Normal menstruation occurs for 4-5 days, totals 2-3 tablespoons and occurs every 25-31 days. If those numbers don’t sound like your regular periods, you could be suffering from menorrhagia, the medical term for menstrual periods in which bleeding is abnormally heavy or prolonged. “Heavy periods” refers to more than just heavy bleeding and can greatly impact a woman’s day-to-day activities.
Heavy Bleeding Symptoms
Heavy bleeding symptoms can include the following:
- Soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours
- Needing to use double sanitary protection to control your menstrual flow
- The need to wake up to change sanitary protection during the night
- Bleeding for 7 days or longer
- Passing large blood clots with menstrual flow
- Restricting daily activities such as exercise, sexual intimacy or social functions due to heavy menstrual flow
- Tiredness, fatigue or shortness of breath (symptoms of anemia)
An Ablation Can Help Heavy Bleeding
In many cases, Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists can treat heavy bleeding with a procedure called an ablation, a 10-minute procedure that will greatly reduce or sometimes eliminate your menstrual flow completely.
There are a variety of techniques for ablations. Our office treats abnormal menstrual bleeding using the following procedures:
Novasure – A procedure performed with bipolar electric surgery with the guidance of an ultrasound. This procedure reduces the lining of the uterus using either sub-zero temperatures or heat.
HTA Hydrothermal Ablation – This procedure uses a hot water treatment.
Cryoblation – This procedure uses a freezing technique to destroy the endometrial tissue.
Ablations are most often performed in our Canton office but may also be performed at the hospital.
This recent treatment for heavy periods has made a huge difference in the lives of many of our patients. Our physicians and advanced practice providers feel it is one of the best examples of an effective use of modern technology to improve a woman’s overall sense of well-being.
If you have menstrual bleeding so heavy that you dread your period, schedule an appointment online or call us at 770.720.7733 to talk with one of our doctors.
