At the start of your period, heavy flow is quite common. However, if you have to change the bedsheets the next day because you have bled through the pads or tampons, then it is possible that you have heavy periods. In this case, the extra-absorbent sanitary pads can be helpful.
What is menorrhagia or “heavy period”?
Nowadays, one in five women has menorrhagia or heavy periods. Every woman faces different periods; thus it is a bit tricky to determine which type is the “normal” period. Hence, almost half of the women who are suffering from menorrhagia do not know that they have it.
Though it is better to consult your doctor if you are facing the problems of heavy periods and need the best heavy flow pads, still there are several common signs and symptoms that can help you to know that you have menorrhagia.
Some symptoms are:
- Blood that soaks through more than one pad or tampon per hour.
- Bleeding continuing more than seven days.
- Need double protection from leaking
- Need to change tampon or pad during the night, etc.
Causes of heavy periods
There are several causes of the heavy period, some of those are:
- Hormone imbalance: Too little or too much progesterone and estrogen can be the reason for the heavy period. These hormonal problems can cause the lining of the uterus to thicken.
This thick lining can be shed at the time of menstruation, causing the women to have larger blood clots and heavy periods.
- Changes in life: Excessive stress can be a reason for the heavy period. One can also experience menorrhagia after childbirth or pregnancy.
- Endometriosis: It is a condition that can cause unnatural growth of the lining of the uterus and thus forms polyps. This problem can be another cause of menorrhagia or heavy periods.
- Uterine fibroids: The fibroids are usually non-cancerous and have small growths within the uterus. Sometimes those fibroids can be the reason for your heavy periods, and doctors might recommend removing those as a treatment of your heavy periods.
- Changes in the medication: Sometimes, heavy periods can happen as a side effect of several medicines. Also, changes in birth control can affect your menstrual cycle.
So, in this case, where you notice changes in your menstruation cycle after changing your birth control, it is better to consult your doctor.
The ways to stop heavy periods
If you are using extra-absorbent sanitary pads frequently in a day, then you are suffering from menorrhagia. However, all menorrhagia doesn’t need surgery; here are some other treatment options like:
- Hormone treatments: In case of hormonal imbalances, your doctor may recommend you progesterone pills to stop your heavy bleeding. Those are also useful in thinning the uterine lining and keeping the hormones balanced.
- Over-the-counter medications: Medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen can reduce the pain of menorrhagia and lighten the period. So, you can take these drugs during your period to have good results.
- Changes in diet: Getting a good amount of iron in your diet can help you by reducing your heavy bleeding and preventing the problem of anemia. Eating iron-rich foods like nuts, beans, meat, seeds, seafood, and vegetables. Having foods with vitamin C like broccoli, orange, bell peppers can also help you by absorbing the extra amount of iron in your food.
So, the problems of the heavy period can be avoided by several life changes and good medications. You can also use extra absorbent sanitary pads to avoid staining problems.
