Heavy menstrual bleeding, technically called menorrhagia, is one of the most common types of abnormal bleeding from the uterus. Menstrual bleeding is said to be heavy if there is so much blood that a tampon or pad remains soaked for several hours. 

Here are all the possible causes of heavy menstrual bleeding:
1. Hormonal imbalance
Estrogen and progesterone levels are the primary control mechanism for periods. If the ovaries have a problem in functioning, hormonal imbalances may occur. Heavy menstrual bleeding is most common in females who are at the start of menopause. Puberty menorrhagia can occur in adolescents who are experiencing their first menstrual period. 
2. Fibroids
Fibroids most commonly occur around the age when women can get pregnant. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growth on the uterus.
3. Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube, but does not reach the uterus.
4. Blood thinners
These are medicines, which are usually anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
5. Problems with iud
A non-hormonal intrauterine device is a t-shaped device used for birth control which is inserted into the uterus.
6. Adenomyosis
This is a condition in which the muscular wall of the uterus also gets the lining of the uterus intermingled with it. However, this condition is rare and only happens in middle aged women with several children.
7. Pid
Pid stands for pelvic inflammatory disease and refers to any infection within the organs of the reproductive system.
8. Cancer
Uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer are just some of the cancers, which may cause heavy menstrual bleeding.
9. Other diseases
Liver, kidney and thyroid diseases are all included.

Possible Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

What Causes Light Periods in Women?

Light periods refer to menstrual periods that have very light flow and are characterized by a lesser number of days than usual. Although the menstrual cycles vary from a woman to another, the duration for a normal period is around every 28 days. Each period lasts for approximately four to seven days. The amount of blood loss in a normal period is around 20 ml to 80 ml. However, loss of blood below 20 ml can be considered as light periods.

The causes of light periods can vary for different woman. Some of them are:

- An imbalance in hormone levels in the body like PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease).

- Light periods are most common in women who are approaching menopause. This is because, at this time, women tend to produce less estrogen, a hormone responsible for regulating menstrual periods.

- Light periods can be common in girls who have just started to menstruate.

- Excessive bouts of exercise, a thyroid condition or an eating disorder can be also responsible for light periods in women.

- Women who use hormonal or oral contraceptives may also have a chance of experiencing light periods.

- An important cause of scanty menses is implantation bleeding. That means sometimes, despite being pregnant, little amount of bleeding can happen at the expected time of menses in the first three months of Pregnancy. So it's important to rule out pregnancy at the earliest.

Certain symptoms usually follow light periods. These symptoms vary according to the underlying causes of this condition.

Some of the common symptoms which accompany light periods are:

- Abdominal pain
- Frequent infections, namely yeast and other fungal infections
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Missed periods

In some cases, light periods might turn out to be a sign of a fatal condition that should be immediately administered to. An example of such would be an ectopic pregnancy, which can cause light or heavy bleeding. Although light periods are rarely due to serious diseases, neglect can lead to heightened complications and irreversible damage.

Some of the complications can are:

- Serious discomfort and pain
- Difficulty in conception or infertility
- Osteoporosis and osteopenia



What causes light periods in women?

In an incredibly fast paced and unhealthy lifestyle of the modern world, irregular menses aren t exactly an unusual situation. The length of a monthly cycle may either last longer than usual or end earlier than usual, only to begin in a short while again, accompanied by greater abdominal pain and blood loss. Irregular cycles may vary from 8 to 21 days or more. The variation of 21 days or more is considered highly irregular and abnormal. A woman may face some menstrual irregularities at both ends of menstrual life, (onset- menarche and end of cycle- menopause) which is normal and in most of the cases, it is self-establishing. 

Causes of Irregular Menstrual Cycle: 

The cause of irregularities in menstrual cycle is basically hormone imbalance. The altered levels in the body lead to irregular cycles. There are many factors in routine life which affect hormonal balance. Some of them are: 

Poor diet or wrong dietary habits 
Stress and anxiety, thoughts and emotions
Lifestyle: Lack of physical activity and exercise, too much physical exertion, stress and strain during menses. 
Illness: Long-term illness like fever, tuberculosis, thyroid problem etc. 
Medication: Certain medicine if taken for a long time, like oral contraceptive pills, hormonal therapy etc., alters hormonal balance. 
Imbalance of Tridosha (vatta, pitta and kapha) in body, leads to irregularities of reproductive system. 
As per Ayurveda, Vatta is the main culprit in menstrual irregularities. 

How To Deal With Menstrual Irregularities:

With the sudden acceptance of eastern concepts of yoga and organic and indigenous medicines around the world, Ayurveda has gained importance in treating irregular menses, gynecological and obstetric problems. 

Lifestyle and Food- There is no alternative for lifestyle and food habits correction. Eating healthy and nutritious food, regular exercise, yoga, physical activity, outdoor games lead to good physical health. 
Meditation and Breathing: Exercise is good for taming hormones. It keeps a person physical and mentally healthy. 
Avoid heavy physical work during menses. 
A good oil massage over body keeps Vatta in balance (one of the important tridoshas of body: vatta, pitta and kapha). 
Ayurveda has proven to be much helpful in regulating the menstrual cycles. According to certain studies, Ayurveda came in rather handy while tackling PCOS, a disease distressing 1 in 3 women today. It is certain that Ayurveda medicines work better in certain scenarios and definitely have fewer risks in comparison to allopathic medicines and surgeries. Over a period of time, they have proven much more beneficial in overcoming the irregular menses and the irritation along with the accompanying pain and PMS symptoms. Ayurvedic medicines use herbs and roots and almost everything found in nature to discover a rather organic cure for diseases. Certain plants like Shatavari are used to reduce the much spoken about mood swings or PMS symptoms during periods which can only worsen in case of an irregularity. The bark of the Ashoka tree has proven to be quite helpful in relieving menstrual pain and excessive bleeding. Other plants and their parts like the Lodhra, Guggul, Guduchi and Amlaki, Jatamansi etc. are useful in regulating periods and reducing the stress and irritation accompanied by it. 

Panchkarma- Basti therapy (Enema- administration of medicines through rectal route). In this treatment, decoction of different herbs and medicated oils are used for giving enema. Basti has proven its efficacy since centuries, for treating Vatta. A course of 5, 8, 15, 30 or 60 basti, as per person s requirement can be given for menstrual problems. Irregular periods, although are faced by a large chunk of women, pose different symptoms for different people and hence individualized treatment is advised.

Irregular Periods - Ayurvedic Home Remedies to Treat It

4 Types of irregular periods and their causes

Menstruation is a cyclical process when at a certain time of the month, the lining of the uterus is shed and vaginal bleeding occurs. Sometimes there can be abnormalities in this cycle. Irregular periods in women are abnormal variations in the length, volume, duration and quality of menstrual cycle. Irregular periods aren't uncommon among menstruating women.

Abnormalities in periods can be of the following nature:

- Varying time between successive periods
- Loss of more or less blood than usual
- Varying length of your periods

Based on these categorizations, the different types of periods are:

1. Irregular menstrual bleeding - Irregular menstrual bleeding is characterized by bleeding that takes place for more than 20 days in a solitary cycle, which can lengthen over a period of a year.

2. Absent menstrual bleeding - In this type of menstrual bleeding, a woman does not get her period at all within a span of 90 days.

3. Heavy menstrual bleeding - This involves excessive blood loss that may intervene with a woman's physical, psychological and social quality of life.

4. Heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding - This is less common than heavy menstrual bleeding and is different from in terms of duration. A different type of therapy is required to treat the condition as it is more severe in nature.

5. Light menstrual bleeding - Light menstrual bleeding is characterized by less blood loss than usual.

Irregular periods can be caused due to several reasons. Some of them are:

- Switching from one birth control pill to another or taking certain medication
- Excessive exercising
- Breastfeeding or pregnancy
- Stress
- Hyperthyroidism
- Polycystic ovary disease (PCOS)
- Uterine fibroids
- Getting an IUD (intrauterine device)
- Gradual thickening of uterine lining or the development of polyps on the uterine lining
- Scarring of the lining of the uterus can also be a possible cause

Changes in the body's level of hormones can also disrupt a woman's periods. Estrogen and progesterone are the chief hormones that play a crucial part in the menstrual cycle and influence the flow as well, thereby giving rise to abnormalities if their balance is disturbed.

When it comes to treating irregular periods, modifying your lifestyle, treating the underlying issue behind an irregular cycle, changing your birth control pills (if that is the cause), opting for hormone therapy or even surgery are viable treatment options.



All about Irregular Periods : Their Types and Causes

Most women attain menopause between the ages of late 40s and early 60s, the average age being about 51. This is an important milestone in a women's gynecological history. One major change is altered female hormone levels, and this leads to a lot of physiological changes. From hot flashes to mood swings, there is also increased predisposition to osteoporosis and uterine cancer.

If you have not had your menstrual cycles for close to 12 months, chances are you are into menopause. So, that means absolutely no vaginal bleeding anymore whatsoever. However, if you experience bleeding, even spotting, be on the alert. It is not normal and needs to be examined, and if required, diagnosed and treated.

Postmenopausal bleeding or PMB, as it is popularly called, can be due to a variety of reasons. While it could be something as trivial as inflammation of the uterine or vaginal lining, it could also be an indication of more severe issues like cancer.

Atrophic vaginitis: Decreasing hormonal levels lead to increased dryness and therefore inflammation of the vaginal and uterine tissue. This is one of the common causes of bleeding after menopause.

Endometrial atrophy: Also caused by lower hormone levels, the lining of the body of the uterus gradually thins down and can get inflamed.
Polyps: Noncancerous growths in the uterus, cervix, vulva, or vagina can also lead to bleeding.

Infections: General infection of any area along the uterine tract could lead to occasional bleeding.

Cancers: Though only 1 in 10 PMB cases turn out to be cancers, the prognosis improves with early diagnosis and intervention.

Diagnosis: As repeated above, reach out to your doctor if you notice postmenopausal bleeding.  

Diagnostic methods could include the following:
1. Physical exam
2. Transvaginal ultrasound
3. Endometrial biopsy
4. Hysteroscopy
5. Dilatation and Curettage

Treatment: Needless to say, this would depend on the diagnosis. For very minor cases with diagnosis like altered hormone levels, no treatment may be required other than modification of the hormone replacement therapy. For endometrial atrophy and atrophic vaginitis, use of estrogen creams and pessaries would be sufficient. Polyps would require removal followed by cauterization (application of slight heat) to stop the bleeding.

Cancer: This would depend on the type and location and require a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.  Removal of the uterus also may be required in some cases. So, if you have had bleeding of any sort after a year of menopause, do not ignore it. 


Is Postmenopausal Bleeding Normal?

PMS is one of the worst food sensitive diseases. Symptoms include moodiness, bloating and headache. All it takes is one symptom to crop up for the whole body to go down. While environmental changes and preventive measures play a crucial role in dealing with this condition, careful choice of food goes a long way in keeping PMS under control. Here is a list of some best and worst food for PMS:

Foods that are Good During PMS:

Brussels sprouts, Artichokes and Broccoli: These veggies with high fibre content are known to ease bloating. Furthermore, the high water content of these veggies effectively deals with gas, discomfort, and puffiness. The idea is to refrain from foods with high sodium content that only contributes to the suffering.
Quinoa, what berry and popcorn: These foods help to deal with a short temper which is a very common occurring of PMS. Some other good effects of a high carb diet such as these include fighting anxiousness, depression and maintain composure. Consuming whole grain on a daily basis also helps to keep the mood cheerful. This happens because of the added secretion of the feel good factor hormone called serotonin.
Banana: Many women tend to face sleep disturbances before the period sets in. A recent study at the John Hopkins University found that less sleep before the period makes a woman susceptible to cramps and discomfort. Banana contains melatonin. The latter helps the body maintain its natural rhythm.
Eggs: The cravings during PMs can be very difficult to handle. It is therefore very important to start the day a very healthy breakfast. The right amount of protein and healthy fat present in an egg helps to keep the body energised throughout the day. Scrambled egg and an ounce of chicken is a perfect answer to PMs craving.
Some foods to avoid during PMS:

Processed fats: Processed fat contains a lot of processed fats, sodium and salt. Processed fats make a woman puffy and increment bloating. Processed foods contain very high protein content that becomes very difficult for the body to process during PMS.
Sugary foods: Craving for sugary food is pretty normal during PMS. However, too much sugar consumption during PMS fluctuate the blood sugar level. They also aggravate tension and mood swings. The latest study has found that refined sugar can disturb the immune system and creates a lot of fatigue in a woman.
Caffeine: Restricting caffeine during the period can help prevent the cramps and bloating. Certain caffeine such as coffee, cigarettes and chocolate can aggravate breast tenderness, anxiety, and depression. What's more, they systematically create a craving for sweet and other caffeine-related stuff. A better alternative to caffeine during PMs is herbal and green tea, water and fruit juice.

PMS - Foods You Must Have or Avoid During It!

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