Four Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Four Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

You want to head out and enjoy an afternoon with friends, but your period has started with what seems like a deluge of blood and considerable discomfort. If heavy bleeding is impacting your quality of life, it’s important to understand the underlying cause, as well as your treatment options.

At Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology, our experienced team of women’s health specialists understands the widespread impact that heavy bleeding can have on your life, and we want to help. The first step is to understand what’s behind your heavy bleeding, which allows you to better appreciate how our NovaSure® procedure can help put an end to the problem.

What qualifies as heavy bleeding

Before we get into the conditions that can lead to heavy bleeding, let’s first look at what qualifies as heavy bleeding. 

Also called menorrhagia, there are several hallmarks of heavy bleeding, including:

If any of these menstrual characteristics sound familiar, read on to explore what may be behind the problem.

Four common causes of heavy bleeding

There are several reproductive health issues that can lead to heavy bleeding, and we’re going to outline the four most common here:

1. Endometriosis

This is a condition in which your uterine lining (endometrium) grows outside your uterus. Endometriosis can lead to discomfort, irregular periods, and heavy periods.

2. Uterine fibroids

Many women develop fibroids and are none the wiser, as they dont’ cause any symptoms. However, these harmless uterine growths can become problematic if they grow large or numerous enough to create symptoms like heavy bleeding.

3. Hormone imbalances

If your reproductive hormones — namely estrogen and progesterone — are out of balance, it can cause heavy bleeding. There are a number of reasons why your hormones may become imbalanced, including polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, thyroid issues, and insulin resistance.

4. Uterine polyps

If you develop uterine polyps, you may experience heavy and prolonged menstrual cycles.

Resolving your heavy bleeding

Your first step toward resolving your heavy periods is to come see us for a complete evaluation so we can identify the underlying problem. Depending on what we find, we typically take one of two approaches:

Hormonal therapies

To rebalance your hormones and regulate your periods, we may try hormonal therapies, such as the birth control pill or the Mirena® intrauterine device.

NovaSure®

If you’d rather avoid altering your hormones, and you want a longer-term solution for your heavy bleeding, NovaSure endometrial ablation is a great option. During this 90-second procedure, we ablate the lining of your uterus with radiofrequency energy. Afterward, you should experience considerably lighter periods or no periods at all.

It’s important to note that NovaSure is appropriate only if you no longer wish to get pregnant because removing the lining of your uterus is permanent.

To learn more about heavy bleeding and how NovaSure can help, please contact our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to set up an appointment.

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