Menorrhagia: how to reduce heavy periods? Video
Menorrhagia (heavy menstruation) is heavy and prolonged bleeding that recurs at regular intervals. Such a diagnosis is made if the period lasts more than seven days, while more than 90-100 ml of blood is released.
Causes and symptoms of menorrhagia
According to doctors, in almost 80% of cases, heavy menstruation is a symptom of serious gynecological diseases: endometriosis or uterine fibroids. They can be caused by a blood clotting disorder (for example, in the case of thrombocytopenia) or by a dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Therefore, with menorrhagia, you should consult not only a gynecologist, but also with other doctors. You should also pay attention to the state of the liver, heart, and the metabolic process.
Menorrhagia can be caused by:
- intrauterine contraceptives
- dysfunctional uterine bleeding
- heavy physical activity
- strict diet
To determine the cause of menorrhagia, the doctor examines, takes a swab from the vagina. If there is a suspicion of uterine fibroids, you will need to undergo an ultrasound
Most often, in addition to profuse bleeding, there are no other symptoms of menorrhagia. An indicator of the volume of blood loss is the frequency of changing the pad or tampon. If you have to change them more often than once an hour, such periods are considered very abundant.
With menorrhagia, you cannot engage in self-selection of drugs, since some of them can worsen the situation. To treat the disease, the doctor usually prescribes oral hormonal contraceptives and anti-inflammatories. Medicines containing estrogen and progesterone prevent anemia. They reduce the volume of menstrual flow, do not allow the lining of the uterus to grow. Anti-inflammatory drugs reduce the duration and severity of bleeding by about 40%. True, in some cases they can irritate the stomach lining. Your doctor may also recommend vitamins that will have a positive effect on your menstrual cycle.
In some cases, menorrhagia is treated only surgically, these are:
- physiological damage or disorders of the genital organs
- recurrent course of hypermenorrhea
- Iron-deficiency anemia
- lack of effect from drug treatment
Most often, surgical treatment of menorrhagia is prescribed for women over 40 years of age.
Two types of surgical procedures are used to treat menorrhagia: hysteroscopy and hysterectomy. Hysteroscopy is an examination of the walls of the uterus with a special device equipped with an optical system. The procedure allows you to diagnose and eliminate violations. It is carried out both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital. The time spent by patients in the hospital after the operation does not exceed a day. The effectiveness of hysteroscopy is 80–85%. A hysterectomy is a surgical removal of the uterus that is performed through the vagina or through a small incision in the abdomen. After the operation, pain, bleeding, worries about a possible pregnancy or illness disappear. Sex drive after hysterectomy does not decrease.
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