Heavy Periods 101
Menorrhagia isn’t life-threatening, but here’s what you can do to treat it
Text: Rebecca Daly, Shannon T
Periods are a monthly inconvenience that women have learned to live with after hitting puberty. Yet unexpected heavy flow – Niagara Falls, as some like to call it – can be a pretty big headache that interferes with our daily life. After all, nobody likes to wash extra stained clothing and sheets and to have to drop everything we're doing just to change sanitary towels every couple of hours.
If you’re experiencing heavy, prolonged periods on the regular, you might be dealing with a condition known as menorrhagia. Dr Rebecca Daly, a UK trained General Practitioner based at IMC Katong, shares the lowdown on menorrhagia and how we can handle this condition.
What menorrhagia actually is…
Menorrhagia is the medical term for heavy or prolonged periods and is a common reason for women seeing their GP, with 1 in 3 women affected during their lifetime.
How do I know if I have heavy periods?
Dr Daly: I commonly get asked what constitutes a heavy period as it can be difficult for patients to quantify. A period is considered heavy if it causes one or more of the following:
Frequent changes of sanitary towels every 2 hours or more
Flooding into clothes or the bedsheets
Needing double sanitary protection with tampons and towels
Passing large clots
Periods lasting more than seven days
Affecting regular activity, such as school, work or sports
Keeping a diary can be helpful, and multiple apps in the market are available to help track your periods.
The causes of menorrhagia
In more than half of women, there is no obvious cause, and this is called dysfunctional uterine bleeding. In such cases, there is no abnormality of the womb, ovaries or hormones. Ovulation occurs as expected, and the periods are regular. It can be common in the first few years after starting periods, although this generally settles down in time. Other causes include:
Fibroids- non-cancerous growths in the muscle of the womb
Endometriosis
Infection of the womb
Polyps of the womb or cervix- small fleshy, benign lumps
Rarely, endometrial cancer
Hormonal imbalance such as polycystic ovaries or thyroid issues
Some medications can make periods heavier such as chemotherapy, copper coil and warfarin
Rare blood clotting disorders
Another common occurrence is experiencing heavier periods after taking the combined contraceptive pill for a prolonged period. However, in most cases, the woman has become accustomed to the very light withdrawal bleed on the pill, and the normal periods off the pill are therefore perceived to be heavy.
Any bleeding after intercourse, between periods or irregular periods, may indicate a serious underlying cause, and medical advice should be sought.
How can it impact my life?
Heavy periods are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance, particularly when living an active outdoor lifestyle in Singapore. Many of my patients describe having to source super tampons and pads, wear backup period pants, set alarms for the middle of the night to change their moon cup or cancel certain activities during their period.
The common consequence of heavy periods is becoming anaemic, which can creep up over time if unchecked. Low iron levels can lead to headaches, fatigue, hair loss and breathlessness.
Do I need any tests?
Your GP may order blood tests, such as checking for anaemia, thyroid problems, clotting disorders if suspected and in some cases, hormonal blood tests.
Most women benefit from a pelvic ultrasound scan to check the womb lining and look for underlying causes such as fibroids or endometriosis.
If your GP suspects a serious underlying cause for your bleeding, you may need to be referred to a gynaecologist for a biopsy of the lining of the womb or hysteroscopy (a thin telescope is passed throughout the vagina and cervix into the womb to visualise the lining and take biopsies if indicated).
What are the treatment options?
Your GP will discuss several treatment options with you, depending on your type and duration of bleeding, if any underlying cause or condition is identified, your age and your desire for future pregnancies. Treatment can be medical or surgical.
No treatment
Once a serious condition has been excluded, you may decide that you prefer to avoid treatment, particularly if your symptoms do not significantly impact your quality of life.
Medical management:
Non-hormonal management:
A commonly prescribed drug called tranexamic acid is a tablet taken three times a day during the first few days of the period phase. It can reduce the amount of blood loss but not the duration of bleeding.
Another tablet used during the period is an anti-inflammatory medicine called mefenamic acid. This can be particularly beneficial if the periods are painful.
Hormonal management:
“The Pill”
A combined oestrogen and progestogen pill, taken daily for three weeks followed by a week off during which a withdrawal period occurs. This is an effective treatment that can also improve period pains, plus provide reliable contraception if required. However, the disadvantages include a slightly higher risk of thrombosis (blood clots in the leg or lung) and breast cancer. In addition, it can cause hormonal side effects such as breast tenderness, nausea, mood changes and acne.
The mini pill
Containing only one hormone, progestogen, it is generally safer for women with risk factors for clots or breast cancer. It is taken daily without a break, so it may stop the periods altogether and gives reliable contraception if needed. However, it is not uncommon to experience irregular bleeding in the first few months or hormonal effects such as weight gain and mood changes.
Another long-term progestogen-only contraception that can be tried includes the depo injection (once every 12 weeks) and the contraceptive implant placed in the arm and lasts three years.
The Mirena coil
A contraceptive coil with progestogen hormone is placed in the womb and can be fitted by your GP. The amount of hormone released each day is minimal, yet this works directly on the womb to thin the lining. It is a highly effective method of treating heavy periods. Studies show bleeding is reduced by 80% at six months and 90% at one year, with periods stopping altogether for most women.
It is particularly beneficial for women who need long term contraception as it lasts five years. It also has lower hormonal side effects than other methods.
Surgical Methods
A referral to a gynaecologist may be required for women who find these methods unacceptable, who can not tolerate hormones or have tried but failed the above. Surgical options such as endometrial ablation or even hysterectomy, as a last resort, are possible for women who are not planning any future pregnancies.
Dr Rebecca Daly is a UK trained GP based at IMC Katong. Call 6342 4440 to make an appointment.
