Heavy Menstrual Flow: One If By River, Two if By Sea
This study is focused on a young woman who has normal periods but bleeds quite a lot. She fears her bleeding may be excessive and wants to know how to tell if it is too much. Should she worry about this and how can natural remedies help her?
Case #: 544
Concern：
I am so afraid that my excessive bleeding is going to make me sick. How can I know if I am bleeding too much? I am not on the pill, and I don’t know why I have this problem. It really affects my life, as I have no desire for sex. Those close to me are advising me to see a medical professional to find out why I am bleeding. I know I need to go, but I am afraid. Can you help me?
Discussion：
How Common Is This Problem?
Heavy menstrual bleeding, known as menorrhagia, affects 9-30 percent of women of reproductive age, and the condition is common during teenage and perimenopause years. Why? Because during theses years estrogen levels tend to be higher and progesterone levels lower.
According to medical experts, 1 in 20 women ages 30 to 49 years will consult their general practitioners on the issue of heavy menstrual bleeding each year. It is estimated that 60 percent of women suffering from this condition will have their wombs removed (hysterectomy) within five years.
How Much Bleeding Is Considered Excessive? Should Sufferers Move Near a Blood Bank?
The loss of more than 80 milligrams of blood per period is the medical definition of excessive menstrual bleeding. Have fun trying to figure out how to measure this. Instead, consider the following to see if your blood flow is excessive:
- If you bleed for more than 8 to 10 days
- If your bleeding interferes with your lifestyle
- If you develop anaemia
- If your periods occur suddenly and require a tampon or pad change every hour
Why Me and not Some of My Relatives?
It does seem that the deck of genetic cards dealt by Mother Nature appears unfair. While it is true that for some women menstruation produces little problems, for many others, their lives abruptly stop until the excessive blood flow ends.
What Can You Do About This?
One of the first things you should do is replace the iron that your body is losing because of the excessive blood flow.
Some foods that can help you do this are clams, oysters, pumpkin seeds and soybeans. If you are experiencing dizziness, drink more volume of salty drinks, such as tomato or vegetable juices.
A blend of natural herbs from Midwives's Secret Heavy Menstrual Flow remedy can contain essential iron that is usually lost during the process of a heavy menstrual flow while effectively reducing the heavy flow of blood.