Menstrual Bleeding – How Can It Be Treated?

To determine how to treat menstrual bleeding, the first thing healthcare professionals are looking for is finding out what is causing them. This disorder is defined as excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding.

Usually, the clinical form is associated with a change in the menstrual rhythm, and this is when uterine bleeding occurs . In this case, the more correct name is menometrorrhagia. In any case, similar treatments are used.

What are menstrual bleeding and what are their causes?

Strictly speaking, menstrual bleeding occurs when a woman loses more than 80 milliliters of blood during her period. This is the technical limit of measurements aimed at diagnosing pathology.

There is a scientific debate about the number of days considered for prolonged bleeding. As a rule, almost all global diagnostic protocols consider bleeding for more than a week to be abnormal.

The causes of the disorder can be summarized in the following points:

• Hormonal imbalance. Many hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle, so a slight imbalance in any of them is enough to cause more or less bleeding. It could be a problem with thyroid hormones, estrogen, progesterone, or prolactin.
• Uterine fibroids. The presence of uterine fibroids often causes menstrual bleeding. Myomas are benign changes in the form of muscle growths in the wall of an organ. They deform the surface of the endometrium and cause more bleeding.
• Anticoagulants. Women with blood clotting diseases or taking anticoagulants for another pathology may have very profuse bleeding, even at risk of significant iron deficiency anemia.
• Perimenopause. When a woman reaches the end of her menstrual cycle, arrhythmias often develop. This leads to changes in the amount of monthly bleeding, from periods with no periods to periods with menstrual bleeding with a large amount of blood that does not clot properly. For many women, this is a harbinger of the onset of menopause.

How To Treat Menstrual Bleeding Naturally?

Before looking at pharmacological ways to reduce menstrual bleeding, it should be mentioned that there are natural alternatives for mild cases. However, you should always check with your doctor to see if these methods can be used. They are usually in addition to other medical therapies.

Irrigation

Menstrual bleeding leads to dehydration due to loss of fluid that leaks out of the blood. Therefore, especially during menstruation, women with this disease should increase their water consumption.

If they do it with isotonic drinks, the benefit is even greater. An isotonic drink has the same concentration of electrolytes as in the blood. This avoids hidden dehydration caused by insufficient micronutrient replenishment.

Diet for anemia

A complication of menstrual bleeding is anemia. Iron loss during bleeding leads to iron deficiency in the form of a reduced number of red blood cells. This can lead to extreme fatigue syndrome, exhaustion, hair loss, increased heart rate and pale skin.

In the treatment of menstrual bleeding, it is therefore advisable to eat a diet rich in iron and vitamin C. Both of these ingredients help to compensate for the loss caused by bleeding. Citrus fruits, broccoli, red meat and spinach are perfect for this.

It is important to undergo regular medical checkups if anemia is found. It must be adjusted through diet or with the use of pharmacological supplements to achieve normal hemoglobin levels.

Pharmacological methods of treating menstrual bleeding

After the physician has determined the causes of menstrual bleeding, various options are considered. Contraceptives may be prescribed that regulate the cycle in a secondary manner. Certain painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs with particular effects on the female reproductive system may also be used .

Let’s take a closer look at these treatments for menstrual bleeding:

• Contraceptives. The hormones used in contraceptives have the ability to regulate the menstrual cycle. This helps women who suffer from menstrual bleeding as it reduces the amount of blood they lose each period. This will depend on the option you choose, but favorable results have been shown with pills, injections, and patches.

• Hormonal IUD. The hormone-releasing IUD was a breakthrough in this method of contraception. It is a typical IUD, but soaked in a special hormone that affects the menstrual cycle. It is specially designed to help women with irregular bleeding.
• Mefenamic acid. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent that has a weak analgesic effect in almost all tissues. Thanks to this, it turned out to be an excellent means of relieving menstrual cramps. It is also associated with a possible reduction in the amount of bleeding in women with painful menstrual syndromes.

When to see a doctor

Menstrual bleeding has symptoms that are always recognizable as it is a significant increase in the amount of blood during the menstrual period. In this case , see your doctor as soon as possible as the diagnostic process may take some time.

In the long run, if a woman does not take any medications, anemia and changes in quality of life will occur due to the pain or lack of energy that the disorder brings about. After using follow-up methods, your doctor will determine the best option to regulate your cycle and correct any complications associated with it, such as anemia.