I am sure most women can relate to the monthly annoyances that come with our menstruation cycles — from battling cramps and bloating to the bouts of unexpected crazy mood swings. Even though many of us experience similar symptoms, some women face a bigger challenge: periods so heavy, they interfere with everyday activities.
Finally, I can put a name to something that I struggled with for over 10 years. Menorrhagia, otherwise known as heavy monthly bleeding is something that I recently found out affects a lot of women thanks to healthywomen.org. For years I thought that I was abnormal in this regard. From my first menstrual period at the young age of 11, I experienced what I thought was an uncontrollable heavy menstrual flow. It got worse after Princess Jada was born 6 years ago. I often had to use both a tampon and maxi pad to avoid leakage that could potentially be quite embarrassing. Nights were possibly the worst as I often had to change my sheets on a daily basis.
In a recent survey given to 2000 women by healthywomen.org, they found out that a majority of women didn’t discuss the problem with their doctors. In fact less than half reported that they had discussed their situation with their OBGYN doctor. Their reasoning was the same reasons that I personally didn’t discuss the issue at first with my doctor. They thought it was normal, or they didn’t think that there was anything that could be done. Thinking back, I wish I had confided in my doctor sooner, because if I had, I would have found out that I could have done something about it.
According to healthywomen.org, there are a couple of things you can try to help alleviate some of the discomforts and inconveniences of heavy monthly bleeding. These things range from lifestyle changes to non-hormonal and hormonal medical options to drastic invasive surgeries. I would highly recommend that if you suffer from heavy monthly bleeding that you talk with your doctor about the various options you have before you, it could make a big difference in your life and the way you live it. For any woman who suffers from heavy monthly bleeding, learning the symptoms of an abnormal period and discovering available treatments can prove transformative
Make sure you check out the links below to learn more about your options.
References:
http://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/understanding-heavy-monthly-bleeding-latest-lighter-periods
Q+As:
http://www.healthywomen.org/content/ask-expert/7485/causes-heavy-periods?context=womentalk/ask-the-expert&context_title=ask-the-expert
http://www.healthywomen.org/content/ask-expert/7484/heavy-periods?context=womentalk/ask-the-expert&context_title=ask-the-expert
http://www.healthywomen.org/content/ask-expert/7486/talking-your-health-care-provider-about-heavy-periods?context=womentalk/ask-the-expert&context_title=ask-the-expert
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Ferring Pharmaceuticals and received a promotional item to facilitate
