Managing Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
by Tyler Woods
Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common complaint among women of varying ages. Although many women have days during their period that have a heavier flow than others, truly heavy bleeding is a sustained flow, often for over a week, that makes managing your period difficult. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make this condition manageable.
Period Routine
For those women with a heavy period that is not caused by a medical condition, following a healthy routine during your period can minimize your discomfort. Experts recommend that you keep yourself hydrated and make certain that you maintain your iron levels by taking a supplement. You should eat lots of fruits and vegetables and get plenty of sleep. These commonsense steps can help you better survive your heavy period.
Protection
During particularly heavy periods, you may need to use several forms of protection at once. Some women resort to wearing a tampon and a pad simultaneously to cut down on the number of times they must change their protection. Using a menstrual cup can help further help you to cut down on those bathroom visits. These appliances can hold approximately twice the amount of flow than other methods and should not leak. They are also reusable, so you are never left without protection.
Medical Solutions
If you consistently have extreme periods, your OB-GYN may recommend several possible solutions. They may prescribe birth control pills for you since taking them can make your period shorter and more regular. For severe cases, your doctor may want to perform a dilation and curettage, a procedure where they scrape the tissue from your uterus lining, thus lessening your bleeding.
Another method sometimes used is called endometrial ablation, a non-cutting procedure that essentially destroys the lining of the uterus, which should lessen or eliminate menstruation completely. In some instances, a hysterectomy, the removal of the cervix and uterus may be recommended. Of course, before you agree to such a procedure, you will want to exhaust other less-invasive methods.
If you have heavy periods that last for over a week and often require you to change your protection more than once an hour, you definitely need to see your doctor. In some cases, there is no medical issue, but you can take steps to make your monthly ordeal more manageable. Some women do need medical intervention. If you are one of these women, seek a second opinion before you undergo a serious procedure. Contact a business, such as the Women's Health Associate - Gilbert A Shamas MD, for more information.
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About Me
Do you know when your daughter needs to be introduced to the OBGYN? Discussions such as this can be difficult for both parent and daughter, but it can be ever so more difficult for the single father. A single father raising a teenage daughter comes with many complications. Teenage girls can be a little less likely to discuss woman problems with their father, so they need to have someone that they can talk freely with. My website is full if advice to help single fathers get through these difficult discussions with their teenage daughters and find an OBGYN that their daughters are comfortable with.