What does menorrhagia mean in medical terms?
Overview. Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern, most women don’t experience blood loss severe enough to be defined as menorrhagia.
What is another name for menorrhagia?
| Heavy menstrual bleeding | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hypermenorrhea, menorrhagia |
| Specialty | Gynecology |
| Symptoms | bleeding more than usual |
| Complications | Anemia, |
What is menorrhagia caused by?
Menorrhagia is heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. It is a common problem in women. It is caused by hormone problems, problems with the uterus, or other health conditions. Menorrhagia is diagnosed with a pelvic exam, ultrasound, pap test, and sometimes a biopsy.
What is the differential diagnosis of menorrhagia?
The differential diagnosis of abnormal excessive uterine bleeding includes organic causes that may be subdivided into reproductive tract disease, iatrogenic causes, and systemic disease.
What are the symptoms of menorrhagia?
What are the signs and symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding?
- Abdominal pain.
- Periods lasting longer than seven days.
- Passing blood clots that are the size of a quarter or bigger.
- Bleeding through 1 or more tampons or pads each hour for more than two consecutive hours.
Is menorrhagia a disease?
What Is Menorrhagia and Is It Dangerous? Menorrhagia refers to heavy or long menstrual flows. This condition may be accompanied by severe menstrual cramps, known as dysmenorrhea. Untreated menorrhagia can lead to anemia (iron deficiency).
Can anemia cause menorrhagia?
It was concluded that chronic iron deficiency can be a cause as well as a result of menorrhagia.
What is the symptoms of menorrhagia?
You might have menorrhagia if you:
- Have a menstrual flow that soaks through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row.
- Need to double up on pads to control your menstrual flow.
- Need to change pads or tampons during the night.
- Have menstrual periods lasting more than 7 days.
Does PCOS cause menorrhagia?
Sometimes women with PCOS experience heavier bleeding during their menstrual cycle. The technical name for this is menorrhagia, and it’s caused by low levels of progesterone associated with PCOS. Menorrhagia is characterised by severe bleeding that lasts for seven days or longer.
What causes heavy bleeding with clots?
Growths like polyps and fibroids can settle in the uterus and its lining and can cause your period to become heavier and longer than usual. There are many types of benign fibroids, but submucosal fibroids (fibroids that grow inside the uterine cavity) are the most likely to cause heavy bleeding and large clotting.
What is the best treatment for menorrhagia?
Medical therapy for menorrhagia may include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), help reduce menstrual blood loss.
- Tranexamic acid.
- Oral contraceptives.
- Oral progesterone.
- Hormonal IUD (Liletta, Mirena).
Does menorrhagia cause anemia?
Menorrhagia refers to heavy or long menstrual flows. This condition may be accompanied by severe menstrual cramps, known as dysmenorrhea. Untreated menorrhagia can lead to anemia (iron deficiency). Menorrhagia can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions.
What hormone imbalance causes heavy periods?
Some women experience high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone. This can cause the uterine lining to thicken. When a thick uterine lining sheds during menstruation, women might experience heavier blood flows and larger blood clots.
What medication is used to stop heavy menstrual bleeding?
Tranexamic acid is used to treat heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle (monthly periods) in women. Tranexamic acid is in a class of medications called antifibrinolytics.
Can menorrhagia cause infertility?
Menorrhagia maybe associated with infertility in the following circumstances: Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) Menorrhagia caused by cancer. Adenomyosis (similar to endometriosis but harder to diagnose because it is under the uterine wall, however, it will not allow an embryo to implant in the uterine wall.
What is the first line treatment for menorrhagia?
The two main first-line treatments for menorrhagia associated with ovulatory cycles are nonhormonal: the antifibrinolytic tranexamic acid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (see box). The effectiveness of these treatments has been shown in randomized trials20,21,22 and reported in systematic reviews of treatment.