Menorrhagia

What is Menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia is a menstrual disorder which causes extremely heavy or prolonged blood loss during the menstrual cycles. Heavy menstrual bleeding is normal amongst women who are about to have their menopause. But during Menorrhagia, the bleeding is severe enough to cause unbearable cramps which can interfere with a woman’s daily activities.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of Menorrhagia include:

Anemia
Weakness and fatigue
Soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour
Usage of more than one sanitary pads to control the flow
Needing to change the sanitary protection frequently, especially during the night
Menstrual cycles last for more than a week
Presence of blood clots in the menstrual flow
Inability to complete daily tasks due to heavy bleeding

Causes

Menorrhagia may be caused due to:

Hormonal imbalance
Loss of ovarian function
Presence of fibroids in the uterus
(Small growth on the uterus lining)
Usage of Intrauterine device (IUD)
Pregnancy complications
Uterine cancer
Ovarian cancer
Cervical
Inherited bleeding disorders
Anti-inflammatory medications
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Thyroid problems
Liver or kidney diseases

Risks

Adolescent girls who have just started menstruating and older women about to have menopause are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with Menorrhagia.

Prevention

Menorrhagia can be prevented by adopting a healthy and active lifestyle which includes regular exercise, a balanced diet that is rich in calcium and iron, avoiding excessive sugar and caffeine, avoiding foods that have a high salt and fat content and by staying hydrated.

How is it diagnosed?

The doctor will examine the patient’s medical history and her menstrual patterns. The doctor may ask the patient to maintain a menstrual diary and note the bleeding and the non-bleeding days, how...

Endometrial biopsy
Blood tests
Pap test
Sonohysterogram
Ultrasound
Hysteroscopy

How is it treated?

The doctor chooses the appropriate treatment for Menorrhagia depending on the patient’s overall health, tolerance level, pregnancy concerns, medical history and the underlying cause of the di..

Iron supplements

The doctor may recommend iron supplements to raise the iron content of the blood if the patient is anaemic.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

These drugs help in reducing menstrual blood loss as well as relieving painful menstrual cramps.
Tranexamic acid

Tranexamic acid helps in reducing menstrual blood loss and should only be taken during the menstrual cycle.
Oral progesterone

Oral progesterone helps in correcting hormone imbalance and reducing the symptoms of Menorrhagia.
Dilation and curettage (D&C)

The doctor dilates the patient’s cervix and then scrapes the tissues from the lining of the uterus to decrease the menstrual bleeding.
Uterine artery embolization

The procedure helps in shrinking any fibroids present in the uterus that may be causing Menorrhagia.
Myomectomy

In Myomectomy, the doctor surgically removes the uterine fibroids by making several small incisions or through the vagina.
Endometrial ablation

In this procedure, the doctor permanently destroys the lining of the uterus that results in lighter periods.
Endometrial resection.

The procedure involves an electrosurgical wire loop to remove the lining of the uterus to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding.

When do I contact the doctor?

One should consult a doctor if any signs and symptoms of Menorrhagia are observed.

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How does Medanta Provide care?

The Endocrinology & Diabetology division offers expert care for various metabolic, pituitary, thyroid and diabetes-related conditions. The institute gives access to a multi-disciplinary team including endocrinologists, diabetic educators, diet..