Heavy periods affect around a quarter of women – and they can have a devastating affect emotional, social and physical wellbeing.
Getting effective treatment is a challenge – with many women even turning to hysterectomy in a desperate bid to end the pain and discomfort.
But the first nationally agreed standard of look after managing heavy menstrual bleeding, invented by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Clinical, recommends that a range of gentler treatments need to be offered to women before hysterectomy.
“Hysterectomy was one of the few sources of women with heavy menstrual bleeding, but researchers have shown several less invasive treatment solutions,” says Professor Anne Duggan, the Commission’s senior medical advisor.
But the sheer number of hysterectomies being performed nationwide for heavy periods suggest other treatments may not be as widely as they quite simply could be, business women may not definitely be fully concious of other options.
What is heavy menstrual bleeding?
Heavy periods contain losing much more than five to six tablespoons of blood, passing clots bigger than a 50c coin, or trying to change a pad or tampon every hour, while using Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Bleeding for more than eight days per month is also a sign of heavy menstrual bleeding.
Heavy period causes
Heavy monthly bleeding could be caused by fibroids – benign growths in your uterus, and polyps that happen to be small tissue growths from the uterus lining.
A thickening in the lining for the uterus, hormonal changes during perimenopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome or an underactive thyroid might also lead to heavy periods.
To what is cause a doctor or specialist will examine the cervix also as an ultrasound from the uterus and ovaries are usually necesary to identify polyps or fibroids.
A hysteroscopy to check the inside of the uterus can be recommended.
Treatment methods for heavy periods
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Written by Sarah Marinos.
