What do your menstrual cycles feel like? Do you bleed so much that you must change your pad and tampon almost every hour? Do you notice large blood clots larger than a quarter? Does your bleeding affect your usual activities, and do you dread every hour of your period because of this much blood loss? Hawthorne heavy bleeding is characterized by extremely heavy and long periods where you lose more blood than in a typical menstrual cycle. Heavy menstrual bleeding may require medical intervention to avoid complications like anemia. Here is a discussion of six known causes of heavy menstrual bleeding.
Hormonal Imbalance
During a normal menstrual period, your estrogen and progesterone hormones balance to regulate the buildup of your endometrium. You shed your endometrium lining during menstruation. However, if you have a hormonal imbalance, you develop excess endometrium, which eventually sheds during your menstrual bleeding. As a result, you will have heavy menstrual bleeding. Hormonal imbalances can result from PCOS, thyroid problems, anovulation, and insulin resistance.
Uterine Polyps
Your uterus can develop polyps when your endometrium lining overgrows. Usually, uterine polyps are noncancerous but can develop into cancerous polyps. Uterine polyps can cause your uterine cells to grow improperly, leading to heavy menstrual bleeding. Although common in women who have completed menopause, you can develop them at a young age too. Uterine polyps can cause very heavy periods and bleeding between periods.
Cancerous Growths
The most common form of uterine cancer is endometrial cancer which begins in your endometrium. Usually, it results in heavy menstrual bleeding. Also, cancers affecting your reproductive system, like cervical and uterine cancers, may lead to heavy menstrual bleeding. Heavy menstrual bleeding may also be common with these cancers if you are approaching menopause and have previous abnormal Pap test results.
Bleeding Disorders
You have a bleeding disorder when it is difficult to stop bleeding. After getting hurt, platelets and clotting factors help you stop bleeding quickly. However, if you have a bleeding disorder, your clotting factors do not produce enough platelets making it easy to bleed too much during normal body functions like menstrual periods. Your menstrual bleeding may go on for too long beyond the normal days.
Thyroid Problems
You can have irregularities in your menstrual cycle because of thyroid problems. Since the thyroid also produces hormones, it can interact with your reproductive hormones and cause unusual menstrual symptoms. Your thyroid gland can produce too little hormone and result in hypothyroidism which can cause heavy and frequent menstrual bleeding.
Medications
You will likely develop heavy menstrual bleeding from using certain medications. Such medications include blood thinners, aspirin, hormone replacement therapy, intrauterine devices, birth control pills, and breast cancer medications. Failure to remove contraceptive devices when it is time may also result in heavy and abnormal uterine bleeding.
Heavy periods are common, but they become a concern when you are losing too much blood, not typical of normal menstruation. Heavy menstrual bleeding can also negatively impact your daily life and stop you from doing what you should do. While the condition may not be life-threatening initially, it can be if you continue to lose too much blood at every menstrual cycle.
Several causes can lead to heavy bleeding, including hormonal imbalance, medications, cancers in your reproductive system, and fibroids. Left untreated, heavy bleeding can interfere with daily living and cause other health issues.
