Heavy menstrual period  is very common. It is not normal and can disrupt your life or be a sign of a more serious health problem. If you are concerned that your period is too heavy, talk to your  obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn).

Menstrual bleeding is considered heavy when :

• bleeding lasts  more than 7 days
• bleedins soaks one or more pads  or tampons every hour for several hours in a row
• need to change pad or tampons during the night
•  need to wear more than one pad at a time to control menstrual flow
• bleeding is accompanied by clots that are as big as a quarter or more

What are the causes of heavy menstrual bleeding ?

Heavy menstrual bleeding is caused by a lot of things , some of which include :

• adenomyosis
• fibroids and polyps
• irregular ovulation
• bleeding disorders
• medications such as blood thinners
• some cancers such as endometrial cancer
• pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
• other medical conditions  endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, thyroid problems, liver or kidney disease

What is the treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding ?

Medications are first used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding  and include the following :

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen
• oral contraceptives
• oral progesterone
• tranexamic acid
• iron supplements
• the hormonal IUD mirena

If you have heavy bleeding due to taking hormone medication, your doctor will treat it by changing medications or stopping the drug.

You may need  a surgical procedure if drug therapy doesnt work. These include the following :

• Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure during which  the doctor opens your cervix and then scrapes or suctions tissue from the lining of your uterus to reduce menstrual bleeding.
• myomectomy which is involves the surgical removal of the uterine fibroids
• uterine artery embolization which is done to to shrink any fibroids in the uterus by blocking the uterine arteries and cutting off their blood supply.
• hysterectomy which is the surgical  removal of the uterus and cervix
• endometrial ablation is when the doctor uses various techniques to permanently destroy the lining of the uterus
• endometrial resection  uses an electrosurgical wire loop to remove the lining of the uterus
• focused ultrasound embolization is also focused on shrinking the fibroids