Heavy Menstrual Periods (Menorrhagia) Treatment in Miramar, FL

Menstrual periods can change throughout a woman’s life, but consistently heavy bleeding may signal a problem that can be treated. Many women experience heavy periods, but it is not normal and is something that needs to be discussed with your gynecologist.

Irregular and heavy periods are common but you shouldn’t accept them as normal. Both conditions can signal an underlying health problem that should be treated to prevent serious problems from developing. You can count on the extensive experience of our OBGYN specialist, Dr. Dwight Benjamin, to identify the cause and effectively treat irregular and heavy periods. If you have any questions about your menstrual periods, call our Miramar OBGYN clinic, or request an appointment online.

What is Considered a Heavy Period?

If a patient experiences any of the following problems, it is recommended that they speak to Dr. Benjamin when:

• Your Bleeding lasts longer than 7 days
• Soaking through more than one tampon or pad every hour several hours in a row
• You Need to change a pad or tampon during the night
• You are Experiencing large blood clots

Women should seek immediate medical care if they have soaked through their normal tampon or pad in an hour for more than 2 hours, or feel lightheaded.

When Can Heavy Periods Signal a Problem?

A number of things can cause heavy periods, but it can signal a health concern and lead to more serious problems.

A Uterine Growth

Heavy periods can be caused by a growth in the uterus, either a fibroid, which is a noncancerous tumor that develops in the uterine wall, or a polyp, which is a growth made up of endometrium tissue.

Pelvic Conditions

Heavy menstrual bleeding is one a common symptom of a variety of pelvic conditions, including:

• Adenomyosis– a condition where the inner lining of the uterus breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus.
• Endometriosis– a condition in which the endometrium grows outside of the uterus on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the intestines.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome– a hormonal disorder that can cause the ovaries to become enlarged and develop small collections of fluid
• Pelvic inflammatory disease- an infection of the reproductive organs that can be a complication of some STDs.

Irregular ovulation, an ectopic pregnancy, and endometrial cancer can also result in heavy periods.

How Is Menorrhagia Diagnosed?

Dr. Dwight Benjamin will begin to diagnose the cause of a patient’s heavy periods by looking for signs of a condition, infection, or abnormal growth. He may also do a pelvic exam, pap smear, ultrasound, or endometrial biopsy.

Treatment for Heavy Periods near Pembroke Pines, FL

Medication, including hormonal birth control, can lighten a woman’s period or even stop bleeding altogether. If medication isn’t successful, there are surgical and non-surgical options to treat the problem that can be discussed with a doctor, including:

• NovaSure Endometrial Ablation
• Uterine fibroid embolization
• Myomectomy
• Hysterectomy