WHAT CAN CAUSE HEAVY PERIODS?

 

 

Dr Steven R Goldstein MD, an NYC Gyn and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University School of Medicine, has been in private practice on the East side of Manhattan for over 25 years. Many patients present with heavy periods (heavy bleeding). In contemporary gynecology, heavy bleeding is known as “menorrhagia” or uterine bleeding characterized by excessive flow or long duration. It is defined as more than 80cc or 5 tablespoons in a period or more than the regular number of days.

 

The trouble is, what’s normal for one woman may be excessive for another, and women aren’t measuring their menses in a test tube. If your menses can be dealt with by a super-plus tampon, it’s probably within a normal range. Women who have always had three day periods where they never bled through a sanitary pad or a tampon, and all of a sudden the last two have lasted for seven days, ruining three pairs of pants, this is abnormal for them.

 

If a woman experiences a heavy, clotty bleed, miscarriage is the first thing to rule out. But heavy or prolonged bleeding is very common, and it can come from a host of causes. Fibroid tumors are one cause. Pelvic infection or an IUD that’s gone awry are also reasons for heavy bleeding. Pain in the lower abdomen, pain that came on slowly, is there a fever or discharge from the vagina are all reasons to be concerned.

 

It is also true that a woman can have abnormal bleeding – either heavy or at the wrong time or both – from cancer, hyperplasia, or polyps. Endometriosis, a disease in which the tissue from the lining of the uterus grows in other areas of the pelvis, is a very common cause of heavy and painful bleeding. A dysfunction of the hypothalamus, pituitary, or adrenal glands can cause heavy bleeding. So can thyroid problems.

 

If you are experiencing any of the above, then it is time to see a gynecologist for a thorough evaluation. Dr Goldstein, a NYC Gyn recommends opting for painless, non-invasive Transvaginal Ultrasounds or Sonohysterograms as a first means of diagnosis. Dr Goldstein uses these technologies to see first hand the uterus, uterine lining, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and more in order to properly diagnose the cause of heavy or unscheduled bleeding. Opt for these means of diagnoses first before enduring painful, inaccurate exploratory surgeries.