Menorrhagia: symptoms, causes, drugs, etc. • hello healthy

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Definition

What is menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia or menorrhagia is the term for excessive and unusual bleeding in normal menstruation.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is quite common in the first days and can occur before menopause, but not to the extent of menorrhagia.

When you experience menorrhagia, your daily activities will be disrupted because there is a lot of blood that comes out accompanied by stomach cramps. You may even need to change your tampon or pad after about 2 hours each day.

Menorrhagia can be life threatening if left untreated. For this reason, consulting a doctor is the most appropriate way to get effective treatment.

How common is this condition?

Menorrhagia is a condition that is often experienced by women. Reporting from the Cleveland Clinic, about 1 in every 20 women experience menorrhagia.

Specifically, 90 percent of cases of menorrhagia occur in women who have just gone through puberty and in women over 40-50 years.

You can minimize the chances of developing menorrhagia by reducing the risk factors. Please discuss with your doctor for more information.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of menorrhagia?

Within a day, women who experience menorrhagia can change their sanitary napkins up to 8 times or more.

For more details, here are the signs of menorrhagia:

• Bleeding for more than 7 days
• Spending one or more pads for several hours in a row
• Always wake up to change sanitary napkins at night
• Unusual heavy bleeding or menstruation twice a month in a row
• The appearance of a large blood clot
• Difficulty doing activities because the bleeding is not controlled
• Experiencing fatigue or lack of energy
• Experiencing shortness of breath
• Pain in the lower abdomen

There may be some unspecified signs or symptoms of menorrhagia. If you have any concerns regarding the symptoms of menorrhagia, please consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

If you experience the above signs and symptoms or have any questions, please consult a doctor. In addition, other symptoms of menorrhagia that you should no longer delay seeing a doctor include:

• Bleeding between menstrual cycles
• Experiencing vaginal bleeding after menopause

Everyone's body reacts differently. It is always better to discuss with your doctor what is best for your situation.

Cause

What causes menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia has many causes, including:

Hormones that are not balanced

In a normal menstrual cycle, the balance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone regulates the buildup of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), which is shed during menstruation. If the female hormones are out of balance, the endometrium develops excessively and eventually makes heavy bleeding during menstruation.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, insulin resistance, and thyroid problems, including those that cause the body's hormones to become imbalanced.

The ovaries are not functioning properly

Ovarian dysfunction can cause hormonal imbalances. During one menstrual cycle (usually a month), an egg should be released to prepare for fertilization.

This process of releasing an egg is known as ovulation. If your ovaries are disturbed and don't release eggs during the menstrual cycle, your body can't produce the hormone progesterone.

As a result, the tissue lining the uterus grows excessively which can cause heavy bleeding.

Uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow during a woman's childbearing years. Large tumors can put pressure on the bladder, causing people to urinate frequently.

In addition, tumors that develop on the uterine wall can cause menorrhagia.

Polyps

Polyps are tiny fleshes that grow on the lining of the uterus. Usually this meat is classified as benign and not cancerous. Although benign, polyp growth in the uterus can cause problems such as prolonged, frequent, or even irregular menstruation.

In addition, the blood flow is usually very much more than normal. In menopausal women, polyps can also cause bleeding that shouldn't occur. For that, do not take it lightly if you are still experiencing bleeding like menstruation after menopause.

Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a condition when the lining of the uterus (endometrium) penetrates the muscular wall of the uterus (myometrium). Adenomyosis is one of the many causes of menorrhagia in women.

In addition to causing menorrhagia, adenomyosis also causes people to experience cramps, a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen, and bloating.

Although adenomyosis is considered harmless, the various symptoms that accompany it greatly interfere with the activity of the sufferer.

Using the IUD

IUD or also known as spiral birth control has side effects, one of which is menorrhagia. This condition also causes the wearer to experience bleeding between menstrual cycles.

If you experience this, it's good to tell the doctor to look for other alternatives.

Certain drugs

Anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs (estrogen and progestin), and anticoagulants (warfarin) can cause prolonged menstrual bleeding.

Always consult a doctor if you experience this to look for other drugs with milder side effects.

Apart from these various factors, hereditary bleeding disorders, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer can cause excessive menstruation.

Risk factors

What puts me at risk for this condition?

The factors that increase the risk of menorrhagia vary widely. However, age is one of the factors that makes women prone to experiencing menorrhagia. Teenage girls who have just menstruated and perimenopausal women are among the groups who tend to experience menorrhagia frequently.

In adolescents, menorrhagia is usually caused by the ovaries not releasing eggs (anovulation). Meanwhile, in older women, not only menopause is the cause but also various problems with the uterus.

Having no risk factors doesn't mean you can't develop menorrhagia. These factors are for reference only. You should consult your doctor for more information.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the usual tests for menorrhagia?

The doctor will make a diagnosis ranging from medical history, physical examination, to various other tests that are needed.

The various tests that are performed to detect menorrhagia can include:

• Blood test, is done to check if you have anemia, problems with the thyroid, or blood clots
• Pap test, take a sample of cells from the cervix to check for infection, inflammation, or a predisposition to cancer
• Endometrial biopsy, take a sample of the lining of the uterus to find out any problems in it
• Ultrasound, a test using sound waves and a computer to see the condition of blood vessels, tissues and organs
• Sonohysterogram, an ultrasound test by previously injecting fluid into a tube that is inserted into the uterus through the vagina or cervix
• Hysteroscopy, looking at the inside of the uterus with special tools to see the presence of fibroids, polyps, and other problems
• Dilation & curetage, a test to find and treat the cause of bleeding

What are the treatment options for menorrhagia?

The type of treatment performed depends on the cause and how severe the menorrhagia is.

In addition, the doctor will also consider your age, medical condition, medical history, and your preferences. That way, all treatment steps taken have been adjusted and based on your consent.

There are two types of medication to treat menorrhagia, namely medication and surgery. The following drugs and surgical procedures are often recommended for menorrhagia:

Drug therapy

Medicines commonly used to help treat or alleviate menorrhagia include:

• Iron supplementsi, to help prevent the body from developing anemia due to excessive bleeding
• Ibuprofen (Advil), to help reduce pain, cramps, and the volume of blood that is lost
• Family planning pills, to make menstruation more regular and reduce the volume of bleeding
• IUD, to make menstruation more regular and reduce blood flow out
• Hormone therapy, use drugs containing estrogen and / or progesterone to reduce bleeding
• Desmopressin Nasal Spray (Stimate®), to stop bleeding in those with certain blood disorders
• Antifibrinolytic drugs (tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid), to reduce the amount of bleeding by stopping the clot from breaking once it forms

Surgery

There are many types of surgical procedures to treat menorrhagia according to its cause, such as:

Dilation & curetage

Also known as dilation and curettage, a procedure that removes the top lining of the uterus. The goal of this procedure is to reduce menstrual bleeding. In some cases, this procedure will need to be repeated as needed.

Surgical hysteroscopy

This procedure is performed using special tools to view the inside of the uterus. This surgery also helps remove polyps and fibroids, correct uterine abnormalities, and removes the lining of the uterus. By removing the uterine lining, menstrual flow will no longer be excessive.

Endometrial ablation or resection

This surgical procedure is performed using different techniques. However, both are done to partially remove the uterine lining to keep menstrual flow under control. Unfortunately, this procedure prevents women from having children even though the uterus is still there and not removed.

Hysterectomy

A hysterectomy is a surgical removal of the uterus that makes a person stop menstruating and cannot get pregnant. Therefore, this procedure is only performed for severe cases and is not recommended for women who are not yet pregnant.

Although it often happens, many women feel embarrassed, embarrassed, or afraid to go to a doctor. In fact, getting checked out as early as possible can prevent you from various complications due to excessive menstruation. You will also get the most appropriate treatment according to your condition.

Home remedies

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies for menorraghia?

To overcome menorrhagia, some habits or things need to be done, namely:

• Eat a nutritionally balanced diet, especially those rich in iron
• Sufficient fluid needs every day
• Get enough rest at night so that stamina is maintained and doesn't get weaker
• Limiting daily activities when menstruation is heavy

Don't forget to always check with your doctor regularly, especially when doing treatment. This is done so that treatment is effective and health is under control. If there are various side effects of medication that worsen the condition, you should also tell your doctor.

If you have any questions, please consult with your doctor to find out the best solution for you.