Stopping menstruation at 45. The main reasons for prolonged menstruation and what to do. Menstruation during premenopause

40 years is a scary number for a woman. Firstly, many are afraid that menopause will come soon. Secondly, for some it is psychologically difficult to cross the forty-year mark. Physiologically, changes also occur in a woman’s body. First of all, this is due to the fact that periods are not as heavy as before. Representatives of the fair sex perceive scanty periods as signs of aging of their body.

But don't be so dramatic. After all, everything is not so sad. But you need to understand problems with the menstrual cycle in any case.

Menopause and pathologies

In our article we will look at why women experience (reasons).

After 40 years, the discharge may not be particularly abundant. There are several reasons for their appearance. However, the most common are menopause and pathology.

You should know that menopause usually occurs in women at the age of fifty. But everyone’s body characteristics are different. Therefore, it is possible that some women will experience it earlier. The state of menopause is due to the fact that the body produces less female hormones. Cell renewal also slows down during this age period. This condition is a natural process for women. But some people experience this period very strongly. Since it is associated with emotional outbursts, a woman’s mood changes.

She may also feel depressed and unwanted. During menopause, women are advised to consult a gynecologist to assess their physiological and psychological health. The specialist will also give the necessary recommendations on taking medications that will help restore the cycle.

After 40 years, the paucity of menstruation is due to the fact that ovarian function decreases. Menopause comes slowly. First comes menopause. This period can last from 2 to 8 years. The time of follicle maturation also changes. Therefore, periods come at the wrong time and the cycle is disrupted.

In addition to scanty discharge during menstruation, heavy discharge may also occur. But as a rule, the volume of menstruation becomes less and less and turns into a daub. Such discharge is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. Basal temperature also increases. Added to this is a frequent urge to urinate. The duration of menstruation is extended; instead of 3-4 days, it lasts 6-7 days. You should know that such symptoms are associated not only with menopause, but may also be the cause of the inflammatory process.

Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor for diagnosis. may be subject to pelvic inflammatory processes or the appearance of any formations.

Hormonal imbalances

If your period does not come at all, this indicates that there are hormonal changes. In this case, when visiting a doctor, he prescribes a blood test for the patient. He also prescribes her the use of hormonal medications, which should stabilize the female body function.

An important factor for a woman is to undergo an annual examination with a gynecologist. Since the health of the genital organs directly affects the girl’s mood and her emotional state. An annual examination will allow you to diagnose the disease at an early stage and prescribe effective treatment to the woman.

Endometriosis

There is such a disease as endometriosis. The essence of this disease is that the glandular tissue of the uterus grows outside of it. When menstruation occurs, these areas of mucus are separated along with the blood. Therefore, the discharge becomes abundant. At the same time, they are accompanied by severe pain. As a rule, endometriosis is caused by abortion. Another characteristic of this disease is that periods come irregularly.

Reproductive function and scanty periods

A woman's reproductive period depends on the structure of her reproductive system. Each has a certain number of eggs that it can produce during its life. This number is laid down even before her birth. They then mature throughout their lives. During each menstruation, one or two cells may mature.

There are cases when three can ripen. But this is already an exception. You should know that the number of eggs produced is influenced by external factors. For example, ecology, radiation, past diseases, etc. Due to negative environmental influences or past diseases, the number of cells may decrease. Then the women will decrease. Therefore, by the age of 40, the number of cells has already decreased significantly, and it becomes more difficult for a woman to become pregnant, and her reproductive function is reduced. Also at this age, hormonal levels change.

Why does it happen that women have scanty periods? Causes

After 40 years, a woman’s cycle may become disrupted. There may be several reasons for this behavior of the body. For an accurate diagnosis, consult your doctor. Now we will also look into the issue of problems with the cycle.

Why do you have scanty periods? Causes:

After 40 years of age, women are often diagnosed with endometriosis. This disease is characterized by irregular discharge. Delayed periods after 40 may be associated with this disease. The causes of this disease were discussed above.
Oncological diseases of the uterus.
The most common cause of scanty periods is menopause.
As women age, they become more emotional. Therefore, various disorders and stress can also affect cycle failure and cause scanty discharge during menstruation.
Chronic diseases of a severe nature. For example, diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, urinary disease, previous surgery, various infections. All of the above affects the frequency and abundance of discharge during menstruation.
Various inflammations of the ovaries and appendages are the reason why scanty periods are observed.
Also, diseases such as flu and colds affect menstruation. Especially if they were severe.
Malfunctions of the endocrine system.
Poor nutrition. If a woman’s body does not receive enough fats, proteins and vitamins, then this situation directly affects the functioning of her reproductive system. With insufficient nutrition, menstruation will be scanty and reproductive function will be reduced.
Taking medications can affect the female cycle.

Ectopic pregnancy

Why are there scanty periods after 40? The cause of such problems may be an ectopic pregnancy. This is very dangerous for your health. Because failure to provide timely medical care can lead to serious consequences.

An important point is that with an ectopic pregnancy there are scanty periods. The pregnancy test may be negative, or the second line will be very weak, barely noticeable. In any case, if you suspect such a condition, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Whatever the reason for weak periods, in any case it is necessary to determine it. 40 years is not such a big age for a person. Moreover, in modern society, women in such a period are in the prime of life. This age is considered reproductive. Recently, there has been a tendency that in the first half of life, women receive education, undergo internships, and make a career.

And they put off starting a family and having children until a later date. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor your health and treat it with care and attention. After the age of 40, scanty dark periods can cause menopause, and can be the cause of some disease or pregnancy. In any case, you should not delay making a diagnosis. It is necessary to contact a gynecologist as soon as possible. This is necessary so that he can conduct the necessary examination and prescribe treatment.

At an appointment with a gynecologist

When visiting a doctor, you should be prepared for the fact that he will ask you to tell him what dates your last menstruation was. Therefore, it is worth starting a special calendar where it is necessary to mark the menstrual cycle after 40 years. The doctor will also ask you to describe the general condition of the body, talk about symptoms, and perhaps any pain. Before going to see a doctor, it is recommended to observe yourself. Maybe there are mood swings, dizziness, insomnia, pain in the head or stomach, and so on.

After interviewing the patient, the doctor will conduct an examination on the chair, take the necessary tests and issue a referral for blood donation. Further, based on the test results and examination results, treatment will be prescribed using special medications and recommendations. By adhering to the doctor’s instructions, a woman will be able to improve her body’s functioning within a time frame that depends on the causes of scanty periods. From all of the above, it follows that you do not need to neglect your ailments, but should contact a specialist who will provide assistance through modern methods of treatment.

Conclusion

Now you know why women develop... After 40 years, life goes on. Therefore, if you have experienced any age-related changes, you should not be upset. After all, we have one life. But if problems arise in the field of gynecology, then do not delay until later, but immediately begin examination and treatment.

The regularity of the menstrual cycle is the key to women's health.

If after the onset of bleeding your periods do not end, then this may be a signal of the beginning of a pathological process in the body.

To establish cycle stability, you need to contact a gynecologist. Read about the main causes of prolonged periods.

Two sex hormones are responsible for the stability of the menstrual cycle and the duration of bleeding: progesterone and estrogen.

It is these indicators that shape the nature of the flow of female discharge. In a normal case, the duration of menstruation ranges from 3 to 7 days, the most common indicator is 5 days.

Hormone production can be influenced by various internal and external factors. To determine the cause of prolonged menstruation, it is necessary to undergo laboratory testing.

Common reasons include:

Puberty period. A normal menstrual cycle will be established only after two years after the first discharge.
Such problems occur in adolescents aged 11 to 16 years.
Hormonal imbalances. The cause of increased or decreased hormone levels can be any reason: from age-related changes to serious diseases of the reproductive system.
Endocrine disorders. Women suffer from thyroid diseases more often than men.
Improper functioning of the internal secretion or adrenal glands can cause impaired functionality.
Diseases of the uterine organs and appendages. From inflammatory processes in the ovaries to malignant neoplasms in the uterine cavity.
To prevent the occurrence, it is necessary to undergo regular examination by a gynecologist.
Taking hormonal contraceptives and other pills. In some cases, periods may disappear altogether or begin in the middle of the cycle.
In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor to clarify whether this is normal or pathological.
Protection using a spiral. Due to a slightly open cervix, bleeding may take longer than usual.
Especially if a woman installed a spiral only 2-3 months ago.

Important! Long periods can be either normal when treated or using a certain method of contraception, or a symptom of a dangerous disease.

The hereditary factor should not be discounted. If the female line of the family also has this type of discharge, then you will have to get used to this fact.

Or contact your gynecologist for a special prescription for hormonal medications. Often, long periods can be confused with uterine bleeding, which can be life-threatening for a woman.

Bleeding in the uterine cavity can be caused by:

Miscarriage or artificial termination of pregnancy. After an abortion, spotting may continue for several weeks.
Reduced blood clotting.

If you experience abdominal discomfort, severe pain or other additional symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

Acute pain may be the cause of a ruptured cyst or ovary. If there is untimely intervention, the woman may die.

Causes in women after 45 years

After 40 years, the nature of menstruation in women changes. Usually the discharge is more scanty.

The older you are, the fewer active eggs are produced and, accordingly, the fewer are excreted from the body.

Determining the cause of a protracted process is quite difficult after 45 years.

The main ones include:

Blood clotting disorders.
Iron-deficiency anemia.
Hormonal deficiency during menopause.
Diseases of the uterus and other organs of the reproductive system.
Diseases of the body such as diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, disorders of the thyroid gland.

How to stop incessant periods at home: traditional methods and pills

On the eighth day of menstruation, you should consult a doctor if the heaviness does not decrease.

The gynecologist will prescribe the girl an examination to identify the causes of the protracted process.

For hyperexcessive menstruation, the following diagnostic principles are indicated:

Examination by a gynecologist on a chair. During palpation, the doctor will pay attention to enlargement of the ovaries or uterus.
Ultrasound examination. The most effective way to detect a pathological process or exclude it.
Laboratory research. In this case, the woman urgently needs to undergo blood tests to identify indicators of female sex and endocrine hormones.
Blood test for clotting. Makes it possible to confirm or exclude intrauterine bleeding.

At home, you can try to stop your period on your own. To do this, try several traditional methods. Such methods are safe, but have low efficiency.

To improve your body's health, try:

What should a woman do during menopause?

A woman before menopause needs to see a gynecologist. To maintain the functioning of the body, it is necessary to constantly take hormonal drugs created specifically to ease the course of menopause.

Update: October 2018

It is difficult to meet a woman, especially nowadays, who has not at least once experienced a malfunction or irregularity in her menstrual cycle. Such shifts in the form of delays, both long and short, or manifested by a shortening of the cycle, are completely unsafe for the female body, because regular menstruation reflects the mental and physical state of a woman.

The menstrual cycle (many women call it in their own way as the “menstrual cycle”) plays the role of the body’s biological clock and any disturbances are the first bell of as yet unrecognized diseases. Why menstrual irregularities occur is a question that interests not only the fairer sex, but also doctors.

A little about menstruation and the menstrual cycle

The first menstruation or menarche occurs in girls around 12–14 years old, and the further south the child lives, the earlier her periods begin. Menstruation ends around 45–55 years of age (this period is called premenopausal).

Menstruation is the rejection or desquamation of the functional layer of the uterine lining in response to. This is why gynecologists like to repeat that menstruation is the bloody tears of the uterus due to an unfulfilled pregnancy. To understand this definition, it is worth remembering the physiology of the menstrual cycle. As you know, a woman’s monthly cycle is divided into 3 phases:

In the first, follicular phase, they are produced, the action of which determines the maturation of the follicles. From these follicles the main or dominant follicle is released, from which a mature egg is subsequently released.
The second phase is the shortest (about a day), it is during this period that the main follicle ruptures, and the mature egg is released “free”, ready to meet the “live animals” and fertilize.
In the third phase, luteal, the synthesis of progesterone by the corpus luteum begins, which arose at the site of the ruptured follicle. It is progesterone that prepares the endometrium for implantation of a fertilized egg. If conception does not occur, the corpus luteum slowly “dies” (regresses), progesterone production drops and endometrial rejection begins, that is, menstruation.
Then estrogen production gains strength again and the cycle repeats.

From all that has been said, it becomes clear that the menstrual cycle is called cyclic changes that occur in the body after a strictly defined time.

The normal length of the monthly cycle is considered to be 21–35 days. Deviation from the usual rhythm in one direction or another for 3 to 5 days is not a pathology, and longer changes should alert the woman.

Menstruation normally lasts from three days to a week and does not cause significant discomfort to the woman.

The amount of blood lost during menstruation does not exceed 100 - 140 ml.

Regulation of the menstrual cycle is carried out at 5 levels:

The first is the cerebral cortex, that is, all emotional experiences can lead to irregular periods. For example, it is known that during wartime women did not have periods, which has its own name - “wartime amenorrhea.”
The second level of regulation is the hypothalamus, which synthesizes releasing factors that influence the next one.
The third level is the pituitary gland. The latter produces hormones: follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, or gonadotropic hormones.
Under their influence in the ovaries - the fourth level Estrogens or progesterone begin to be synthesized (depending on the phase of the cycle).
The fifth level of regulation is the uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. Changes in the endometrium occur in the uterus, the fallopian tubes peristalt, helping the egg and sperm meet, and the epithelium in the vagina is renewed.

What causes the menstrual cycle to be disrupted?

The causes of menstrual irregularities are very numerous and varied. Conventionally, they can be divided into 3 groups.

The first includes external factors, that is, physiological effects on the cycle. In this case, we are talking about the influence of etiological factors on the first level of regulation of the menstrual cycle - the cerebral cortex:

climate change
nervous exhaustion
constant and prolonged stress
character
changes in diet and others.

The second includes various pathological conditions not only in the reproductive system, but also in the entire woman’s body as a whole.

The third group includes the effects of medications, both when taking them and when they are discontinued. These may be hormonal contraceptive pills (see), glucocorticoids, anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, anticonvulsants and antidepressants, and others.

Factors caused by pathological conditions:

Caused by ovarian pathology

These include a disrupted connection between the ovaries and the pituitary gland, stimulation of ovulation with medications, ovarian cancer, insufficiency of the second phase of the cycle, occupational hazards (vibration, radiation, chemical exposure), ovarian surgery (removal of most of the ovarian tissue), trauma to the genitourinary organs and the formation of fistulas and so on.

Disruption of interaction between the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary gland

Insufficient or excessive release of releasing factors and gonadotropic hormones, pituitary tumors, hemorrhage into the pituitary gland or necrosis, brain tumors compressing the pituitary gland/hypothalamus.

Endometriosis

It doesn’t matter whether it’s genital or extragenital endometriosis; in any case, the disease is hormonal in nature and leads to hormone imbalance.

Impaired blood clotting (hemophilia, genetic pathologies).
Curettage of the uterine cavity - artificial termination of pregnancy or therapeutic and diagnostic curettage contribute to damage to the endometrium, which disrupts its growth or may be complicated by inflammation of the uterus and appendages.
Hormone-dependent tumors - uterus, adrenal glands, thyroid gland.
Diseases of the adrenal glands (tumors, injuries, etc.).
Polyps of the uterine mucosa.
Chronic endometritis - a full-fledged endometrium is not formed.
Rapid weight change - losing weight or obesity leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle, because adipose tissue produces estrogens.
Anomalies of the uterus - sexual infantilism, septum in the uterus, double uterus and others.
Infections - both infections suffered in childhood (rubella, chickenpox) and sexually transmitted infections can negatively affect the ovaries.
Pathology of the uterus - this item includes tumors of the uterus and pathology of the endometrium (hyperplasia).
Mental illnesses (schizophrenia, epilepsy, alcoholic psychosis).
Endocrine pathology.
Chromosomal abnormalities (for example, karyotype 46XY with a female phenotype).
Arterial hypertension (see).
Bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse).

How does a menstrual cycle disorder manifest itself?

Various shifts during the monthly cycle are defined as a violation. The monthly cycle can vary both in duration and in the nature of menstrual bleeding:

with amenorrhea, menstruation is absent for six months or more (primary amenorrhea is distinguished, when the cycle disturbance began from the moment of menstruation, and secondary amenorrhea - the disrupted cycle appeared after a period of its normal course);
Oligomenorrhea – if menstruation occurs once every 3 to 4 months;
Opsomenorea – short and extremely scanty periods (no more than 1 – 2 days);
hyperpolymenorrhea– very heavy periods, but the duration of the cycle does not change;
menorrhagia is prolonged and (lasts more than 10 days);
metrorrhagia - irregular bleeding that can appear in the middle of the monthly cycle;
Proyomenorrhea - the duration of the menstrual cycle is less than three weeks (that is, frequent periods);
algomenorrhea - extremely painful menstruation, leading to loss of ability to work (also divided into primary and secondary);
Dysmenorrhea is any menstrual irregularity accompanied by pain during menstruation and vegetative disorders: headache, emotional lability, increased sweating, nausea/vomiting).

Irregular periods during adolescence

In teenage girls, menstrual irregularities are quite common. This is due to physiological reasons. That is, the hormonal background has not yet been established and the duration of both the cycle itself and menstruation may be different each time. The norm is considered to be the formation of a cycle over 1 – 2 years.

Pathological factors and causes of irregular periods include:

traumatic brain injuries
infectious lesions of the brain and its membranes
tendency to catch colds
vegetative-vascular dystonia
obesity
sclerocystic ovaries and genital infections.

Of no less importance is the craze among girls for dieting, which leads not only to significant loss of body weight, but also to hypovitaminosis and menstrual irregularities. In addition, the regularity of the menstrual cycle is also affected by the girl’s character (too emotional, impulsive or aggressive).

The following also play a role in cycle disruption:

early and promiscuous sexual intercourse
bad habits
malformations of the reproductive system

An disrupted menstrual cycle in girls can result in a complication such as juvenile uterine bleeding. In this case, periods last more than a week and are heavy, which leads to anemia in the child (see iron supplements for anemia). Typically, juvenile bleeding is provoked either by an infectious process or by nervous strain.

Cycle disturbances in premenopause

During menopause, which, as stated above, occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, in addition to disturbances in the menstrual cycle, vegetative-vascular disorders occur, disruptions in metabolic processes and psycho-emotional state (hot flashes, emotional lability, osteoporosis).

Disorders in the menstrual cycle in premenopause are associated with the decline of reproductive function, that is, at the level of the pituitary gland, the production of gonadotropins is disrupted, which leads to a disrupted process of maturation of follicles in the gonads, luteal insufficiency against the background of hyperestrogenism.

This causes pathological restructuring of the endometrium in both phases of the cycle, acyclic and cyclic bleeding, as endometrial hyperplasia develops. If a disorder of the menstrual cycle such as rare and irregular menstruation or acyclic bleeding occurs after 40 years, this most likely indicates premature ovarian failure (early menopause) and requires hormone replacement therapy.

Cycle disruption due to hormone intake

Often, while taking contraceptive medications (combined contraceptives or long-acting progestin drugs, such as Depo-Provera), they occur in the first 3 months of using hormones (see).

This is considered normal, since the body must reconfigure itself to hormones coming from outside and suppress the production of its own. If acyclic bleeding lasts longer than the specified period, this is due to incorrect selection of the drug (too high or low dose of hormones) or incorrect use of pills.

The same situation can cause the development of algomenorrhea. There is a high probability of massive uterine bleeding when using emergency contraceptive pills, which is associated with the “elephant” content of hormones in such drugs (therefore, gynecologists recommend using emergency contraception no more than once a year, see).

Amenorrhea is often caused by taking progestin drugs or injections of long-acting progestins. As a result, progestins are usually prescribed to premenopausal women or those suffering from endometriosis (when artificial menopause is necessary).

In case of menstrual irregularities, treatment is selected according to the reason that led to the cycle disruption, the age of the woman/girl, clinical manifestations and the presence of concomitant pathology.

Treatment of disrupted menstrual cycles in adolescence

Cycle disruption, which is complicated by juvenile bleeding, is subject to two-stage therapy.

In the first stage, hemostasis is carried out with hormonal drugs and hemostatic agents (dicinone, vikasol, aminocaproic acid).
If the patient has prolonged and severe bleeding and is accompanied by symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, low hemoglobin (70 g/l or less), then the girl must be scraped out. To prevent hymen ruptures, the hymen is injected with 0.25% novocaine. The scraping is accordingly sent for histological examination. If hemoglobin is in the range of 80 - 100 g/l, hormonal pills are prescribed (low-dose combined contraceptives: Marvelon, Mercilon, Novinet and others).
In parallel with surgical and hormonal hemostasis, anti-anemic therapy is carried out (blood transfusion, red blood cell transfusion, rheopolyglucin, infucol, and iron supplementation is also indicated: sorbifer-durules, tardiferon and others).
Hormonal treatment continues for at least three months, and therapy for anemia until hemoglobin levels rise to normal levels (this is the second stage of treatment).
In uncomplicated cases of menstrual cycle disorders in girls (when menstrual function develops), cyclic vitamin therapy is prescribed. Vitamins in case of violation are taken according to the following scheme (to stimulate the production of their own hormones in the ovaries):
in the first phase, vitamins B1 and B6 or a complex of B vitamins (Pentovit), while in the second phase, vitamins A, E (“aevit”), ascorbic acid and folic acid.

Case study: An 11-year-old girl with juvenile bleeding was referred to the gynecology department. Diagnosis upon admission: Precocious sexual development. Menstrual irregularities. Juvenile bleeding. Fortunately, the patient’s bleeding was not profuse, but lasted more than 10 days. Hemoglobin was reduced to 110 g/l. My colleague and I, of course, did without curettage and began stopping the bleeding with symptomatic hemostasis. The treatment had no effect, so it was decided to switch to hormonal hemostasis. While taking Novinet, the girl’s discharge had almost disappeared by the end of the first day (therapy was carried out according to the scheme: first 4 tablets during the day, then 3 tablets, then 2, and then one at a time until the end of the package). The girl took Novinet for another three months; no bleeding was observed either during treatment or after stopping the drug. Today, the former patient is 15 years old, her menstrual cycle has become established, and there have been no relapses of bleeding.

Treatment of disrupted cycles in women of childbearing age

Treatment is, in principle, similar to therapy for adolescents. If bleeding occurs, regardless of its severity, such patients undergo diagnostic curettage for both therapeutic purposes (surgical hemostasis) and diagnostic purposes.

After the histological conclusion, hormone therapy is prescribed:

These can be combined oral contraceptives according to the generally accepted scheme
In the case of an incomplete luteal (second) phase, progesterone analogs are prescribed in the second half of the cycle, either 17-OPK or Norkolut.
Replenishment of the circulating blood volume (colloid solutions), antianemic therapy (see) and symptomatic hemostasis are mandatory.
If curettage of the uterine cavity does not bring results, the issue of ablation (burning out) of the endometrium or hysterectomy is decided.
Treatment of concomitant diseases that led to cycle disorders is also indicated (hypertension - restriction of salt and fluid, prescription of antihypertensive drugs, liver pathology - adherence to therapeutic nutrition, intake, etc.).
Disruptions in the menstrual cycle can cause infertility, therefore, in order to make pregnancy possible, pergonal and choriogonin (stimulate the development of active follicles) and clomiphene (stimulate ovulation) are prescribed.

Bleeding during menopause

If bleeding appears during menopause, the woman must undergo curettage of the uterine cavity, since such bleeding may be signs of endometrial adenocarcinoma or atypical hyperplasia. In this case, the issue of hysterectomy is resolved (see). After the results of histological examination:

small myomatous nodes
and/or adenomyosis 1 degree

Progestins are prescribed: 17-OPK, Duphaston, Depo-Provera. It is also possible to prescribe antiestrogenic drugs, such as danazol, 17a-ethynyl testosterone, gestrinone in a continuous mode.

It doesn’t matter at what age the menstrual cycle disorder occurred, this pathology is only a consequence of some underlying disease, so it is necessary to identify and treat the underlying pathology, because only after eliminating the cause is it possible to restore the normal cycle. And, of course, it is necessary to remember about normalizing the daily routine and rest, nutritious nutrition and minimizing stress. In case of obesity, it is often enough just to normalize the weight to restore the menstrual cycle. The same applies to emaciated women (in this case, a high-calorie diet is indicated).

Women's menstrual flow varies in nature. Menstruation comes at different intervals, causing pain for some. The amount of blood leaving the body also differs. When there is an excess of it, heavy periods occur.

The amount of blood released during menstruation depends on a number of factors. Heredity, body characteristics, and physical condition matter. The volume of menstruation may increase sharply. Having seen heavy discharge, women do not know how to behave and whether to go to the doctor.

How to determine?

To separate the concept of menstruation from, the following criteria should be taken into account:

duration of menstruation (normally no more than 7 days);
volume of discharge (should not be more than 150 ml per day);
profuseness (a large volume of discharge should normally be in the first two or three days, no more);
duration of the menstrual cycle (at least 21 days between bleeding);
sensation of pain (normal – moderate pain);
discharge between periods (there should not be any).

Heavy periods

Very intense periods are called “menorrhagia” in medical parlance. The concept defines a violation of menstrual function, as a result of which the amount of discharge is significantly increased during the normal duration of the cycle.

Symptoms

This condition cannot always be attributed to a disease. The cause can be not only gynecological pathologies, but also certain conditions of the body.

We can talk about menorrhagia when there is a significant increase in the volume of bloody discharge, when you have to change a pad or tampon every hour.

Causes of menorrhagia

There are a number of reasons why a woman experiences heavy bleeding:

Hormonal imbalances. If there is a malfunction of the body's hormonal system, heavy periods are likely on the first day, as well as on subsequent days. Such problems most often occur at a young age or in adolescents, while the menstrual cycle is just becoming established. Women may experience problems when taking hormonal contraceptives. There may be an increase in the volume of menstrual flow in premenopausal women.
Uterine fibroids. Myoma or fibroids are benign formations. Causes excessive discharge and bleeding. The cause of the disease is inflammatory processes or infections that affect the organs of the reproductive system.
Cervical polyp. This is a formation in the endometrium. Appears due to injury, curettage, hormonal disorders, inflammation of the cervix.
Endometrial cancer or cervical cancer. A malignant tumor can cause large amounts of menstrual blood.
Problems with blood clotting. If there is such a disease, a woman has heavy periods, only a doctor can tell. Going to the clinic is mandatory, since large blood loss will negatively affect the general condition and cause anemia.
Use of the IUD. The intrauterine device can cause heavy discharge during menstruation. This means the body is incompatible with this contraceptive, so it must be removed.
Heredity. If the mother had problems with the amount of menstruation, most likely the daughter will suffer the same.
Stress, climate change, flights- all this can provoke a problem.

To find out the cause in each specific case, you need to consult a gynecologist. After the examination, the woman will be prescribed treatment.

Uterine fibroids can cause a woman's heavy periods

After childbirth and cesarean

After childbirth, the functioning of a woman’s body changes, which also affects the nature of her periods. Most often they become more abundant and last longer. The reason is the uterus, the cervix of which becomes anatomically wider after the birth of the baby. As a result, the amount of menstrual flow increases. The size of the uterus also becomes larger, so its surface area, and therefore the endometrium, becomes larger. This leads to a significant increase in the volume of menstruation.

If a cesarean section was performed during childbirth, a suture remains on the uterus, and subsequently a scar. The scarred tissue is connective and cannot contract, causing menstrual flow to become more abundant.

After scraping

Artificial termination of pregnancy or abortion has a strong negative impact on the functioning of a woman’s body. There is a complete restructuring of the functioning of the hormonal system.

Discharge that begins immediately after curettage is not menstruation, as many women think. They last up to one week and are moderate in quantity. If the blood loss after surgery is large, you should immediately consult a doctor.

A danger to health and life is indicated by copious discharge accompanied by:

unpleasant odor;
high temperature;

The cause of menorrhagia in this case may be an inflammatory process of the uterus.

With clots

With heavy menstruation, you should pay attention not only to the volume, but also to the nature of the discharge. Sometimes a woman observes large dark blood clots. This suggests that the blood is coagulating directly in the uterine cavity.

The reasons for heavy periods with clots are as follows:

hormonal imbalance;
the presence of a barrier to the exit of blood, for example, polyps, fibroids, etc.;
problems with uterine contractions as a result of the presence of fibroids or endometriosis.

First menstruation in adolescence

Teenage girls often experience heavy discharge when their menstrual cycle begins. The reason is the instability of the hormonal system.

Problems in girls can be triggered by negative emotions, excess body weight or its deficiency, excessive physical activity, as well as problems with the endocrine system.

moderate exercise;
swimming in the pool;
proper nutrition;
the required amount of vitamins.

Before menopause

In women aged 40-45 years, the perimenopause period begins. This is a condition when the body is rebuilt and becomes unable to conceive.

Due to the restructuring of the hormonal system, the volume of menstruation in women becomes significantly larger. It is also possible to increase their duration. But the cause of menorrhagia can be not only natural processes, but also pathologies, for example, diseases such as endometrial polyp or uterine fibroids.

How to reduce discharge?

How to help yourself with heavy menstruation? You need to go to the doctor.

avoid heavy physical activity or reduce it;
stop drinking alcohol and coffee;
take multivitamin medications;
for abdominal pain, you can use a heating pad with cold, but not more than a quarter of an hour;
avoid stress;
drink shepherd's purse and horsetail, which can reduce the amount of blood loss during menstruation.

Is treatment required?

After the examination, the doctor will choose the necessary treatment tactics and prescribe medications.

Diagnostics

At an appointment with a specialist, you need to tell him about the number of pregnancies and abortions, complications that arose after childbirth, and the use of medications. The doctor will conduct an examination. Pregnancy, especially ectopic pregnancy, uterine fibroids or other pathologies must be excluded.

May be prescribed for diagnostic purposes:

ultrasonography;
biopsy;
smear;
general blood analysis.

For women who have problems with menstrual flow, doctors recommend keeping a special calendar. It is necessary to note the duration of the cycle and days of menstruation, as well as the volume of discharge.

Purpose of therapy

Treatment of menorrhagia can be conservative and surgical. The first is prescribed to girls and adolescents, as well as women who have not yet given birth.

What to drink during heavy menstruation in this case? As therapy for heavy periods, medications with, for example, or Vikasol are prescribed. The complex prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, as well as vitamin therapy.

It is possible that the doctor will prescribe hormonal medications and indicate the dosage regimen. The Mirena IUD, which contains levonorgestrel, is effective in treating heavy menstruation.

Surgical treatment is indicated in the presence of diseases such as:

endometriosis;
adenomyosis;
polyps.

Hysterectomy or hysterectomy is indicated in the most severe cases, such as when heavy periods are caused by a tumor in premenopausal women.

Will traditional medicine help?

In some cases, treatment can be combined with traditional medicine, after consulting with your doctor.

For heavy periods, the following remedies are effective:

Infusion from shepherd's purse. Preparation: pour two or three tablespoons of herbs into a glass of boiling water.
A decoction of a mixture of yarrow and burnet herbs. A tablespoon of raw material should be brewed with a glass of boiling water. Next, the decoction is kept in a water bath for at least 15 minutes and taken for 14 days, starting around the middle of the menstrual cycle.

How to prevent it?

Preventive measures to avoid heavy periods include:

healthy lifestyle;
moderate physical activity;
food that includes all the necessary vitamins and iron.

Heavy periods are something you shouldn’t turn a blind eye to. It is necessary to consult a doctor, find out the cause of the pathology and begin a course of treatment after the examination.

Video about heavy discharge

The menstrual cycle is a monthly repeating series of events in the body of a healthy woman, including changes in hormonal levels and ensuring a successful pregnancy. The menstrual cycle begins in girls aged 11-12 years with the onset of menarche and continues until the age of 50-55 until menopause occurs. Sometimes heavy periods with clots occur after 45 years; every woman should know what to do in this case.

Menstrual disorders

The duration of a healthy woman's cycle varies from 21 days to 28-30 days. The following periods are distinguished in the menstrual cycle:

The follicular phase is the beginning of the menstrual cycle, lasts from seven to fourteen days and is accompanied by bleeding from the uterine cavity, which is caused by the separation of the functional epithelium of the uterus, due to the absence of pregnancy.
The ovulatory phase is the stage during which, due to the release of a large release of lutein-stimulating hormone, ovulation occurs - the release of a mature egg from the follicle. Lasts about 7 days.
The secretory phase or corpus luteum phase is the part of the menstrual cycle from ovulation to menstrual bleeding, which signals the onset of the next cycle.

Menstrual cycle disorders include:

Amenorrhea is a temporary cessation of the menstrual cycle associated with a number of reasons, such as stress, malnutrition, infectious diseases, benign and malignant neoplasms.
Changes in the timing of the menstrual cycle. Most often, the menstrual cycle increases to pathological periods, usually due to various kinds of disturbances in hormonal regulation at different levels.
Extremely painful menstruation can also be associated with disturbances in hormonal regulation, as well as with surgical interventions in the uterine cavity, erosions, and uterine polyps.

Treatment of menstrual disorders depends on the reasons that caused them. Sometimes it only involves restoring nutrition and eliminating nervous tension, while in other cases it requires hospital observation and serious drug intervention.

Features of menstruation in women over 45 years of age

Throughout life, a woman's body undergoes various changes. This may be due to dozens of reasons: from lifestyle and nutrition to previous diseases.

The menstrual cycle is essentially a litmus test for the state of a woman’s body. If the cycle is regular, without failures, then everything is fine with the other systems, but if a woman has problems with menstruation, this is a clear signal that serious disturbances have occurred somewhere in the functioning or structure of the organ.

The most common changes in menstruation in women over forty years of age are an increase or decrease in its duration, frequency and amount of menstrual fluid, the appearance of pain, irregularity, and the appearance of unpleasant accompanying symptoms such as hot flashes, weakness, dizziness, nervousness, insomnia.

Often women face such a problem as polymenorrhea, i.e. their cycle lasts from 14 to 21 days, with a norm of 21 days to 28 days; most often this condition is physiological and is associated with the gradual inhibition of ovarian function and the body’s preparation for menopause. But polymenorrhea can also be caused by conditions that require medical intervention:

endometriosis;
fibroids, cysts, ;
damage to the vessels of the uterus;
malignant neoplasms.

The above diseases can cause changes in the amount of menstrual fluid secreted in a larger direction. The abundance of menstruation, as well as polymenorrhea, can also be characterized as a physiological state before menopause. However, a woman should consult a doctor for advice and undergo an examination in order to exclude bleeding from the uterus, which is one of the most dangerous, because The uterus is very well supplied with blood and damage to its vessels due to pathological conditions can lead to serious blood loss, which can threaten the life and health of the patient.

A less dangerous consequence of heavy menstruation, but no less serious, is the loss of hemoglobin with released blood and the development of persistent anemia, which leads to oxygen starvation of tissues.

Premenopausal condition

Premenopause is a condition preceding menopause; it usually begins at the age of 42-45 years and lasts from two to ten years. The time of onset of premenopause and menopause depends on hereditary factors, the number of pregnancies, births, abortions, miscarriages, previous infectious and inflammatory processes, and operations.

There are four groups of women, depending on the nature of menstruation during this period.

The first group includes a larger percentage of women; their premenopause is characterized by gradual involution, without causing concern.
In women from the second group, menstruation stops suddenly and never returns. As a rule, they do not exhibit any pathologies.
The third group includes women whose menstruation either stops or starts again, gradually the interval between cycles increases and eventually menstruation stops altogether.
The fourth group is the smallest and faces many problems: hormonal imbalance, metabolism, neoplasms in the ovaries and uterus, anemia, weakness, loss of performance.

The cycles of these women are the most unsystematic, menstruation can be extremely painful, and representatives of this group most often have problems such as polyps, cysts, and adhesions. They have a history of ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and endometriosis.

Women from this group need medical supervision and long-term maintenance therapy, which includes hormone replacement therapy, antibiotic therapy, therapy with anti-inflammatory steroid and non-steroidal drugs, physiotherapy, and, if necessary, surgery.

It is important to be examined by a gynecologist. If you notice heavy periods after 45 years with clots, a specialist will tell you what to do. Very often it is prescribed during menopause. It includes drugs with increased levels of estrogen, which stop the increase in androgen in the ovaries.