Treatment for menorrhagia

Treatment for menorrhagia depends on the severity and cause of the bleeding, your general health state, age, and medical history.

Also, treating menorrhagia modalities depends on your response to certain medicines and your wants and needs. You may not want to have a period at all or want to reduce the amount of bleeding. In addition, your decision to get pregnant or not will affect what treatment you choose. If you do not have anemia, you can choose not to have treatment.

However, listed below are some of the treatments for heavy periods:

Medical care for the treatment of menorrhagia.

Medical care is one of the treatments for heavy periods that should be tailored to the individual. Factors taken into consideration when selecting the appropriate medical treatment for menorrhagia include the patient’s age, coexisting medical diseases, family history, and desire for fertility. Medication costs and adverse effects are also considered because they may directly affect patient compliance.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first-line treatment for heavy periods in ovulatory menorrhagia. Studies show an average reduction of 20–46% in menstrual blood flow. NSAIDs reduce prostaglandin levels by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and decreasing the ratio of prostacyclin to thromboxane. NSAIDs are ingested for only five days of the entire cycle, limiting their most common adverse effect, stomach upset.

Oral contraceptive pills

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are also one of the ideal treatments for menorrhagia for women who desire contraception. Menstrual blood loss is reduced as effectively as NSAIDs secondary to endometrial atrophy. OCPs suppress pituitary gonadotropin release, preventing ovulation. Common adverse effects include breast tenderness, breakthrough bleeding, nausea, and possibly related weight gain in some individuals.

A long-term combination of oral estradiol valerate and dienogest was highly effective when compared with a placebo in heavy-period treatment. Dienogest/estradiol valerate (Natazia) was the first oral contraceptive that the FDA approved for heavy-period treatment in March 2012.

Progestin therapy

Progestin is the most frequently prescribed medication for the treatment of menorrhagia. Therapy with this drug results in a significant reduction in menstrual blood flow when used alone. Progestin works as an antiestrogen by minimizing the effects of estrogen on target cells, thereby maintaining the endometrium in a state of downregulation. Common adverse effects include weight gain, headaches, edema, and depression.

Other common treatments for heavy periods include:

• Iron supplements to put more iron into your blood
• Ibuprofen to reduce pain and amount of bleeding
• Birth control to make periods more regular and reduce bleeding (pills, vaginal rings, patches)
• Intrauterine contraception (IUD) to make periods more regular and reduce bleeding
• Hormone therapy to reduce bleeding
• Desmopressin nasal spray to stop bleeding for certain bleeding disorders
• Antifibrinolytic medicines to reduce bleeding
• Dilation and curettage to minimize bleeding by removing the top layer of the uterus lining
• Operative hysteroscopy to remove fibroids and polyps and remove the lining of the uterus
• Endometrial ablation or resection to remove all or part of the lining of the uterus
• A hysterectomy to surgically remove the uterus, and you will stop having your period.

There are other treatments for menorrhagia, and the natural methods of treatment for menorrhagia have been proven to cause no side effects. We will discuss all the pros and cons of natural treatments for menorrhagia later in this article.

What is menorrhagia?

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Menorrhagia is a common disorder in women. Menorrhagia is the medical term for a heavy period of menstrual bleeding lasting for longer than seven days. About 1 in every 20 women has menorrhagia. Some bleeding can be very heavy, meaning you would change your tampon or pad after less than 2 hours. It can also mean you pass clots the size of a quarter or even more significant.

Menorrhagia can lead to anemia if not treated. Also, heavy bleeding can affect sleep, cause lower abdominal pain, and make enjoyable activities a burden.

If you are experiencing weakness and disruption to everyday life due to heavy bleeding, you should ask your doctor for treatment options.

Causes of a heavy period (menorrhagia).

Where an underlying cause can be identified, treatment should be directed at the underlying cause. For functional uterine bleeding, hormones are often treatment options, such as progesterone or oral contraceptives. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or tranexamic acid tablets, are frequently used. Some surgical procedures, such as endometrial ablation, uterine artery embolization (UAE), or hysterectomy, are sometimes suggested for severe cases.

There are many causes of menorrhagia (heavy periods). A doctor should always diagnose the condition to rule out a variety of potentially serious underlying conditions, such as cancer and uterine fibroids. The causes of heavy menstruation are regularly divided into two categories:

• Functional uterine bleeding: A change in hormone levels is a common cause of abnormal menstrual bleeding.
• Underlying diseases, not hormone imbalances, cause organic uterine bleeding (non-functional uterine bleeding). The following causes are quite common:
  • Endometrial hyperplasia
  • Cancer of the uterus
  • Uterine fibroids, uterine polyps, or adenomyosis
  • Medical conditions such as thyroid and pituitary disorders, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
  • Changes in birth control pills or estrogens that you take
  • Use of certain drugs, such as steroids or blood thinners
  • Use of an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control
  • Recent trauma, surgery, or other uterine procedure
  • Infection in the uterus (pelvic inflammatory disease)
  • Bleeding disorders such as Von Willebrand disease
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Symptoms of a heavy period or menorrhagia.

The most common symptoms of heavy periods include the following:

• Soaking one or more tampons or pads every hour for many consecutive hours
• Doubling up on pads
• Blood clots the size of a quarter or larger
• Bleeding is keeping you from doing normal activities
• Constant pain in the lower part of the stomach
• Lacking energy
• Shortness of breath

Natural Treatment for Heavy Periods: The Way to Stop Heavy Periods.

Natural treatments for heavy periods are very effective and safe; they cause no further side effects. Listed below are different approaches to natural Treatment for heavy periods

Home remedies for heavy periods—the most common natural treatment for menorrhagia

Home remedies are natural remedies for heavy periods that are easy to achieve at home. Listed below are home remedies for menorrhagia:

Hydrate

If you bleed heavily for a few days, your blood volume could become too low. Drinking 4 to 6 cups of water daily can help maintain blood volume. You can also drink an electrolyte solution like Gatorade or add more salt to your diet to balance the extra fluid you drink.

Add more iron-rich foods to your diet.

When you bleed, you lose iron. Your body needs iron to produce hemoglobin, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen. Very heavy periods can deplete your body of iron and lead to iron-deficiency anemia.

Exercises

Exercise is another natural remedy for heavy periods that helps some people deal with menorrhagia. For example, activities such as yoga can help reduce related stress.

Foods to avoid:

• Salt: Consuming too much salt can lead to water retention and make you feel bloated. Try to avoid processed foods with high sodium concentrations.
• Sugar: While the sugar rush is tempting, an excess of it may cause a crash and worsen your mood. The same goes for foods like coffee and chocolate, so try switching these for a good cup of tea instead!
• Foods that take time to digest: Avoid heavy meats or high-fiber foods like corn, beans, etc., that may cause your body to work doubly hard.

Homeopathic remedies for heavy periods – the #1 natural treatment for menorrhagia.

Homeopathic remedies for heavy periods are natural remedies for heavy periods that are a very safe remedy for heavy bleeding during periods. Homeopathic remedies for heavy periods can completely cure women who experience heavy periods. Listed below are homeopathic remedies for heavy periods

Ferrum Metallicum

• Homeopathic medicine Ferrum metallicum is helpful in all those cases of heavy bleeding where women experience excessive bleeding in a very thin, even watery, form.

China

• Homeopathic medicine China is the best cure for women who experience weakness, even to the degree that they faint, after prolonged heavy menstrual bleeding.

Sabina

• Sabina is the top homeopathic medicine for controlling heavy bleeding during periods. This homeopathic remedy is very beneficial when the bleeding is excessive and prolonged.

Chinese medicine for heavy periods: an effective and safe natural treatment for menorrhagia.

Chinese medicine for heavy periods is a treatment for menorrhagia that can be very effective in helping curb the flow of a heavy period. Traditional Chinese medicine has helped manage women’s periods for over 2500 years.  Menorrhagia, or heavy bleeding, is often seen in early perimenopause and the teen years, when hormone levels shift, progesterone levels fall, and estrogen levels rise. The excess estrogen levels give rise to heavy menstrual bleeding.

Chinese medicine for heavy periods is a natural remedy for heavy periods that brings balance to reproductive hormone levels. An experienced acupuncturist can use acupuncture and herbal medicine to regulate your body’s hormonal needs.

Acupuncture for heavy periods has become a more and more popular choice of treatment. In this article, we will discover the mechanism of acupuncture for treatment for a heavy period. Heavy menstruation is called menorrhagia, or hypermenorrhea. Menorrhagia is menstruation at a regular cyclical interval with excessive flow and duration; clinically, loss of blood is more than 80 ml or more per cycle, and/or the bleeding lasts longer than seven days. Aside from the social distress of dealing with a prolonged and heavy period, the blood loss may appear to be greater than the body’s iron reserves or the rate of blood replenishment, leading to anemia.

Acupuncture for heavy periods is the ancient Chinese natural treatment for menorrhagia.

Traditional Chinese medicine offers a natural alternative to medical intervention in treating menorrhagia. Acupuncture for heavy periods is one of many strategies used in TCM. Various studies have been performed, and the results show the effectiveness of acupuncture for heavy periods in most cases that are the result of hormonal misbalance.

Studies have been performed to determine the effect of acupuncture on heavy periods.

A study by Liu (1988) analyzed five groups of patients treated with the appropriate point protocols and needle insertion techniques. Patients received between 7 and 10 daily treatments, with a follow-up three months after treatment. The total effective rate was 90%, with 80% of patients experiencing significant benefits. An interesting secondary feature of the study is the inclusion of blood tests after the completion of acupuncture for heavy period treatment. Post-acupuncture tests revealed the blood cell counts had returned to normal levels.

Another study was performed by Zhang & Wang. They used one acupoint protocol for each patient and the appropriate needle technique. Patients in this study received at least ten treatments, with a follow-up six months after treatment. They reported “complete cure” in 86% of cases, with a 100% “total effective rate.”

In the third study (1994), patients received individualized acupuncture for heavy period treatment according to Chinese medical diagnosis. A course of treatment involved daily acupuncture for heavy periods during the period of 4 to 5 days before and after menstruation. Patients received no more than three courses of treatment. According to mid-cycle luteinizing hormone and cervical mucus values, this study found that acupuncture was effective in regulating ovulation and normalizing the menstrual cycle in patients who had previously used oral contraceptives. In 84.2% of cases, significant benefits were achieved through acupuncture for heavy period treatment. There was no follow-up to gauge the long-term benefits. The authors also observed that those who had used the oral contraceptive pill for more than 2-3 years and those with a history of menstrual disorders before using oral contraception required more acupuncture for heavy period treatments.

Chinese medicine practitioners treat menorrhagia according to the initial cause, symptoms, and signs and based on a pulse and tongue diagnosis. Acupuncture for heavy periods, herbal medicine, and some other modalities of Chinese medicine can be used alone or combined, depending on the individual situation. Acupuncture for heavy periods, two or three times per week for four weeks, is common. Herbal medicine is often used in the clinic twice daily for ten days. Individual patient’s responses to acupuncture or herbal medicine are different, so treatment courses and modalities must be customized from person to person.

Natural treatments for menorrhagia in Philadelphia.

If your period is so heavy that you quickly blot your tampons or pads—or you have to use multiple protections in half—there are a few things you can do to relieve this condition.
You may be able to ease your symptoms and get your cycle back on track simply by making a few changes to your diet. In some cases, resting and taking over-the-counter pain relievers are sufficient. If, however, it doesn’t work, natural treatments for menorrhagia would be your best choice.

To make an appointment for an initial FREE consultation at Philadelphia Acupuncture Clinic and to discuss with Doctor Victor Tsan a treatment plan, contact our clinic at (267) 314-7575 or use our automatic scheduling system by clicking “book appointment” on the top menu.