Heavy Flow

Hi Thenmozhi,

Directions for figuring out how much blood you are losing during your period are below. You need to figure out if you are losing too much blood.

Your periods are too long, so you need to see your physician or gynecologist. Your doctor will be able to help you have periods of a more regular length after the reason for these overly long periods is known. Depending on why your periods are too long, your doctor might decide that a hormonal contraceptive will help you have a more typical menstrual cycle. You must see your doctor because a serious medical condition could be causing you to have such long periods. Read more about this below.

An Answer to another Question explains how much blood loss during a period is overly heavy menstrual bleeding. The Q is "Periods for more than 5 days.." You might be able to see a similar Q box in the lower right part of this page. If you lose more than "80 ml (approx: 6 tablespoons)" of blood during your period, then you need to see your doctor.

How would you know if you are losing more than 80 ml, or about 6 tablespoons, of blood during your period? It may be too hard to use a menstrual cup to catch all of your period blood, then measure it with an accurate measuring device. A much easier way is to know what kind of sanitary product (sanitary napkins, tampons, etc.) you are using. If you use tampons, are they regular, super-absorbent, or a different absorbency? If you use sanitary napkins, do you use pantyliners, regular-absorbency, maxi, or overnight? You might also be using cloth menstrual pads which can vary in size and absorbency. I don't have information on how much blood a menstrual cup holds or when they are filling so rapidly that it indicates your menstrual flow is too heavy.

Now that you know the type of sanitary product you use, you can estimate how much blood you are losing during your period. This is easier for some kinds of sanitary products. For example, if you are completely soaking a regular-absorbency sanitary napkin (pad) or tampon every hour for 2 or 3 hours, then you should talk to a doctor because you have excessive menstrual bleeding. Regular-absorbency sanitary napkins or tampons hold 5 ml (about a teaspoon) of blood. It is normal to soak from 1 to 7 regular-absorbency sanitary napkins or tampons during your whole period. You likely change your sanitary napkins and tampons frequently for comfort and to avoid stains on clothes, so you may not know know how many sanitary products you would have completely soaked during your period.

There are different degrees and definitions of excessive menstrual bleeding. Contact your doctor if you have any of the following:

1. Your period is longer than 7 days of bleeding. Though you should talk to your doctor, an 8 day period can be okay for some women.
2. Your period lasts 3 days longer than it normally did before.
3. You lose more than 80 ml (about 6 tablespoons) of blood during your whole period combined.
4. You saturate more than 6 regular-absorbency sanitary napkins or tampons per day.
5. You soak 9 to 16 regular-absorbency sanitary napkins or tampons during your whole period, not per day.
6. Your periods come more often than every 21 days.
7. You feel you are bleeding too much or your bleeding is heavier than normal.
8. Compared to how many regular-absorbency sanitary products you typically needed during period before, you now need an unusual increase of two or more regular-absorbency tampons or sanitary napkins per day.

Bleeding or spotting between your periods can be normal or it may indicate a problem, so tell your doctor about this if it happens to you. Some normal things that can cause spotting are ovulation or using or missing doses of hormonal contraceptives. If you are missing doses of hormonal contraceptives and you are sexually active, you are not protected from pregnancy.

Contact a medical professional immediately, if you have any of the following:

1. You are soaking 1 regular-absorbency sanitary napkin or tampon per hour for 6 or more hours.
2. You are soaking 2 regular-absorbency sanitary napkins or tampons per hour for 2 or more hours.

You need emergency help, if you have any of the following:

1. You fainted from your vaginal bleeding.
2. Your vaginal bleeding has made you so weak you cannot stand.

If you have overly heavy menstrual bleeding, bring your doctor as much of the following information as you can:

1. The dates your period began and ended
2. The number of sanitary napkins and tampons you used during your period. Count them and write down how soaked each of them were.
3. The type of tampons and pads you used (regular, super-absorbent, etc.)

You doctor will need to know:

1. Any medications or treatments you've recently had, including over-the-counter medicines, Ayurvedic treatments, and homeopathic treatments
2. The age you got your first period (menarche)
3. How long your periods typically are
4. How many days apart your periods usually are
5. If you had bleeding in between your periods or after sex
6. If you have had vaginal or uterine infections or traumas, especially recently

Tell your doctor about any other symptoms, too.

Excessive menstrual bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia in women before they reach menopause. If your doctor diagnoses you with anemia, your doctor will tell you how to easily treat it.

Medical problems can cause excessive menstrual bleeding or periods that are too long, so your doctor needs to evaluate you if you are losing too much blood or if your period is too long. Only your doctor can diagnose and treat medical problems like polycystic ovarian syndrome, thyroid problems, endometrial polyps, uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, a bleeding disorder, endometrial cancer, a serious pregnancy complication, or other serious medical problems.

Some of the less serious possible causes of excessive menstrual bleeding include, but are not limited to, a change in your diet, stress, teen hormonal differences, perimenopause hormonal differences, a change in your weight, taking certain medications, and missing doses of hormonal contraceptives. No matter what the reason for your overly heavy periods or periods that are too long you need your doctor to evaluate you and advise you.

It can be surprising how wide a range in the amount of menstrual flow is normal. Thirty milliliters is the most common amount of blood loss during a period. Usually the amount of blood loss is between 10 and 35 ml. Some women tend to have heavier menstrual flows, including tall women, women who have had children, and perimenopausal women. Though rare, it's possible to have only a spot of blood in one period. Excessive menstrual bleeding begins at 80 ml which is about 6 tablespoons of blood. It's possible to lose 540 ml (more than 2 cups) of blood in a single period. Remember you need to contact your doctor if you lose 80 ml of blood, or more, during your period.