How to distinguish bleeding from menstruation and make the right decision. How to distinguish uterine bleeding from menstruation

What's in the article:

Menstruation is a natural process of removing exfoliated epithelium from the uterus. But sometimes they are so profuse that they resemble bleeding. How to determine what exactly is happening in the body and prevent possible complications?

What is the difference?

Before understanding what is happening to a woman, heavy periods or bleeding, you need to clearly separate these concepts. Menstruation does not pose a threat to the body and is a completely natural process. Bleeding is a dangerous phenomenon, indicating serious pathologies of the woman's reproductive system. It may occur for the following reasons:

• abortion or natural termination of pregnancy (miscarriage);
• inflammation of the genital organs;
• C-section;
• inflammation or disease of the pelvic organs;
• hormonal imbalance;
• iron deficiency or vitamin deficiency;
• abscess;
• tumor neoplasms;
• intoxication of the body as a result of constant diets;
• blood diseases;
• increased physical activity;
• infections.

Symptoms of heavy menstruation may include the following:

• three-week interval between menstruation;
• the need to frequently change the gasket (even at night);
• aching pain in the lower abdomen that has never existed before;
• weakness;
• dizziness and nausea.

If the question arises of how to distinguish bleeding from heavy periods, then you should familiarize yourself with a number of characteristic signs for pathological bleeding.

1. Large volume of blood released (more than 80 ml). This can be easily determined by the number of gaskets replaced. If the number is more than 8, then this indicates bleeding.
2. The discharge has a liquid consistency, without clots.
3. Duration of bleeding. Normally, they should not last longer than a week. If the discharge of blood is pathological, a few days after the start of menstruation, its intensity increases.
4. Atypical menstrual cycle (less than 3 or more than 5 weeks).
5. Discharge after menopause.
6. Blood is removed from the body continuously.
7. The discharge has a deep red color.
8. Bloody discharge appears after sexual intercourse.

If a woman notices at least one of the signs of bleeding, she should immediately seek advice from a specialist.

Uncharacteristic symptoms

In addition to the obvious and understandable signs of bleeding, a woman may also experience symptoms related to her well-being. It is imperative to listen to your body during this period and highlight features that are uncharacteristic for it. You can understand a woman’s heavy periods or bleeding by the following symptoms:

• general weakness in the body;
• fast fatiguability;
• vomiting or nausea;
• fainting;
• rapid or weakened pulse;
• pain in the lower abdomen;
• pallor or blueness of the face.

If bleeding coincides with menstruation, it can be determined by the following signs:

• fragility and pallor of the nail plates;
• sudden and profuse hair loss;
• irregular menstruation;
• Possibility of appearing between periods.

Bleeding during menstruation

Sometimes bleeding appears during menstruation. It is divided into the following varieties:

1. Menorrhagia. Heavy periods for a long time.
2. Metrorrhagia. Discharge of blood that occurs between periods. The cycle in this case is always broken.
3. Menometrorrhagia. Long-lasting menstruation that occurs irregularly.
4. Polymenorrhea. Bloody discharge that appears before 21 days from the end of menstruation.

Implantation bleeding

This kind of bleeding occurs during implantation of the egg into the endometrium. In this case, the blood vessels are slightly damaged, which is why scarlet discharge is formed. As a rule, this process occurs 5-7 days before the start of menstruation. You can distinguish implantation bleeding from menstruation by the following signs:

1. It lasts no more than a day.
2. The volume of secretions is so small that only one daily pad is enough to absorb them.
3. How else can you tell the difference between implantation bleeding and heavy periods? These discharges have a pinkish or yellowish tint with bloody streaks.
4. The attachment of the egg is accompanied by a nagging pain sensation.
5. After implantation of the egg, the basal body temperature rises above 37 degrees.

How to determine whether heavy periods or implantation bleeding is occurring in a woman’s body? The answer is simple. Discharge when the egg is implanted in the uterus does not cause the woman much discomfort.

Discharge after childbirth

It is also worth mentioning bloody discharge after childbirth (lochia). On average, they last approximately 2 months and do not pose any threat to the mother’s body. Signs of bleeding during lochia may include;

• bright red color of discharge, 5 days after birth;
• change in body temperature, chills, fever;
• speed of soaking of the postpartum pad (about an hour);
• the presence of a large number of clots;
• renewed scarlet discharge at the end of lochia;
• unpleasant odor from discharge.

If a woman is bothered by any of the listed symptoms, she should immediately consult a doctor.

Bleeding during menopause

At this time, a woman’s risk of developing tumors increases. This is due to changes in hormonal levels and a decrease in estrogen levels.

Distinctive features of bleeding of this nature are pain during sexual intercourse and a long interval between menstruation (more than 3 months).

Bloody discharge during pregnancy

During gestation, any bleeding is a deviation from the norm. If they appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. If they are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pain in the lower abdomen and increased sweating, then this phenomenon poses a direct threat to the baby’s life.

Types of bleeding

Doctors divide uterine bleeding into three large groups:

1. Normal. Your period comes every cycle.
2. Conditionally normal. Discharge occurs before or after ovulation. Implantation bleeding also falls into this group.
3. Pathological. Such bleeding is possible at any age. They are divided into functional (arising as a result of diseases of the endocrine system) and systemic (during neoplasms or pathologies of the reproductive or immune system).

In addition to dividing into groups, experts also distinguish certain types of bleeding:

Dysfunctional

With such bleeding, a woman experiences severe blood loss over a long period of time. They pose a particular danger to adolescents and menopausal women. With this type of discharge, the body contains an increased amount of estrogen or progesterone. To reduce their number, hormonal therapy is used.

They in turn are divided into:

• ovulatory (the cycle is disrupted and has an abnormal course);
• anovulatory (large blood loss followed by poor health and weakness).

Juvenile

As a result of hormonal imbalance, the corpus luteum does not form. This phenomenon often occurs in adolescents and women with tumors in the pelvic organs. Sometimes bleeding may occur seasonally.

Breakthrough

As a rule, such bleeding occurs due to taking incorrectly selected oral contraceptives or as a result of damage to the uterus by the IUD. To combat a problem, it is enough to eliminate the cause of its occurrence.

Profuse

Such bleeding is more similar to menstruation than others. Their main differences are the volume of discharge and its scarlet color.

Profuse bleeding poses a threat to a woman’s health and requires immediate surgical intervention.

What to do to reduce menstruation

If your periods are too heavy, you can reduce their number as follows:

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Get more rest and sleep.
3. Reduce physical activity and temporarily stop playing sports.
4. Do not lift heavy objects.
5. Do not warm up the body in a bathhouse, sauna, etc.
6. Do not drink alcohol or coffee drinks.

You can also apply a cool heating pad to your stomach for 15 minutes to reduce discharge, but no more than that.

Often, medications or folk remedies are used to eliminate this problem. But in order to choose the right medicine and determine its dosage, you should consult a specialist.

It doesn’t matter at all if a woman has bleeding or heavy menstruation, since both of these phenomena can be a sign of serious pathologies that require the help of doctors.

Every representative of the fair sex is familiar with the process of menstruation. This process takes on average five days each month and is considered completely natural from an anatomical point of view. There are also cases when girls mistake the bleeding process for menstruation, which is considered a deviation from the norm. To detect the problem in a timely manner, it is important to know how to distinguish uterine bleeding from menstruation. This can be done quickly and easily after establishing the causes and symptoms of both processes.

Many women are concerned about the question of how to distinguish menstruation from dangerous discharge. The menstrual cycle of a healthy girl proceeds as follows:

1. The duration of menstruation for each woman is individual, but clearly corresponds to the interval from 3 to 7 days.
2. The duration of the cycle is considered an individual indicator, but is no less than 21 days and no more than 36 days.
3. On the first day of menstruation, the discharge is scanty and has a brown tint. From the second day, the amount of discharge increases until the penultimate day.
4. A sign that menstruation is coming to an end is a slight discharge of dark red or even burgundy colors.
5. During the period of the cycle, a girl may suffer from nagging pain in the lower abdomen or in the lumbar area. A state of slight malaise and dizziness cannot be ruled out.

Many women are alarmed by the presence of clots during their menstrual periods. This phenomenon is considered normal, and if it is absent, you should consult a gynecologist.

It is important to note that using four pads is normal menstruation; periods that require more sanitary products are considered heavy.

Another sign of the norm is that pain is easily eliminated with the help of an anesthetic drug and does not cause significant discomfort in everyday life.

Abundant menstruation

An impressive number of girls face this problem. Menorrhagia is a completely normal phenomenon, but in order to exclude the formation of complications, you should be periodically observed by your doctor. As a rule, heavy bleeding has its own specific meaning: in most cases, a woman undergoes changes in the functioning of the female organs.

The cause of the phenomenon may be:

• vitamin B deficiency;
• the presence of a spiral in the uterus;
• interrupted pregnancy or abortion;
• blood clot formation;
• the presence of gynecological disease or other diseases.

In order to exclude the possibility of pathology, it is enough to find out what reasons are considered normal:

1. The presence of a predisposition that is transmitted in the family through the female line.
2. Copious discharge is present during the first menstruation in life.
3. Women undergoing menopause undergo changes.

You can distinguish heavy periods using characteristic signs:

• the presence of general weakness throughout the body;
• presence of nausea and fainting;
• severe and prolonged headaches;
• increased body temperature;
• the discharge is so much higher than normal that the pad has to be changed every hour;
• The duration of menstruation can exceed nine days.

Heavy periods are distinguished by the fact that they make changes in a woman’s appearance:

1. The skin becomes unhealthy and pale.
2. Hair splits a lot and falls out.
3. Nails break and lose their former density.
4. Habitual physical training becomes difficult and overwhelming.

Having familiarized yourself with how to determine what is bothering a girl, heavy periods or bleeding, it should be mentioned that treatment, as a rule, begins with an examination and examination by a doctor. After making a diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe individual medications and procedures to eliminate the disease.

Deviations in implantation

The main sign of pregnancy is the absence of menstruation for all nine months. But about a third of girls who are preparing to become mothers are faced with implantation discharge. The reason for this deviation is that during the period of contact of the fertilized egg with the uterus, minor microtraumas can form.

You can distinguish non-hazardous discharge by the following signs:

1. Delicate pink tint.
2. Duration does not exceed three hours.
3. Slight jump in temperature.
4. No pain.

In this position, it is very important to determine whether menstruation or bleeding worries the expectant mother, since the latter process may be associated with more serious reasons:

• pregnancy stopped developing due to fetal death;
• the course of an ectopic pregnancy;
• there is a high probability that a miscarriage will occur;
• development of pathology at the genetic level.

Any of the above reasons endangers not only the life of the baby, but also the life of his mother. Therefore, you should immediately contact a gynecologist, who will make a specific diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Postpartum hemorrhage

Another natural process is considered to be the presence of discharge after a woman gives birth. Over the next two months, the woman does not have her usual menstruation, and is replaced by lochia, which has its own distinctive features:

• the duration of the process can be 30 days or more;
• the discharge is insignificant: for protection you will need a daily pad, which should be changed every three hours;
• colorless and light brown shade;
• pronounced, specific odor;

Often, due to the lack of necessary knowledge, a woman confuses postpartum discharge with bleeding. It poses a great danger to health, so it is important to detect it in time.

In the question of how to distinguish menstruation from bleeding after childbirth, the characteristics of bleeding will help:

1. Significant amount of blood.
2. The presence of severe pain in the lower abdomen.
3. Low pressure.
4. Increased body temperature.
5. The blood is bright red.
6. Feeling unwell, nausea may be present.

In order not to worsen the general condition, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Drink plenty of fluids.
2. Avoid heavy physical activity.
3. Provide a state of absolute rest.
4. It is forbidden to take hot showers and visit the sauna.
5. Eliminate drinks containing caffeine from the diet and give up alcohol.
6. A cold compress using a heating pad will be helpful. Exposure to cold should not exceed twenty minutes.

Uterine bleeding

Unlike heavy periods, this type is considered more serious and dangerous for the female body. Often, girls do not immediately recognize this pathology due to puberty or menopause.

The most common reasons for deviation are:

• presence of a uterine tumor;
• taking medications that contain hormones;
• the presence of an inflammatory process;
• irregular postpartum menstruation, menstruation;
• the presence of other serious diseases.

There is a group of reasons that differ in that the girl herself provokes their appearance:

• interrupted pregnancy;
• strict diet;
• frequent stay in an emotionally excited state;
• excessive physical exertion or work involving heavy loads.

Considering the fact that bleeding has serious consequences, it is important to know how to recognize it.

A girl should be wary if she has the following symptoms:

• instability of the menstrual cycle: long delays or vice versa, menstruation comes much earlier than the due date;
• there is so much discharge that the sanitary pad has to be changed every hour;
• menstrual discharge is liquid, without a specific odor, its color changes throughout the critical days;
• There are no blood clots at all.

Also, menstruation differs from uterine bleeding in that the latter pathology causes the patient to develop a state of shock. Changes may occur in a woman's body:

1. Heartbeat quickens.
2. The girl often shudders and feels feverish.
3. There is excessive sweating.
4. Presence of nausea.

It is necessary to distinguish bleeding from menstruation in a timely manner in order to prevent the development of anemia. This disease is extremely unpleasant due to its consequences:

• throughout the entire time the woman remains in a state of fatigue and drowsiness;
• the skin takes on an unhealthy yellow tint and loses elasticity;
• mental faculties are dulled.

No matter how different the signs are from the sample, you should still pay attention to them, and then immediately consult a doctor.

Drug treatment

Having become familiar with how to distinguish bleeding from menstruation, you can begin treatment. At the first stage, the patient comes for an examination to her attending physician, who conducts a thorough examination and takes all the necessary tests to establish a diagnosis.

If the doctor has confirmed that the discharge is not menstruation and that menstruation is of a different nature, then a course of restorative medications is prescribed. Drugs that contain hormones are used in particularly advanced cases and must be used with extreme caution, adhering to all instructions.

The method of curettage of the uterus is relevant in the presence of pathologies associated with this organ. It is important to remember that for girls who have not given birth, this procedure is prescribed only in particularly severe cases.

A complex of vitamins that will strengthen a weakened body is considered mandatory for internal use.

ethnoscience

The doctor will not only acquaint the patient with how to distinguish bleeding, but will also give useful tips in treatment with traditional therapy. The following decoctions can help cope with heavy periods:

1. A tablespoon of chopped nettle is poured into 300 ml of boiling water, and then boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. The liquid is infused and taken 150 ml at least five times a day.
2. The following drink will help stabilize the menstrual cycle itself: freshly squeezed viburnum juice is mixed with sugar. The dose of the medicine should not exceed four teaspoons three times a day.
3. Orange will also be useful. Five citrus peels are poured with two liters of boiling water and boiled until the water in the container is no more than 500 ml. Sugar is added solely according to the patient's preference. The daily dose of the medicine consists of 12 spoons, which are taken in three doses.

A decoction of oak bark and rose hips, which can compensate for the lack of iron in the body, is also considered effective.

How to help yourself

Many girls wonder how to understand what can be done when bleeding and what cannot be done.

1. Limit yourself from any activity that requires decent physical fitness.
2. Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and beef. It is important to note that food must be steamed.
3. To prevent symptoms from becoming more pronounced, the woman must be provided with a state of absolute rest.
4. The body should be free of tight clothing and any accessories that may cause discomfort.
5. The room in which the patient is located must be well ventilated.

Bleeding and menstruation are two completely different physiological conditions. But if menstruation is a normal process for the female body, then bleeding is already a deviation and indicates health problems. It is possible to recognize menstruation or bleeding only by knowing the causes and symptoms of one or another phenomenon.

In most cases, critical days are accompanied by headaches, pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, in general, the condition is not the most pleasant. But this is a natural process, because bleeding from menstruation in almost all cases does not pose a threat to the body. But sometimes heavy discharge during menstruation makes a woman worry about her health.

The menstrual cycle is 22-35 days, this is considered normal. The periods themselves usually last from 3 days to a week, the figure is purely individual. The amount of blood released during these days should not exceed 80 ml; if up to 150 ml or more is excreted, this is already heavy menstruation.

This phenomenon is called menorrhagia; it is not considered a pathological condition in the following cases:

• if it is transmitted to a woman at the genetic level, a similar phenomenon was observed in the family through the female line during reproductive age, which does not have a negative effect on the body;
• The condition appeared in the girl at the beginning of puberty. At this time, the cycle has not yet been established, and fluctuations in sex hormones produced by the ovaries can cause menorrhagia;
• on the eve of menopause, scanty discharge may give way to heavy discharge.

Menorrhagia is classified into two types: primary - which occurs during the first menstruation in teenage girls, and secondary - which appears in women in adulthood.

Menorrhagia has several pronounced symptoms:

• intense aching nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
• dizziness;
• headache;
• nosebleeds;
• bleeding gums;
• loss of consciousness;
• temperature increase;
• general weakness.

The color of blood in menorrhagia is usually bright red and may contain clots.

Causes of heavy periods

In addition to natural causes that affect the amount of blood released, there are a number of pathologies that can cause this phenomenon.

Throughout a woman's life, the hormonal balance changes many times. All physiological processes are associated with sex hormones; when the balance is disturbed, this causes heavy bleeding. The balance may be disturbed due to diseases of the endocrine system or taking hormonal drugs.

Diseases of the uterus and ovaries

There are many diseases of the female reproductive system that can provoke heavy menstruation:

• fibroids are a benign neoplasm that changes the structure of the endometrium. During rejection, a large number of vessels are damaged, hence intense bleeding;
• Uterine adenomyosis - this pathology can be congenital or occur as a result of trauma to the uterus, for example during childbirth or abortion. It is characterized by the germination of the mucous membrane into the wall of the uterus, when the endometrium begins to exfoliate, this is accompanied by severe pain and heavy bleeding;

• ovarian dysfunction - when the ovaries malfunction, there is insufficient production of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. At the same time, a certain cycle gets lost, menstruation becomes either scanty or too abundant;
• polyps - the place of growth can be both the uterus itself and the cervix. They appear from endometrial cells, are easily damaged and begin to bleed, which is the cause of intense bleeding. If such growths are not removed, they can turn into a malignant tumor;
• a malignant tumor can also cause heavy periods.

If heavy bleeding is not caused by a genetic predisposition, this is an occasion to immediately consult a doctor.

In any case, blood loss is a danger to the body. The exception is menstruation, but almost a third of uterine bleeding is associated with pathological processes in the reproductive organs of a woman. And although in most cases they do not pose a serious threat, they can cause poor health, anemia, and changes in blood composition. The cause of bleeding may be:

• voluntary or forced termination of pregnancy;
• C-section;
• avitaminosis;
• fasting or dieting;
• poor blood clotting;
• frequent stressful situations;
• infectious diseases;
• hormonal disbalance;
• hard physical work;
• lifting weights;
• inflammatory processes in the body;
• various neoplasms.

All bleeding can be divided into three categories:

• normal;
• conditionally normal;
• pathological, which, in turn, are divided into functional, organic and systemic.

How to distinguish menstruation from bleeding? Some women sometimes do not quite understand what process is currently taking place. To understand this, you should find out the cause and type of bleeding.

Classification of bleeding

Before determining what is happening, you need to pay attention to the symptoms, since each type of bleeding has characteristic symptoms.

Postpartum hemorrhage

Bloody discharge (lochia) after childbirth is a completely normal phenomenon; cleansing the uterine cavity of the placenta is a rather lengthy process, lasting much longer than menstruation. The average period of discharge is approximately 8 weeks. Towards the end, the discharge becomes light, almost transparent.

There are several signs of how to distinguish menstruation from bleeding after childbirth:

• if the discharge was light, but became bright red again;
• lochia has an unpleasant odor;
• the discharge has become liquid and has no clots;
• body temperature rises;
• blood pressure decreases;
• suffer from headaches;
• general weakness is felt;
• there is a need to change the sanitary pad every hour.

If you have doubts about the normality of what is happening, you should consult a doctor.

This type of bleeding is a consequence of the implantation of a mature and fertilized egg into the endometrial layer. Sometimes, during the implantation process, the blood vessels of the endometrium are damaged, which may result in slight bleeding. This usually happens in the middle of the menstrual cycle. Doctors say that implantation bleeding usually does not have pronounced signs, but certain symptoms still make it possible to accurately identify it:

• basal temperature drops briefly;
• there is a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen;
• bleeding is usually scanty;
• general weakness.

It is believed that the implantation of a fertilized egg, if the procedure is performed correctly, should not be accompanied by bleeding.

Uterine bleeding due to pathologies

There are a large variety of uterine bleeding, but the most common of them are:

• Juvenile bleeding - most often occurs in girls during puberty, but it also occurs in adult women and is seasonal. This pathology usually appears due to various ailments of the female genital organs, due to vitamin deficiency, active sports or due to poor nutrition;
• profuse uterine bleeding - accompanied by copious bleeding and is therefore considered one of the most dangerous pathologies. This type of bleeding is very similar to menstruation, but usually occurs in the middle of the cycle. Due to large blood loss, a woman may face anemia;
• breakthrough bleeding - can occur due to an incorrectly selected or placed intrauterine device, or due to the use of contraceptives.

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding

This type of pathology is characterized by duration and quite severe blood loss. It can occur at any age, at any stage of development of the female reproductive system. This is most often associated with malfunctions in the following organs:

• pituitary gland;
• hypothalamus;
• ovaries;
• adrenal glands.

Dysfunctional bleeding is divided into two types:

• ovulatory - they are distinguished from regular menstruation by the duration of the period and scanty discharge. In some cases, ovulatory menstruation is short, with significant blood loss, with an interval of 35 days;
• anovulatory - characterized by heavy bleeding, cycle disruptions, loss of appetite, weakness and drowsiness.

The main reasons that provoke dysfunctional bleeding can be frequent stress, severe fatigue, climate change, and disruption of the endocrine system.

Bleeding during pregnancy

After pregnancy, a woman's periods stop and are absent until the end of pregnancy or the end of breastfeeding. But there are exceptions - this is implantation bleeding or obstetric bleeding. The latter appears during the birth of a child. All other types of discharge during gestation indicate serious disturbances in the course of pregnancy.

To distinguish between periods and bleeding during pregnancy, you should immediately consult a doctor, since the reasons that cause this phenomenon are usually very serious:

• non-developing pregnancy - fetal death at different stages;
• ectopic pregnancy - when a fertilized egg settles and attaches to the fallopian tube;
• threat of miscarriage - can be caused by both physiological and mechanical reasons, for example, injuries;
• disruption of the chorion implantation process - accompanied by slight bleeding;
• genetic abnormalities.

In all cases, bleeding poses a serious threat to the health and life of both the mother and the unborn baby.

There are several clear signs of how to distinguish uterine bleeding from menstruation:

• The volume of blood lost is the most important factor. This figure should not exceed 80 ml, but losses of more than that are fraught with anemia;
• when there is an hourly need to change the gasket;
• color is also an important factor. During menstruation, the blood is usually dark, and during bleeding it is bright scarlet;

• cycle failure - when this process continues from month to month, it is not at all difficult to determine whether it is menstruation or bleeding;
• Duration - the normal course of menstruation is 3 - 7 days, bleeding usually takes a longer period.

As already mentioned, bleeding is a deviation from the norm that requires medical intervention. But at the same time, it would not be superfluous to know something about first aid. This procedure requires simple steps. If intense bleeding occurs, you need to drink more fluid, take a horizontal position and put a cold compress on your stomach before the doctor arrives.

Monthly uterine bleeding is normal for women of reproductive age. However, vaginal bleeding can also be pathological.

Heavy bleeding during menstruation indicates the development of pathological processes in the female body. In such situations, it is important to know how to stop bleeding at home.

Heavy bleeding during menstruation can be easily distinguished from normal menstrual flow. In the pathological process, bleeding is prolonged and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• heavy discharge does not stop for a week;
• the need to frequently change hygiene products – up to 8-10 times a day;
• presence of blood clots;
• severe pain in the lower abdomen, which is nagging in nature;
• headache and dizziness.

Blood loss during menstruation in a healthy woman averages 60 ml over the entire menstrual cycle. The first days of discharge are accompanied by mild aching pain in the lower abdomen caused by contraction of the uterus. Heavy menstrual bleeding is defined as bleeding from the uterus of more than 80 ml per cycle.

Causes of severe bleeding

Heavy menstrual bleeding may have the following causes:

• abortions and medical termination of pregnancy;
• inflammatory processes of the pelvic organs;
• tumors and neoplasms in the uterus and ovaries;
• infectious diseases;
• endometriosis;
• use of intrauterine contraceptives;
• thyroid diseases.

Such processes that cause disturbances in the menstrual cycle and the amount of uterine discharge require mandatory treatment. However, it is important to know how to stop heavy periods at home in order to provide first aid before contacting a specialist.

As soon as the woman realized that she had severe uterine bleeding, while there was a deterioration in the condition, an ambulance should be called. Before the arrival of medical workers, you can try to reduce the intensity of uterine bleeding on your own.

1. It is necessary to take a horizontal position so that the legs are higher in relation to the body. To do this, you can put a pillow under them.
2. Apply a cold object to the lower abdomen for 15 minutes. An ice pack will do. Cold constricts blood vessels and can reduce blood loss.
3. You need to drink plenty of fluids to replenish your fluid balance. You can drink water, juices, sweet tea.

This table presents the main hemostatic drugs used for severe uterine bleeding.

All these medications can only be used under the supervision of specialists.

It is important to know how to stop bleeding during menstruation at home. In gynecology, two drugs are widely used for this purpose - Dicinon and Tranexam.

Action and use of Dicynon

Dicinone activates blood clotting and has a vasoconstrictor effect. The therapeutic effect occurs approximately 3 hours after administration of the drug into the body. When administered intravenously, the effect occurs after 20 minutes.

In case of severe blood loss, a single dose can consist of 3 tablets, or can be prescribed for a course of up to 10 days. In gynecology, Dicinon is also used for prophylaxis against a tendency to uterine bleeding.

The following side effects of Dicinon may occur:

• nausea;
• heartburn;
• dizziness;
• general weakness and malaise;
• hypotension;
• allergic reactions - itching and rashes on the skin.

Dicinon is not suitable for all women for menstrual bleeding. The drug has the following contraindications:

• glucose-lactose deficiency;
• blood diseases;
• liver and kidney diseases;
• increased blood clotting.

Tranexam for bleeding

Tranexam has hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor effects. The duration of taking the drug should not exceed 4 days. Daily dose – 6 tablets in 2-3 doses. Tranexam is administered intravenously every 8 hours.

Tranexam has the following contraindications:

• thrombosis;
• color vision impairment;
• individual intolerance;
• kidney diseases.

When using Tranexam, the following side effects are possible:

• vomiting, dizziness, nausea;
• weakness, drowsiness;
• tachycardia;
• chest pain;
• allergy.

In addition to Dicinon and Tranexam, you can reduce menstrual flow using such means as:

• Lagochilus tincture – dissolve in water 1:5, take 3 times a day;
• water pepper tincture - take 3 times a day, 30 drops.

Every woman's home medicine cabinet should have at least one of the drugs that have a hemostatic effect.

It is also possible that menstruation ends, but bleeding soon begins after menstruation. A specialist will tell you how to stop blood loss after a complete examination of the patient. Bleeding that begins after menstruation and is not associated with it is referred to in gynecology as “metrorrhagia.”

This pathology may have the following reasons:

• ectopic pregnancy;
• miscarriage;
• hormonal disorders;
• chronic infections of the pelvic organs;
• rupture of a cyst or ovary;
• presence of erosion, polyps;
• taking oral contraceptives.

A specialist will be able to determine the exact cause of pathological bleeding from the vagina after an examination. Before contacting a specialist, a woman can take hemostatic drugs or traditional medicine.

Folk remedies for severe bleeding

Traditional medicine will also help stop bleeding.

Heavy bleeding during menstruation can be stopped using the following means:

1. Lemon. If you have heavy menstruation, you can eat lemon alone or with sugar. You need to eat two lemons a day.
2. Water pepper. This remedy increases blood clotting, relieves pain and has a wound healing effect. To prepare the medicine, 2 tbsp. l. dry herbs pour 400 ml of boiling water. Infuse water pepper for half an hour and take 1 tbsp. l. every two hours.
3. Cuff. The plant has an astringent, wound healing, hemostatic and analgesic effect on the female body, and is widely used in pharmacology. To prepare tea, pour 30 g of dry herb into 1/2 liter of boiling water. Infuse the drink for an hour, take it three times a day until the unpleasant symptoms disappear.
4. Shepherd's purse. This medicinal plant has a hemostatic effect on the body. You can use baths made from the plant or use it as a tea. To prepare medicinal tea, pour 20 g of herb with two cups of boiling water, leave for an hour, divide into 3 doses and take before meals. To prepare a sitz bath for 1 liter of boiling water you will need 2 tbsp. plants. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes, the course is 5 days.
5. Nettle. The plant is a good remedy for maintaining uterine tone. 1 tbsp. l. nettle leaves, pour ½ liter of water, strain after 20 minutes, and take 100 ml at a time.
6. Cinnamon. The spice will help reduce the intensity of bleeding during heavy menstruation. In a glass of warm water, stir 3 tbsp. l. ground cinnamon. This remedy should be taken every half an hour until heavy bleeding stops.

If heavy menstrual bleeding occurs, measures should be taken to reduce blood loss. To determine the cause of the pathology, you should seek help from a specialist.

How to distinguish menstruation from bleeding, you need to know every girl and woman. This information will help to recognize the pathology in the work of the body in a timely manner and consult a doctor.

Any blood loss is a condition dangerous to the body. The exception is critical days, during which bloody discharge occurs once every 28 days for 3-7 days.

Uterine bleeding, which is not normal menstruation, occurs in most cases due to dysfunction of the organs of the reproductive system.

The following factors can lead to the onset of bleeding from the uterus in a woman:

• premature termination of pregnancy (miscarriage);
• artificial termination of pregnancy (, also and);
• consequences of childbirth or caesarean section;
• hormonal imbalance;
• unbalanced nutrition due to diets, fasting;
• lack of vitamins and microelements (especially iron);
• infectious diseases;
• inflammatory processes in the organs of the reproductive system;
• the presence of malignant or benign tumors (for example);
• blood diseases, resulting in impaired blood clotting;
• depression, stress;
• excessive physical activity.

How to distinguish periods from bleeding

You should know how to distinguish bleeding from heavy periods. Menstruation in a woman is the only type of bleeding that occurs during the healthy functioning of the reproductive system.

They begin in adolescents, starting at 11-12 years of age. They go normally every month throughout a woman’s life, until the onset of menopause. Missing periods is normal during pregnancy.

For a number of reasons, it is possible, the symptoms of which are as follows:

• long or short cycle;
• duration more than 7 days;
• abundant or ;
• a large number of ;
• change in normal color - darker than usual, or, conversely, bright red.

What should you pay attention to?

To distinguish heavy periods from bleeding, you should know the signs of blood loss that is not associated with normal menstruation:

• Volume. During normal menstruation, the discharge is no more than 50 g on all days. Heavy discharge can be up to 80 g. The volume of menstruation exceeding these values ​​is fraught with the development of iron deficiency anemia. If a pad or tampon has to be changed once every hour, this is a way to distinguish uterine bleeding from menstruation. In this case, urgent medical attention is required.
• Violation . Sudden menstruation may indicate the presence of a gynecological disease. Normal menstruation is a light discharge on the first and second days, an increase in volume on the second and third days and a suspension of the amount on subsequent days until complete completion. The duration of heavy discharge or prolonged scanty discharge may indicate uterine bleeding.
• Color. How can you tell if a woman is menstruating or bleeding? You can pay attention to the color. During menstruation, the blood has a dark tint; during bleeding, the color is bright, scarlet, rich and combined with profuseness.
• Clots. To distinguish uterine bleeding from heavy menstruation, you should pay attention to the presence of clots. During menstruation, blood clots form as a result of blood clotting, so the presence of small clots is the norm. The absence of clots and pure blood in the discharge is already a pathology.
• Duration. Menstruation lasts from 3 to 7 days. Discharge beyond this period may be bleeding.

Types of bleeding

Let us consider in more detail the reasons why uterine bleeding may begin.

After childbirth

Bloody discharge after the birth process is a natural process of restoring the female body. They are called lochia. The duration can be up to 60 days.

A woman should worry about the following symptoms:

• increased body temperature above normal;
• bright scarlet color;
• absence of clots;
• unpleasant odor;
• weakness and poor health.

Implantation bleeding

This type of discharge occurs during conception. The egg after fertilization passes into the uterine cavity, where it begins to penetrate into its wall. As a result, the tissue of the uterine wall is destroyed, capillaries burst, spotting appears.

You can identify implantation bleeding if you have the following symptoms:

• this was preceded by unprotected sexual contact;
• early signs of pregnancy appeared - malaise, mild nausea, drowsiness, breast swelling.

To confirm, you can do this, which will show a positive result.

Dysfunction

This condition occurs when there is a hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body.

The reason for the malfunction of the ovaries and other reproductive organs can be:

• abortions;
• the onset of menopause;
• stress;
• taking medications;
• unbalanced diet.

Along with bleeding, the woman experiences accompanying symptoms:

• dizziness and weakness;
• pain in the lower abdomen and lower back;
• decreased ability to work.

Treatment

Major blood loss requires emergency medical care.

If a woman does not know how to distinguish menstruation from uterine bleeding, but suspects pathology and feels characteristic symptoms, it is necessary to call a doctor and:

• take a lying position, put something under your feet so that they are higher than your body;
• drink warm tea, water to avoid dehydration;
• Apply dry cold to the abdomen to reduce blood loss.

Treatment is usually carried out in a hospital. But this is preceded by a full examination. Only based on the test results will the doctor make a diagnosis and prescribe the necessary therapy.

The following drugs are often used to reduce blood loss, including during heavy menstruation:

• . An effective drug, however, it has a number of contraindications and can lead to the formation of blood clots in case of problems with blood vessels.
• . This drug is often prescribed to be taken before the onset of menstruation if there is a problem with their abundance, about 5 days in advance.
• Vikasol. It is used both in tablets and injections. The greatest effectiveness is observed when administered intramuscularly.

At home, if you have heavy menstruation, you can take herbs, for example. However, in this case, the effectiveness will be lower than when using medications.

And it must be remembered that self-medication is dangerous to health and life. Problems with menstruation require seeing a doctor, examination and proper treatment.

Video about the causes of pathology