What is menorrhagia?
Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual bleeding that is unusually heavy or lasts longer than 7 days. Doctors now usually call it heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and define it by its impact: bleeding heavy enough to interfere with your physical, social or emotional life. It is common and often treatable.
Signs your period may count as menorrhagia
- Soaking through a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, for several hours
- Needing to double up on protection or change at night
- Bleeding for more than 7 days
- Passing clots larger than a quarter
- Feeling tired, breathless or dizzy, which can mean iron deficiency anemia
Causes
Often no cause is found. Known causes include fibroids, adenomyosis, polyps, endometriosis, hormonal shifts in puberty and perimenopause, a copper IUD, thyroid problems, bleeding disorders and some medicines.
Treatment
Options include a hormonal IUD, the combined pill, tranexamic acid or anti-inflammatory medicines on heavy days, and procedures for fibroids or polyps. Iron is added if you're low. See the full guide to heavy periods.
Heavy periods also take an emotional toll: worry about leaks, cancelled plans and constant tiredness. That impact is part of the definition, so it's worth raising.
Seek urgent care if you soak a pad every hour for more than 2 hours, feel faint, or could be pregnant. See a doctor soon for any heavy periods that affect daily life.
Frequently asked questions
Is menorrhagia the same as heavy menstrual bleeding?
Yes. Heavy menstrual bleeding is the newer, preferred term for the same thing.
How much blood loss is menorrhagia?
Research uses more than 80 ml per period, but nobody measures at home, so doctors focus on how much it affects your life.
Can menorrhagia go away on its own?
Sometimes, for example when it is caused by hormonal shifts in the teen years. But heavy bleeding that keeps happening deserves a check, because it is often treatable and can lead to anemia.
Sources
This page is for information only and isn鈥檛 medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
Heavy periods: what counts as heavy and what helpsHow to tell if you have heavy periods: soaking a pad every hour or two, clots, bleeding over 7 days. Causes, treatments that work, and when to get help.Heavy menstrual bleeding: definition and meaningHeavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) is period bleeding that disrupts daily life. Signs your flow is heavy, common causes, and when to see a doctor.
Iron deficiency anemia: definition and meaningIron deficiency anemia is when low iron means your blood can't carry enough oxygen. Why heavy periods cause it, the symptoms, and what to ask your doctor.Uterine fibroids: definition and meaningUterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of muscle in or on the uterus. What they are, how they affect periods and mood, and when to see a doctor.What counts as a heavy period?What is a heavy period? Soaking a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, clots bigger than a quarter, or bleeding over 7 days. A quick self-check.