HEAVY PERIODS

What are they?

Women who lose more than 80ml (about 16 teaspoonfuls) of blood during each period are said to suffer from heavy periods. Women with normal periods lose less than 40ml (eight teaspoonfuls) per period. In the UK, one in 20 women aged between 25 and 44 will see their GP complaining of heavy periods. However, fewer than half these women will have truly heavy periods.

It is quite difficult to know whether your period is heavy because heavy bleeding for one woman may be normal for another. However, if you pass large clots, have to use tampons as well as towels or have to change your protection more than twice an hour you are most likely to be having heavy periods.

Who gets them?

In many women, the cause of heavy periods is never found. On the other hand, some women will have heavy periods because of fibroids (swellings in the womb), a coil (used for contraception) or an underactive thyroid gland. There are other causes, but these are much more rare. Overweight women are also more likely to suffer from heavy periods.

When do I contact my GP?

• If you are passing large clots, using lots of tampons or towels or are flooding;
• If you get bleeding or spotting in between your normal periods;
• If you get bleeding after intercourse;
• If you have started to bleed again after reaching the menopause;
• If you feel tired or faint;
• If your periods have suddenly become heavy;
• If your periods are interfering with your life.

What is the treatment?

• Iron tablets maybe needed to treat anaemia;
• Non-hormonal tablets to cut down the flow of blood - taken around the time of your period;
• Hormonal tablets to take for part of the month to cut down the amount of blood lost;
• The oral contraceptive pill - it makes periods generally lighter and less painful.

If these methods do not work your GP may refer you to a specialist for further tests and treatment. This might eventually involve an operation to remove the lining of the womb or a hysterectomy - removal of the womb altogether.

How to help yourself

• Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of iron-rich foods such as red meat, milk, eggs and broccoli;
• Rest in bed when you have a heavy period, especially if you are getting flooding;
• Keep a diary of your periods, including a record of the number of days of bleeding and the number of tampons or towels used per day;
• Take the tablets from your doctor exactly as directed. Many hormonal tablets take about a month to start working, so be patient. Your GP may give you three months' trial treatment and then see you again.