Menorrhagia

Menorrhagia is a medical condition characterized by heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. While menstrual bleeding is common, menorrhagia is a severe condition which can interfere with a woman's physical, emotional and social quality of life.

Causes

Menorrhagia can be caused by a number of factors, including hormonal imbalance, dysfunction of the ovaries, uterine fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis, inherited bleeding disorders, certain medications, and other medical conditions.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of menorrhagia is heavy menstrual bleeding, with blood loss that is enough to soak through one or more tampons or sanitary pads every hour for several consecutive hours. Other symptoms may include the need to use double sanitary protection, the need to change sanitary protection during the night, menstrual periods lasting longer than a week, the presence of large blood clots, and symptoms of anemia, such as tiredness, fatigue or shortness of breath.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of menorrhagia is based on the patient's medical history, a physical examination, and certain diagnostic tests. These may include blood tests, pap smear, endometrial biopsy, ultrasound scan, hysteroscopy, and others.

Treatment

Treatment for menorrhagia is aimed at managing the symptoms, treating the underlying cause, and improving the patient's quality of life. This may involve iron supplements, oral contraceptives, progesterone, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tranexamic acid, surgical procedures, and other treatments.

See also

• Dysmenorrhea
• Menstrual cycle
• Menopause
• Hormone replacement therapy

References

Menorrhagia Resources
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