
25% of women suffer with heavy periods EVERY MONTH. Thats a whole lot of us. Abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding (also known as Menorrhagia) during your regular menstrual cycle is not fun and indicates that further investigation is needed.
HOW HEAVY IS TOO HEAVY?
More than 80mL in 7 days. That is equal to 16 fully soaked regular tampons or 8 super tampons spread over those 7 days. Taking note of how heavy our periods are every month will give us indication of when we should consider seeking further medical advice.
UNDERSTANDING WHY?
Further investigation is always needed to understand WHY your periods are so heavy. Some reasons could be due to:
Hormone Imbalances
Structural concern (fibroids, endometriosis, polyps)
Coagulation disorder
Copper IUD
Perimenopause
Thyroid concerns
Having blood work completed (through your ND or MD) as well as ultrasounds to investigate structural changes that will provide info about fibroids or endometriosis is key. This will be able to direct care and allow an individualized treatment plan that is crafted just for you and to address your specific needs.
LIGHTENING YOUR PERIOD WITH LIFESTYLE
In your day to day there are a lot of other things you can implement to support a more manageable and lighter period:
Balancing Blood Sugar - eating a whole foods diet with minimal processed foods
Avoiding Dairy
Increasing Movement- 20-30 mins of moderate exercise 5X/week
Maintaining a Healthy Gut
IRON AND HEAVY PERIODS
Women who are cycling regularly and have heavier periods are commonly low in iron, if not iron-deficient anemic. Testing our Ferritin levels in blood work will indicate our level of iron storage. Interestingly enough, increasing your iron levels will lighten your period. Low iron levels are both a cause and effect of heavy periods (HOW COOL).
If you have low iron levels, supplementing with iron bisglycinate (absorbable and also gentle on your GI tract) can help to get your levels where they should be.
Increasing food sources of iron would also be encouraged. Red meat, eggs, dark leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach, and kale), molasses, beans/lentils, etc. Make sure to optimize absorption of your iron by taking with Vitamin C and away from caffeine and dairy products.
TAKE HOME
Addressing the root cause of your health concerns is always the goal. When we have heavy periods it is important to understand why you are having them, by ruling out structural concerns, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and more. Once you have established your why you can proceed to build a treatment plan to support a healthier period. Need support to heal your hormones and lighten your periods, book your Free 15 min Discovery Call today.
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