Excessive menstrual flow may hide six potential diseases

The causes of excessive menstruation vary for women of different ages and physiological stages. Taking women aged 25 to 40 as an example, abnormally increased vaginal bleeding or hidden gynecological diseases are mostly related to the following six factors.

Hypothesis 1: Improper contraceptive method

Related terms: IUD, medication, subcutaneous contraceptive injection

Sometimes, abnormal vaginal bleeding is related to the type of birth control you're using. The most common "trouble" is the IUD. In our country, this is the most commonly used contraceptive method for women after childbirth. The most prominent problems it brings are shortened menstrual cycle, prolonged menstrual period, significantly increased menstrual flow and heavy bleeding after menstruation. In particular, the new generation of active uterine rings with copper ions improve contraceptive effectiveness while also increasing menstrual bleeding. In addition, short-acting oral contraceptives can usually make your periods regular, with lighter periods and less painful periods. However, incorrect use of the drug can also cause hormonal disorders, leading to abnormally increased menstruation. For example, failure to take the medicine according to the prescription information, missed doses or wrong doses may lead to disorders in the body's reproductive hormone levels, affecting the development of the endometrium and causing abnormal bleeding. For women who use long-acting injections or subcutaneous implants for contraception, the most common experience is not a single heavy vaginal bleeding, but rather continuous, spotting bleeding. Sometimes the amount of bleeding can accumulate to a large amount over time. This situation is mostly because the external reproductive hormones are not balanced in your body.

Countermeasures: Solutions for menorrhagia after IUD placement include: using oral medications to replace other contraceptive methods, or switching to an IUD containing progesterone that can reduce menstrual volume. Although oral contraceptives are easily available at regular pharmacies, it is important to know that they are prescription drugs. If you want to use this method of contraception, it is not enough to just read the prescription information of the medicine in detail. You must consult a professional doctor before purchasing it to learn more about its indications and contraindications, the correct method of taking it, and the remedial measures in case of missed doses.

Although you have been told that similar situations may occur when you choose long-acting injections or subcutaneous implants for contraception, if it does not gradually improve over time, or becomes more serious, you should go for a follow-up visit in time and ask the doctor to re-evaluate whether you are suitable for this method of contraception.

Hypothesis 2: Infection

Related terms: pelvic inflammatory disease, vaginitis

Inflammation of the reproductive organs is another common cause of abnormal vaginal bleeding. We all know that the female reproductive organ is not completely enclosed. The semi-open channel between it and the outside world gives it the opportunity to be invaded by various pathogenic factors from the outside world. When you are in a situation where your own defense function is reduced due to anxiety, tension, fatigue, etc., various pathogenic factors may take advantage of the situation and invade, leading to the occurrence of the above-mentioned inflammations, making local blood vessels fragile, and bleeding during menstruation difficult to stop, often causing increased menstrual flow and prolonged menstruation. If you have been in poor overall health recently, with heavy vaginal bleeding accompanied by lower abdominal or lower back pain, increased vaginal discharge, abnormal color or odor, fever, frequent and painful urination, you should consider a reproductive organ infection.

Countermeasures: The universal remedy for all kinds of infections is to get enough rest, drink enough water and eat a light diet, so that mild infections can get better on their own; otherwise, you need to see a doctor in time to choose effective antibiotics for treatment.

Hypothesis 3: Miscarriage or abnormal pregnancy

Related terms: incomplete abortion, ectopic pregnancy, hydatidiform mole

Abnormal vaginal bleeding in mature women is sometimes related to pregnancy complications. If your period is usually very regular, but is late for more than a week or ten days for no reason, and then flows continuously like a floodgate has been opened, with more blood clots or tissue than usual, and lasts longer than usual. Then, this is most likely a minor miscarriage. Similar events occur more often after induced abortion (whether surgical or medical), especially after medical abortion, there is a 5% to 10% chance of failed or incomplete abortion. In addition, if vaginal bleeding increases and is accompanied by palpitations, dizziness, cold sweats, abdominal pain, or even fainting, it may be a sign of ectopic pregnancy.

Countermeasure: The simplest self-test method is to take a pregnancy test: by checking the morning urine, you can get a rough estimate of the situation. But this method is not completely reliable. Sometimes, hormone levels have dropped before miscarriage occurs, resulting in negative results. If your vaginal bleeding increases too much and too quickly in a short period of time, or if the bleeding lasts too long, or if you experience other uncomfortable symptoms at the same time, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Hypothesis 4: Endometriosis

Related terms: ovarian endometriosis, adenomyosis

Simply put, endometriosis is the growth of tissue that is normally found in the lining of the uterine wall in other locations. These "ectopic" endometriums interfere with the normal functions of the reproductive organs and are often accompanied by various menstrual disorders - prolonged menstruation, excessive menstrual bleeding, premenstrual spotting, secondary dysmenorrhea, etc. If your menstrual flow gradually increases and is accompanied by increasingly severe dysmenorrhea; if you feel severe discomfort or even pain when being intimate with your lover; if you find that you are in your prime but your efforts to get pregnant have repeatedly failed... Be careful, you may have endometriosis.

Countermeasures: The first is the problem of clear diagnosis. Although an experienced gynecologist can find some typical manifestations of endometriosis through a simple pelvic examination or ultrasound scan, a laparoscopy is required to confirm the disease. Treatment may include oral hormone-regulating drugs or surgery. If you happen to have plans to have children, patients with mild symptoms can also alleviate the progression of the disease through the process of pregnancy and delivery.

Hypothesis 5: Tumor

Related terms: uterine fibroids, endometrial polyps, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer

The most common genital tumor in women of childbearing age is uterine fibroids. The incidence rate of uterine fibroids is very high, reaching 20% ​​to 25%, but please don't be afraid, because 99.5% of them are benign. There are only two types of uterine fibroids, myenteric and submucosal, that cause menorrhagia. Endometrial polyps are actually a chronic inflammatory lesion. In recent years, the incidence of cervical cancer has been increasing, and there is a trend of gradually getting younger. The first symptom of cervical cancer is bleeding after sexual intercourse, which is particularly prominent before and after menstruation and can sometimes even cause fatal heavy bleeding. If you experience progressively heavier menstruation, or other menstrual abnormalities such as shortened menstrual cycles, prolonged menstruation, irregular bleeding, or bleeding after sexual intercourse, you should consult a gynecologist promptly.

Countermeasures: A standard gynecological examination once a year, including a pelvic examination, cervical smear, and pelvic ultrasound scan, laparoscopy or hysteroscopy when necessary, can help you detect and treat the above abnormalities early.

Hypothesis 6: Dysfunction

Related terms: anovulatory menstruation, ovulatory breakthrough bleeding, corpus luteum insufficiency, incomplete endometrial exfoliation

If none of the above situations are your problem, it's time to consider the possibility of dysfunction. This is the case with endocrine disorders that many people often mention. But everyone's situation is different. For example, a professional doctor can distinguish the type of hormone imbalance and its possible causes based on your different menstrual phases, basal body temperature, and reproductive hormone levels in the blood, combined with diagnostic curettage, ultrasound scanning, MRI and other auxiliary examinations, and then provide targeted treatment. If you often experience irregular menstruation, variable menstrual flow, irregular periods, premenstrual spotting and other symptoms, and cannot find other obvious reasons, then it is likely that functional abnormalities are at work.

Countermeasures: In the above situations, you often cannot determine the cause through your own judgment. It is recommended that you let an experienced doctor verify the cause of the disease. A diagnosis can only be made after first excluding the various other "organic" causes mentioned above.