What are heavy periods?
Heavy menstrual bleeding means losing enough blood to affect your daily life, sleep, work or mood. There is no single number that defines it; what matters is how it affects you.
For some women it is lifelong; for others it starts later, often in the years before the menopause.
Causes and risk factors
- Fibroids and polyps: growths in or on the womb
- Adenomyosis: when the lining grows into the muscle of the womb
- Hormonal changes: common in teenagers and in the years before the menopause
- Polycystic ovary syndrome: irregular cycles with heavy bleeds
- Thyroid or clotting problems: found on a simple blood test
- A copper coil: which can make periods heavier
Symptoms
- Flooding: through to clothes or bedding
- Large clots: bigger than a 10p coin
- Frequent changes: pads or tampons every one to two hours
- Tiredness: or breathlessness, which can mean anaemia
| Red-flag symptom | What to do |
|---|---|
| Soaking a pad every hour with dizziness or fainting | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Bleeding after the menopause | See your GP or book promptly |
| Severe pain with a high temperature | Call NHS 111 |
When to see a specialist
Book an appointment if heavy periods are affecting your life, if your periods have changed, if you bleed between periods or after sex, or if treatment from your GP has not helped. You do not need a GP referral to book as a self-pay patient.
How heavy periods are diagnosed
- First consultation: your history, cycle and how bleeding affects you
- Blood tests: to check for anaemia and thyroid problems
- Pelvic ultrasound: often on the same day, to look for fibroids or polyps
- Hysteroscopy: if the cause is still unclear
Treatment options
Tablets
Non-hormonal tablets taken during your period can reduce bleeding.
Hormonal options
Including the hormonal coil, the pill or other hormone treatments. Read about the options.
Minor procedures
Removing polyps or small fibroids by hysteroscopy. See Hysteroscopy.
Surgery
Discussed only when other treatments have not helped.
Living with heavy periods
Keeping a simple diary of your bleeding helps. Iron-rich food and, if needed, iron tablets can ease tiredness. Most women find a treatment that works for them, and many symptoms ease after the menopause.
Why see Miss Bangari
- Experience: more than 20 years in women’s health
- One clinic, joined-up tests: scans and blood tests arranged around your appointment
- Recognised expertise: FRCOG, NHS consultant at Medway Maritime Hospital
