Heavy periods

What are heavy periods?

When you’re getting ready to have your period every month, the lining of your uterus thickens in preparation for a fertilised egg to implant and develop. If this doesn’t occur, the lining of the uterus is shed as your period.

If you have heavy periods, the amount of blood you lose will be much more substantial. It can be tricky to define how much bleeding is considered heavy as every woman’s cycle can be completely different. A menstrual cycle is considered regular if it occurs every 21-35 days. There are always natural variations from woman to woman.

Different lifestyle factors can cause changes to menstrual cycles too. For instance, increased stress, dietary changes or if you’ve been unwell. These can all cause heavier and more painful periods.

Typically, if you find you’re needing to change your sanitary towel or tampon every two or three hours, you’re passing blood clots, or you’re experiencing blood leakage on your clothes or bedding, it might be a sign you’re experiencing heavy periods.

Who gets heavy periods?

Any woman can experience heavy periods at any stage of her menstrual life, and there doesn’t need to be an underlying cause. Stress, illness or generally feeling run down can all contribute to changes in your periods.

Menstrual cycles that are irregular can often cause heavy bleeding, and conditions like endometriosis or fibroids can cause heavy, painful periods. Polycystic ovaries can cause irregular cycles and erratic menstrual bleeding. If you think you’re experiencing the signs and symptoms of any of these conditions, it could be a good idea to have a chat with a clinician about it and get yourself checked out.

How common are heavy periods?

Heavy periods are common. Most women will experience them at some stage, for a number of reasons. Life changes, stress and illness can all bring about disruption to your menstrual cycle.

It’s believed that the prevalence of diagnosed heavy menstrual bleeding is as much as 37.9% in women of reproductive age.^[1] Many more women may experience heavy periods, but haven’t sought help or spoken to a healthcare professional about it. Our clinicians are on hand to answer any questions you have about heavy periods. You just need to log in to your account and send them a message.

What causes heavy periods?

There can be a number of different causes of heavy periods and they can arise from a range of underlying health issues. Endometriosis and fibroids can cause them, as can other conditions such as polycystic ovaries and hypothyroidism. Anaemia (loss of iron) can arise from heavy periods, but it can also cause them too.

Different medications and treatments for other illnesses can sometimes cause heavy periods as well.^[1] These include:

• antidepressants: which are prescribed for mental health conditions
• anticoagulants: medicines which are used to treat conditions of the heart and blood (they can thin your blood and make menstruation heavier)
• chemotherapy: sometimes the treatments used for different forms of cancer can cause side effects such as heavy monthly bleeds
• hormonal contraceptives: medicines used for birth control such as the pill, or the IUD coil can cause heavy bleeding, so it might be worth talking to your clinician or nurse if you think either of these might be causing issues.

Half of the number of women who experience heavy periods find that there is no specific cause. This is then often defined as dysfunctional uterine bleeding. This means that there’s no illness causing the heavy periods. However, the signs, symptoms and side effects are just as valid and unpleasant. It’s still just as important to take good care of your health and speak to a clinician if you’d like some advice on how to look after yourself.

What are the symptoms of heavy periods?

Heavy periods are defined as losing 80ml or more of blood with each cycle, a period that lasts longer than seven days or both of these combined.

Many women lose less than 80ml of blood during their period. 80ml is about 16 teaspoons, and the average blood loss for most women is about six to eight teaspoons.

However, blood loss doesn’t always need to be measured as there are so many variations in women’s periods. You’ll know how much bleeding is normal for you, and you’ll know if it’s suddenly heavier.

Here are some good indications that you’re experiencing heavy periods.

• Do you have to change your sanitary products every 2-3 hours?
• Do you pass blood clots larger than 2.5cm (about the size of a 10p coin)?
• Do you bleed through to your clothes or bedding?
• Do you need to use 2 types of sanitary products together (for example, tampons and pads) or do you rely on Night Time pads all the time?

If you’ve noticed one or more of these symptoms and they’ve lasted more than a few months then it’s a good idea to speak to a clinician and get some advice on the best way forward.

Can heavy periods lead to other problems?

They can be really frustrating, painful and distressing, but heavy periods don’t necessarily lead to other health problems in their own right. However, they can indicate other underlying conditions such as anaemia, endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovaries.

If your periods have suddenly become heavier, or you generally have queries or questions about them, our clinical team can help.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Have that long, warm soak in the bath and treat yourself to your favourite snacks. Self-care is just as important as medical care. We get that.