TCC Women’s Health-The Truth About Menorrhagia

Written By: TaniJoy, TheCubicleChick.com Contributor

Ladies, does the word Menorrhagia mean anything to you? Some of you may be experiencing it, but have no idea what to call this very disturbing disorder. Menorrhagia is another word for heavy menstrual bleeding. Some women experience heavy menstrual bleeding sometimes, but Menorrhagia occurs when the cramping and bleeding is extensive and causes you to not to be able to go on with your everyday activities.

Symptoms of an abnormal menstrual cycle according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Menstrual flow that soaks through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours
• The need to use double sanitary protection to control your menstrual flow
• The need to change sanitary protection during the night
• Menstrual periods lasting longer than seven days
• Menstrual flow that includes large blood clots
• Heavy menstrual flow that interferes with your regular lifestyle
• Tiredness, fatigue or shortness of breath (symptoms of anemia

There are many things that can cause Menorrhagia. Some of them are: uterine fibroids, hormonal imbalance, pre-menopause, cancer, inherited blood diseases, etc. Having Menorrhagia for a long period of time can cause a woman to become anemic. Anemia occurs when your blood is low in hemoglobin, and if you become anemic you will experience fatigue, weakness, and sometimes headaches.

If you are having problems with very heavy bleeding, you should seek the attention of your gynecologist. You also may wonder how in the heck will your doctor know what to diagnose you with. There are many ways to test for Menorrhagia.You can take a blood test, a ultrasound, a pap smear, or the doctor may choose to perform hysteroscopy. Once you are diagnosed, your doctor should figure out the best treatment for your situation.  Oral contraceptives, the hormonal IUD, endometrial ablation (destroying the entire lining of the uterus), and a hysterectomy are a few of the many treatments that are available to treat Menorrhagia.

I hope this was very useful to many of you women. Sometimes we ignore our health issues, but we have to learn how to take care of ourselves and prolong our lives. I would love to hear from any women who have experienced Menorrhagia.

Picture courtesy of HealthGiants.com