Menorrhagia (Heavy Periods)
Excessively heavy periods
are called menorrhagia. If you
have to wear double pads, pass large clots, bleed for more than 7 days,
and find that your life is built around never being far from the closest
toilet, you are probably suffering from this problem. Menorrhagia can significantly impact your life,
as well as leading to iron deficiency and
fatigue.
Causes of heavy periods
include:
*Fibroids
*Pelvic inflammatory
disease
*Endometriosis
*Endometrial cancer (usually accompanied by
bleeding between periods also)
*Endometrial hyperplasia (excessive thickening of
the uterine lining)
*Severe iron deficiency
anemia
*Anovulation (failure to
ovulate)
*Underactive
thyroid
*Vitamin A
deficiency
*IUCD use
*Depo provera
injections
Symptoms
*Excessively heavy menstrual
bleeding
*Flooding
*Large clots passed during
period
Treatment
Some medical investigation may be required to eliminate
underlying causes of heavy bleeding, such as fibroids or thyroid
problems.
Heavy periods usually respond extremely well to
treatment with TCM. Commonly
energetic imbalances will be found which contribute to heavy
bleeding. These include:
heat and or dampness in the blood; a stagnation of blood or emptiness and
weakness of the kidney and spleen meridian. Where there is an issue with “heat”,
periods are usually characterised by flooding, bright red blood; they are
often early, and sometimes there is bleeding at other times of the
month. Deficiency type heavy
periods are often pale and watery, and linger on and on for days at a
time. This kind of heavy
period is accompanied by great feelings of fatigue and
weakness.
Treatment usually involves weekly acupuncture for two
menstrual cycles or slightly longer. If periods have improved significantly,
then treatment can be reduced to once every two weeks for a few more
cycles.
Dietary adjustment includes
changing the profile of dietary fats; eliminating alcohol, heating foods
and caffeine; adopting a low glycemic diet to adjust insulin
levels. Herbal medicine and
nutritionally supplements are also prescribed.
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