Menorrhagia - Everything About It!

Menorrhagia is menstrual condition characterized by an abnormal loss of blood or heavy, prolonged bleeding. Although heavy bleeding is not uncommon in premenopausal women, menorrhagia is a severe condition which generally interferes with your daily activities. If your vagina bleeds irregularly or between periods, in addition to such heavy bleeding that at least one pad or tampon gets soaked every few hours, it is highly recommended that you seek medical attention.

Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of menorrhagia include:

1. Soaking through more than one tampon or sanitary pad for every few hours
2. The need to use double sanitary protection
3. Heavy bleeding for weeks on end
4. The need to wake up at night to change your sanitary protection
5. Restriction of daily activities due to heavy menstrual flow
6. Symptoms of fatigue, such as excessive tiredness as well as shortness of breath

Causes:

Although the exact causes are unknown, here are a few causes that may be responsible:

1. Hormonal imbalance is when there is an hormone imbalance, the endometrium develops in excess and sheds away with menstruation
2. In Ovary dysfunction, if your ovaries do not ovulate, your body won't be able to produce the hormone progesterone resulting in a hormonal imbalance problem which may lead to menorrhagia
3. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors which start appearing in your childbearing years
4. Polyps are small benign growths found on the uterine lining
5. Adenomyosis occurs when your glands from the endometrium becomes embedded in the uterine muscle
6. By using Intrauterine device (IUD) menorrhagia may occur as a side-effect
7. Pregnancy complications, for instance, an ectopic pregnancy can cause it
8. Inherited bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease
9. Certain medications like anti-inflammatory drugs
10. Other medical conditions, like pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis

Treatment:

Treatment for menorrhagia depends on a number of factors like the cause and severity of the condition, or your tolerance for specific therapies or medications.

Some drug therapies for menorrhagia include:

1. Iron supplements
2. Tranexamic acid
3. Oral progesterone
4. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
5. Oral contraceptives
6. Hormonal IUD

If drug therapy is ineffective, other treatment options may include:

1. Dilation and curettage
2. Focused ultrasound ablation
3. Uterine artery embolization
4. Endometrial ablation
5. Myomectomy
6. Endometrial resection
7. Hysterectomy