When is heavy menstrual bleeding dangerous

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Updated July 30, Bleeding disorders in women. Updated December 2, Anemia screening. Updated May 10, Herbal medicines in idiopathic heavy menstrual bleeding: a systematic review. Phytother Res. Effect of ginger Zingiber officinale on heavy menstrual bleeding: a placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The effect of plantain syrup on heavy menstrual bleeding: A randomized triple blind clinical trial. Effects of anemia and iron deficiency on quality of life in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. Merck Manual Consumer Version. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. Feb Merck Manual Professional Version. Vaginal Bleeding. Mar Your Privacy Rights. Some women lose much more blood. Bleeding more than a litre each month has been recorded, but this is very unusual. Regular heavy periods with no other bleeding during the cycle are not normally associated with significant disease in young women.

Irregular heavy periods and bleeding between periods or after sexual intercourse may indicate a serious condition. Other symptoms to watch out for include prolonged periods, tiredness, light headedness, poor sleep patterns and breathlessness.

Although in most cases irregular periods do not indicate a serious condition, it is always wise to seek advice from your GP. It is often not easy to know whether your periods are heavier than other women or not. Measuring blood loss during menstrual period is not easy either.

Hence blood loss during menstrual period is considered heavy if it causes one or more of the following:. In cases of abnormal bleeding it is important to discover if there is any underlying problem in the pelvis. This is done by means of a simple pelvic examination. The doctor inspects the vulva, vagina and cervix neck of the uterus to make sure there is no abnormality that could account for the bleeding. At the same time the doctor can check for signs of other conditions such as fibroids or endometriosis.

A blood test is often performed to check for anaemia. Here are some signs that menstrual bleeding may be too heavy, and that you should call the doctor:.

There are many reasons why girls may have heavy periods. The most common reason is simply that the body is just getting started and getting regulated. If that is the case, it usually gets better with time. After listening to the story and doing a physical examination, the doctor generally will do some screening blood tests. Basic tests recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists include a complete blood count and some tests to look for bleeding problems.

In retrospect, there is often a history of easy bruising and bleeding, or a family history of heavy periods or other bleeding. In most cases, doctors will also do a pregnancy test.

This may seem like a strange or silly test to do in a young teenager, but pregnancy can cause heavy bleeding — and the reality is that we can never entirely know everything about the lives of young girls. There are many other causes of heavy periods. The treatment of heavy periods depends on the cause — and on whether the bleeding is bad enough to cause anemia.

Occasionally, more is needed. If there are any warning signs, or if you have any questions, call your doctor. Menorrhagia may decrease iron levels enough to increase the risk of iron deficiency anemia. Signs and symptoms include pale skin, weakness and fatigue. Although diet plays a role in iron deficiency anemia, the problem is complicated by heavy menstrual periods.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. More Information Blood clots during menstruation: A concern? Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Fibroid locations Open pop-up dialog box Close. Fibroid locations There are three major types of uterine fibroids. Uterine polyps Open pop-up dialog box Close. Uterine polyps Uterine polyps attach to your uterus by a large base or a thin stalk and can grow to be several centimeters in size.

Adenomyosis Open pop-up dialog box Close. Adenomyosis With adenomyosis, the same tissue that lines the uterus endometrial tissue is present within and grows into the muscular walls of your uterus. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor