Brief Overview of Coping With Heavy Periods

Unfortunately, menstruation is a problem women have to deal with on a monthly basis. You're most likely infinitely familiar with the cramping, fatigue, and irritability that accompany your week-long flow. But are your symptoms more serious than average? If you're consistently experiencing extreme bloating, gut-clenching stomachaches, and a very heavy flow, this is not normal. Use the following information to help yourself cope with heavy periods and finally put an end to your monthly suffering.

What Classifies as a Heavy Period?

Generally, most women don't lose more than 80 milliliters (16 teaspoons) of blood per cycle, with the average blood loss being about 6 to 8 teaspoons. Your flow will be considered heavy if you have 80 milliliters or more of blood loss or if your period lasts more than seven days. A good way to measure this is to use a menstrual cup, which often comes with measurement lines below the rim.

Get Help From Your Doctor

If you suspect you're dealing with a heavy period, your first step should be to contact your doctor. They can better diagnose your condition and also look for what might be causing it. They might ask you a number of questions about your period, such as how often you have to change your sanitary products, if you have any blood clots in your flow, or if you need to use two sanitary products at one time.

In many cases, your doctor will prescribe hormonal birth control to help. Contraceptives make coping with heavy periods easier because the estrogen in the pill, patch, or ring increases the clotting factors in your blood, helping to slow your bleeding.

Take Ibuprofen

Image via Flickr by timsackton

Ibuprofen has a multitude of benefits for women on their period. Not only can it help reduce cramping, but it can also limit your flow. In fact, research has shown that taking high-dose anti-inflammatories can reduce your flow by as much as 10 to 20 percent. Just keep in mind that ibuprofen isn't a permanent solution; you'll need to take continuous doses each period to limit how much you actually bleed.

Change Your Diet

Eating better and drinking more water on your period can definitely influence how you feel. In addition to eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, you'll want to add a few specific foods to your diet to help lessen your flow. Turmeric, in particular, has been shown to block the enzyme aromatase, which can naturally lower estrogen and prostaglandin levels. To get the most effects, take it daily and then increase the dose while you're on your period.

Iron is another good nutrient to supplement, as women with heavy periods often become anemic because of the extreme blood loss. Eating plenty of red meat, eggs, and leafy greens are the best way to boost your iron intake.

You don't have to keep suffering each month. Instead, take back control of your body with the above tips. These heavy flow hacks won't get rid of your period, but they should make it far more manageable than it was before.

This is a guest blog entry.