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

Bloating, cramping, headaches, nausea are very common during menstruation painful symptoms women go through when during their monthly cycle. During this time, women tend to crave salt, desserts, caffeine or liquor. One should look out for different alternatives to prevent menstrual cramps and satisfy their cravings.

Menstrual cramps cause a great deal during the menstrual cycle since the withdrawals interrupt the blood stream to the wall of the uterus. Stomach aches, lower back pain and leg cramps are some common and basic side effects. Here are a few ways yoga can cure the problem:

Janu sirsasana (head-to-knee forward bend): Go down on the floor in a sitting position with your legs stretched out forward. Twist the right knee outward to a 90 degree angle and press the right foot into the insides of the left thigh. Get the left shin or foot, breathe in, tighten the hips, and place the stomach over the straight leg. Breathe out, and broaden the spine and stretch out the chest. Straighten your back.
Pasasana (noose pose): Come into a full squat position with you feet together and drop your hips down towards your heels. In case your heels do not reach the floor, put a pillow underneath. Breathe in and twist your knees to one side as you turn your abdomen to one side. Breathe out, touch the back of your upper left arm with the outside of your right leg and reach the left lower arm to touch the foot.
Ustrasana (camel pose): Bow on the floor with the knees and hips. Turn your thighs inside and press your shins and feet firmly into the floor. Lay your hands on the back of your hips. Breathe in, lift your chest, and press your shoulders down towards the ribs. Breathe out, push the hips forward as you stretch the front of the body and bend backwards. Keep your hands on the back of your hips or on the back of the heels. In case you put your hand on the heels, press your toes into the floor to lift the heels higher.
Supta padangusthasana (reclining big toe pose): Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and stretch the legs. Lay your head on the floor, breathe in, bend the right knee, and hold the toe with the right fingers. Put your left hand on top of the upper left thigh to put the left leg down.
Towel hook: Breathe out and stretch the right leg to the extent your body permits. You can likewise use a towel or belt to wrap around the right foot to help. Breathe in; lift your head up towards the right leg and hold the left leg down.


Menstrual Pain - 5 Yoga Asanas To Help You Relieve The Pain!

7 causes of heavy menstrual bleeding you must know about

Heavy menstrual bleeding, also known as Menorrhagia, refers to the state of abnormally heavy bleeding during periods. It's common for women at the premenopausal stage of their life to experience heavy bleeding during periods; but if you are not among them, heavy menstrual bleeding is a matter of severe concern.

If you normally lose a lot of blood during your periods or experience severe cramps that prevent you from leading your normal lifestyle, you must first identify the cause of it.

Here are some of the most common conditions that are responsible for causing Menorrhagia.

Disturbed hormonal balance: Menstruation involves the shedding of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), whose build-up is generally controlled by the balance between oestrogen and progesterone, the two significant hormones of your body. It sometimes happens that there is excess endometrium generation due to disturbed hormonal balance, which results in heavy menstrual bleeding.

Polyps: Sometimes heavy menstrual bleeding occurs due to the occurrence of uterine polyps, which are tiny growths appearing on the uterus lining. This condition is mostly prevalent among women of child-bearing age caused due to raised levels of hormones.

Intrauterine device (IUD): People who use birth control methods like intrauterine device or IUD are likely to experience certain side effects which include heavy menstrual bleeding. If the cause behind your menorrhagia is an IUD, you might need to remove it to get relief from the condition.

Pregnancy complications: If you experience your period later than usual and it is associated with excessive bleeding, it may be caused by a miscarriage. Moreover, you might also experience menorrhagia incase of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition when the fertilized egg is implanted within the fallopian tube in place of the uterus.

Uterine fibroids: Women of reproductive age may develop noncancerous (benign) tumours in the uterus known as uterine fibroids. These fibroids can be responsible for giving you periods lasting longer than usual accompanied with excessive bleeding.

Cancer: Though it is a rare case, sometimes the reason behind heavy menstrual bleeding may be uterine cancer, cervical cancer or ovarian cancer.

Medications: consumption of certain prescription drugs such as anticoagulants and anti-inflammatory medicines may lead to prolonged or excessive menstrual bleeding.





7 Causes of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding You Must Know About

Keeping track of your cycle probably doesn't sound that interesting or important, but you can benefit a lot by doing that. There are changes that your body goes through and there are specific times when you are ovulating; knowing all these would make your life a lot easier, which is only possible by tracking your period.

1.   Know about your body: Getting your period every 28 days has always been considered normal but only 15% of women get their periods on the clock. Many factors such as stress, illness, exercise, etc. can cause delay in  your period. This is where tracking your cycle can help you find the pattern that is specific to your body condition. During your cycle there are lots of changes happening in your body. The hormones cause a change in the fluid produced from your cervix and also lead the basal temperature of your body to increase. Monitoring these changes through tracking your cycle is known as the symptothermal method. By this way you know about how fascinatingly your body works.

2.   Desire to get pregnant: Tracking your cycle will help you get pregnant. During your cycle, there is a specific time which heightens the possibility of conceiving. The fluid production from the cervix due to hormonal change is the cause of such possibility. Knowing your cycle can take out the stress from trying to get pregnant and it can also help determine any abnormalities that are preventing your pregnancy.

3. Avoid pregnancy: If you know the time when you are most likely to get pregnant through tracking, you obviously know when not to have sex, if you are trying to avoid pregnancy. Using symptothermal method for the purpose of birth control has proven to be 99.6% effective, which is higher than birth control medications.

4. Health benefits: You can reap a lot of health benefits by tracking your cycle. Conditions like fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis are quite common in women, which can be detected by tracking your period. If anything is wrong in your reproductive system, the cycle will indicate it.

4 Reasons To Keep Track Of Your Periods

A collection of symptoms typically occurring between ovulation and menses (discharge of blood and from the uterus) is defined as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Premenstrual syndrome symptoms can either be physical or emotional.

Physical symptoms and signs include:
i. Muscle or joint pain
ii. Headache
iii. Fatigue
iv. Weight gain due to fluid retention
v. Bloated abdomen
vi. Breast tenderness
vii. Acne breakouts
viii. Diarrhoea or constipation

While other behavioural and emotional symptoms include:
i. Anxiety or tension
ii. Depressed mood
iii. Crying spells
iv. Anger or irritability and mood swings
v. Food cravings and appetite changes
vi. Insomnia
vii. Social withdrawal
viii. Poor concentration

Causes 
The exact cause of PMS is unknown. But there are several contributing factors, such as:
1. Cyclic hormonal changes: The hormones oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate a lot while preparing for a normal menstrual cycle. This fluctuation causes some of the symptoms of PMS.
2. Chemical changes: The fluctuation of serotonin, a kind of neurotransmitter (brain chemical), affects the mood, which causes some of the emotional symptoms of PMS. For instance, insufficient serotonin triggers premenstrual depression, insomnia, food cravings and fatigue.
3. Depression: If the PMS symptoms are severe, depression could be the underlying cause, though it doesn't usually trigger all of the symptoms.

Treatment
There is no permanent cure for PMS, but a few lifestyle changes and home remedies can work very well for you. Some treatment options include:

1. To ease abdominal bloating, drink lots of fluids
2. Eat a balanced diet comprised of plenty of vegetables and fruits. Reduce your alcohol, caffeine, salt and sugar intake.
3. You can take supplements such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin B-6 and folic acid to reduce mood swings and cramps.
4. Take vitamin D supplements to relieve symptoms
5. Sleep for at least eight hours in the night to counter fatigue
6. Exercise to improve your emotional health and reduce bloating
7. Try to reduce your stress as much as you can; read a book or walk to relieve some stress.

Besides, these lifestyle changes, you can take over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen to reduce stomach cramps, muscles aches and headaches. Diuretics (drugs that increase urination) are excellent treatments for bloating and fluid retention. However, consult your doctor before consuming any medication or supplement.

Causes and Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome

How to ensure a normal period when you're suffering from PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder affecting 12-18% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is a condition where at least two of the following conditions occur:

1. Appearance of acne, excessive hair on your body

2. Irregular delayed periods

3. The presence of 10 to 12 small cysts in the ovaries.

You do not ovulate each month, and some women do not ovulate at all if they are suffering from PCOS. This is because although the ovaries of women, suffering from PCOS, usually have many follicles, they do not develop fully and so ovulation often does not occur. If you do not ovulate, you may not have periods.

So what can you do to have normal periods?

Although some women with PCOS have regular periods, high levels of androgen and also the hormone insulin, can disrupt the monthly cycle of ovulation and menstruation. If you have PCOS, your periods may be irregular or may stop altogether. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days with one ovulation, but anywhere between 21 and 35 days is considered normal, and for a woman suffering from PCOS, this cycle can take as much as 3 months to complete.

To ensure a normal period during PCOS, your doctor can prescribe hormonal contraception. The medication can also reduce menstrual cramps, acne, and excess hair growth. The estrogen and progesterone in hormonal contraception act to override the body's normal hormonal control of menstrual cycle and ovulation. Production of hormones such as testosterone is greatly reduced by the oral contraceptive pill. Some oral contraceptive pills not only aim to block the effects of testosterone but also increase insulin resistance.

By allowing the regular shedding of the uterus lining during menstruation, the pill can reduce the risk of developing endometrial cancer while ensuring you get normal periods.

Note: it is important that you closely watch your weight. Lifestyle changes and weight reduction help a lot when you are suffering from PCOS.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: How Not to Miss Your Workout During Your PERIOD

How to Ensure a Normal Period When You're Suffering from PCOS?

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