Many women feel that they have a particularly heavy menstrual flow, especially in the first few days, with a feeling of being unable to stop. However, most women who experience this situation tend to take it for granted and do not actively seek medical examination. Having a heavy menstrual flow is not a good thing, but first you need to understand one question - how much menstrual flow is considered excessive?
Doctors believe that normal menstrual bleeding should be between 20-60 milliliters, and anything over 80 milliliters is considered excessive. Using the amount of sanitary pads as a rough estimate, the normal usage is changing four to five times a day, with no more than two packs per cycle (each pack containing 10 pads). Taking women aged 25-40 as an example, abnormal increase in vaginal bleeding is mainly related to the following seven factors:
Inappropriate contraceptive methods
Sometimes, abnormal vaginal bleeding is related to the contraceptive method used. The most common "trouble" is with the intrauterine device (IUD). In China, this is the most commonly used contraceptive method among women after childbirth. The most prominent problem it causes is a shortened menstrual cycle, prolonged menstrual period, significantly increased menstrual flow, and postmenstrual spotting. In particular, the new generation of active IUDs with copper ions not only improves contraceptive effectiveness but also increases menstrual flow.
In addition, short-acting oral contraceptives usually make the menstrual period regular, reduce menstrual flow, and alleviate menstrual pain. However, incorrect usage can also cause hormonal imbalances, leading to abnormal increase in menstrual flow. For example, not following the prescription, missing pills, or taking pills incorrectly can disrupt the hormonal regulation in the body, affecting the development of the endometrium and causing abnormal bleeding.
Moreover, women using long-acting injections or subcutaneous implant contraceptives often experience persistent, intermittent bleeding, and sometimes the bleeding accumulates to a large extent due to prolonged duration. This situation is mostly due to the imbalance of reproductive hormones caused by the external use of hormones in the body.
Solutions: For excessive menstrual flow after IUD placement, solutions include taking oral medications, changing to other contraceptive methods, or using IUDs that contain progesterone to reduce menstrual flow.
Although oral contraceptives can be purchased at ordinary pharmacies, if you want to use this method for contraception, it is not enough to just read the prescription information in detail. You must consult a professional doctor before purchasing to understand its indications, contraindications, correct usage methods, and remedies in case of missed pills.
Although many women have been informed about the possibility of similar situations when choosing long-acting injections or subcutaneous implants for contraception, if the situation does not gradually improve over time or becomes more severe, it is necessary to promptly revisit the doctor and have them reassess whether this contraceptive method is suitable.
Genital infections
Genital inflammation is another common cause of abnormal vaginal bleeding. The structure of the female reproductive organs makes them more susceptible to various pathogenic factors from the outside. When women are in a state of anxiety, stress, fatigue, or other conditions that weaken their own defense functions, various pathogenic factors may take advantage and cause inflammation of the reproductive organs. The local blood vessels become fragile, making it difficult to stop bleeding during menstruation, often leading to increased menstrual flow and prolonged menstrual periods. If you feel that your overall condition has not been good recently and there is a large amount of vaginal bleeding accompanied by lower abdominal or lumbar pain, increased vaginal discharge with abnormal color or odor, fever, frequent and painful urination, you should consider whether the reproductive organs are infected.
Solutions: The universal remedy for dealing with various infections is to get enough rest, drink plenty of water, and have a light diet. Mild infections can improve on their own; otherwise, it is necessary to see a doctor promptly and use effective antibiotics for treatment.
Miscarriage or abnormal pregnancy
Abnormal vaginal bleeding in mature women is sometimes related to complications of pregnancy. If your menstrual period is usually very regular, but suddenly delayed for more than a week or more, and then flows profusely like a floodgate with more blood clots or tissue than usual, and lasts longer than usual, it is likely to be a small-scale miscarriage event.
Similar events are more likely to occur after induced abortion (surgical or medical), especially after medical abortion, with a 5%-10% chance of failed abortion or incomplete abortion. In addition, if there is increased vaginal bleeding along with palpitations, dizziness, cold sweats, abdominal pain, or even fainting, it may be a sign of ectopic pregnancy.
Solutions: The simplest self-test method is to take a pregnancy test. Checking the morning urine can give a rough estimate of the situation. However, this method is not entirely reliable, as sometimes hormone levels may have already dropped and resulted in a negative result before a miscarriage occurs. If vaginal bleeding rapidly increases within a short period of time, or if the bleeding lasts too long, or if other discomfort symptoms occur at the same time, it is necessary to immediately contact a doctor.
Endometrial ectopia
Ovarian follicles
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