecologic complaints. An underlying cause cannot be identified with in more than half of the affected women, but it can nevertheless be a serious problem.

Hypermenorrhea vs  Menorrhagia

What is the difference between these two conditions? There actually isn’t any! They are two names for the same thing—very heavy and/or prolonged bleeding.

Causes of Very Heavy and/or Prolonged Bleeding

There are a number of reasons why you might have heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding. We’ll give you a few of the most common ones here:

Anovulation (lacking an egg)

Hypermenorrhea can occur when a menstrual cycle does not produce an egg, hence resulting in a hormonal imbalance. Any menstrual cycle that lacks ovulation, which is also known as anovulation, are common with those who:

• Have recently started menstruating
• Are about to reach menopause age

Other reasons for this disorder are:

Hormone imbalance and Heavy Periods

Usually, the balance between progesterone and the hormones estrogen is supposed to regulate the buildup of the lining of the uterus (endometrium). But with a hormone imbalance, endometrium can develop in excess that will cause it to shed because of heavy bleeding.

Hormone imbalance can be caused by a number of conditions such as obesity, thyroid problems, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance.

It can also be caused by fluctuating hormones during perimenopause (the time leading up to menopause).

Uterine fibroids

They can cause a longer and heavier than normal menstrual bleeding. These are benign (non-cancerous) tumors can happen during childbearing years.

Ovarian dysfunction

If the ovaries do not release an egg during menstruation, your body is unable to make hormone progesterone, thereby causing a hormone imbalance.

Adenomyosis

The endometrium glands get embedded in the uterine muscle.

Uterine polyps

These are non-cancerous growths that can lead to higher hormone levels.

Endometrial Hyperplasia

This condition is an overgrowth in the uterine lining. When you menstruate, the volume of the uterine lining is greater, which may mean a heavier period.

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

This device is used for birth control, but can lead to heavier-than-normal bleeding. Go check up with your doctor to plan for better management options.

High-capacity menstrual cups are a much better way to deal with a very heavy period than tampons. Check out some of our top picks here:

The Best High-Capacity Menstrual Cups

Best Overall	Most Affordable	Newest High Capacity Cup
Super Jennie	Anigan Eva Cup	XO Flo
42 ml capacity	37 ml capacity	38 ml capacity
Check Prices	Check Prices	Check Prices

Infections of the Pelvis

For example, Chlamydia (an STI) can lead to heavier than normal bleeding.

Cancer

Cervical, ovarian and uterine cause menstrual bleeding in excess, especially if you previously had an abnormal Pap test or if you are postmenopausal.

Pregnancy complications

Miscarriages might cause a late, heavy period. A placenta previa or a a low-lying placenta is another reason for heavy menstrual bleeding during pregnancy.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

When reproductive organs are infected, they can cause numerous severe complications.

Inherited bleeding disorders

Among the many disorders in this include a platelet function disorder or the Von Willebrand’s disease.

Medications that can cause Heavy Bleeding

Medications that can cause heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding include anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory drugs, and hormonal medications like progestins and estrogen.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows in other places, namely the other female reproductive organs. One of the most common symptoms is pain, but heavy bleeding can also occur.

Learn more about Endometriosis.

Bleeding Disorders

People that have bleeding disorders have a hard time with clotting. This can lead to very heavy periods that may be part menstrual fluid, and part just bleeding.

Other Medical Conditions

Other medical conditions that cause include liver or kidney disease, and thyroid disorders.

Learn more about Abnormal Menstruation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0qQiYXg7sA

Symptoms of Hypermenorrhea

Symptoms or signs that indicate you have menorrhagia could be any of these:

• Heavy bleeding that requires using double sanitary protection.
• Heavy vaginal bleeding which causes one or more sanitary pads or tampons to be saturated every hour.
• Constantly changing period products in the middle of the night.
• Quarter or larger sized blood clot passages.
• Menstrual bleeding that lasts for more than a week.
• Unable to perform daily activities due to bleeding.
• Persistent pelvic or lower abdominal pain.
• Experience symptoms of anemia such as fatigue, tiredness and shortness of breath.

Along with heavy bleeding, there may be additional symptoms:

• Pain, especially if caused by an IUD
• Excessive facial hair, if caused by a hormonal imbalance
• Milk secretion, if caused by a pituitary tumour
• Excessive bruising, if the cause if a bleeding disorder

Basically, if your menstrual bleeding gets in the way of your social, physical or emotional well-being, then you must seek immediate medical aid.

Treatment for Very Heavy Periods

So, you want to learn how to make your period lighter? Your first stop should be your doctor’s office! Here are some of the treatments available, but of course, which one is right for you depends on the cause of your heavy bleeding.

There are several ways to treat menorrhagia, such as:

• Lysteda or tranexamic acid, which is taken during bleeding to prevent blood loss.
• Iron supplements that help treat anemia.
• Oral progesterone to reduce bleeding and treat hormonal imbalance.
• Oral contraceptives to reduce quantity of bleeding and duration as well as regulate the menstrual cycle.
• Hormonal IUD to decrease cramping and bleeding and thin the uterus lining.
• You could also consider some home remedies for menstrual disorders.

For those who have a bleeding disorder such as mild hemophilia or von Willebrand’s disease, use Stimate or Desmopressin nasal spray to boost the levels of blood-clotting proteins.

To treat dysmenorrhea or menstrual cramps and decrease blood loss, use Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as Advil or ibuprofen. Be advised that NSAIDS can also increase the risk of bleeding. You should undertake this treatment only on the advice of your doctor.

Of course, please check with your doctor for the best course of treatment for your specific situation. Treatment for Hypermenorrhea depends largely on the underlying cause of it.

What are the Symptoms of Low Iron?

If you suffer from Hypermenorrhea, then it’s not uncommon to also have low iron levels, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian. Some of the most common symptoms include the following:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Pale skin
• Dizziness
• Cold hands and feet

The good news is that low iron levels is easy to diagnose with a quick trip to the doctor for a blood test. Treatment usually involves iron supplements, but they are serious stuff so should only be taken on the advice of a doctor.

Surgical Procedures

If medical therapy has been unsuccessful, then you have to opt for surgical procedures to treat menorrhagia.

• Uterine artery embolization can treat fibroids by blocking the arteries where the blood goes to them.
• Dilation and curettage (D&C) can scrape the lining of the uterus.
• Focused ultrasound ablation can kill fibroid tissue with its ultrasonic waves.
• Hysteroscopy is a procedure in which a camera is inserted into the uterus to assist surgeons in the removal of polyps, fibroids and the uterus lining.
• Endometrial ablation completely eliminates the lining of the uterus.
• Myomectomy involves the removal of fibroids through an an open abdominal incision, numerous small abdominal incisions or through the vagina or cervix.
• Hysterectomy is the removal of the cervix, uterus or at times, the ovaries.
• Endometrial resection removes the lining of the uterus by with an electrosurgical wire loop.

These procedures will be applied depending on the cause and extent of the condition, the health and age of the patient, as well as their personal expectations and preferences.

Diagnosis

Upon visiting your doctor, they will ask you several questions before conducting a physical examination.

These are the tests that will help identify if you have menorrhagia:

• Pap smear to check for cervical inflammation, infection, cancer and dysplasia.
• Blood tests to look for disorders such as thyroid disease, anemia and clotting disorders.
• Ultrasound to inspect the pelvic organs like the ovaries, pelvic and uterus.
• Endometrial biopsy to evaluate the uterine lining for cellular abnormalities and cancer.
• Hysteroscopy, which involves inserting a camera into the uterus to check the lining.
• Sonohysterogram, in which a fluid is instilled into the uterus and then ultrasound to check for uterus abnormalities.
• Dilation and curettage can be used to inspect abnormalities and as a surgical treatment.

You can also keep a period diary to document the duration and heaviness of your menstruation to assist in the diagnosis.

Your doctor will likely ask you the following questions:

• How often do you change your tampon or pad? If it’s every hour or two multiple times in a row, you are considered to have a very heavy period.
• How many days do you bleed for? Longer than 7 might be a problem.
• Do you pass blood clots? If they’re larger than a quarter, you may be diagnosed with Hypermenorrhea.
• Is your heavy period a new phenomenon, or has it been ongoing for years?

How to Track your Heavy Periods

If you suspect that you may be suffering from Hypermenorrhea, you may want to know how much you’re actually bleeding. Pads and tampons aren’t really the best way to find this out because it’s hard to know if they’re fully saturated, or not.

A menstrual cup can be a better option. Many of them have measuring marks on them to make it easy to measure the volume of your period.

Learn more here: How to Track your Period. Or, check out some of our top picks for high-capacity menstrual cups here:

The Best High-Capacity Menstrual Cups

Best Overall	Most Affordable	Newest High Capacity Cup
Super Jennie	Anigan Eva Cup	XO Flo
42 ml capacity	37 ml capacity	38 ml capacity
Check Prices	Check Prices	Check Prices

How to Stop Hypermenorrhea? 

Is there medicine to stop periods after it has started? The easy answer is no! Remember that menstruation is the bodies way of shedding the lining of the uterus. You don’t want this stuff hanging around because it can lead to some bigger problems later.

If you’re currently experiencing a very heavy flow, there is essentially no home remedies you can use to stop it immediately. Nor is there medicine you can find at the pharmacy.

Please make an appointment with your doctor to explore things like hormonal imbalances, fibroids, recent IUD insertion, etc. You may be able to reduce your very heavy periods in the ensuing months.

If your flow is extremely heavy and you’re feeling weak, dizzy or faint, see a doctor for immediate treatment. Something may not be right.

How to Deal with Heavy Periods

If you have very heavy periods that require doubling up on pads and tampons, you may be looking for a better solution.

The best advice we can give you is to visit your doctor. As you can see, there are various treatment options, depending on the cause of your heavy, or prolonged periods.

Beyond that, consider using a menstrual cup. A jumbo tampon holds 10 ml, while the average cup can hold 30 ml. That’s a game-changer.

3x more capacity equals 3x less period stress.

Beyond that, menstrual cups are far cheaper than tampons, better for the environment, and also come with a much lower risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

One of the menstrual cups that we recommend is the Saalt Cup. It’s new to the menstrual cup scene, but it’s quickly becoming a cup that people love. It has excellent user ratings and reviews over on Amazon.

You can check out this popular period cup for yourself over on Amazon:

Hypermenorrhea Pronunciation

Why is my Period So Heavy this Month?

If you normally have light-average period, but you suddenly have a very heavy period, it’s a cause for concern.

For example, if you normally change your tampon or pad every 5-6 hours, but suddenly have to do it every 1-2 hours, you should see your doctor.

Any sort of changes in your cycle require a visit to the doctor. These changes could include a heavier, or lighter flow, longer or shorter one, or a different length of time between periods.

There are some simple explanations for this kind of thing like stress, or changes in exercise patterns, but also some serious underlying conditions that can cause this kind of thing.

So, if your period is way heavier than normal this month, please make an appointment to see your doctor!

Menorrhagia Home Remedies

Do you want to make your period flow lighter, without all the medications?

Your first stop for a very heavy period should be your doctor’s office. They have, by far, the most effective treatment options. Many of the home remedies involve adding more iron to your body, which treats the symptoms of Hypermenorrhea, but not the underlying condition.

That said, are there any home remedies that you can try for Menorrhagia? Let’s find out!

You can try things like staying hydrated, eating foods rich in Vitamin C, putting more iron into your diet, or cooking in a cast-iron pot.

For more details, check this out: Home Remedies.

Hypermenorrhea: Have your Say

Any questions or thoughts about this? Leave a comment below and let us know. Also be sure to share this article on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.