Premenopausal Menorrhagia : Signs and Symptoms
Menopause carries with it a huge assortment of potential symptoms and side effects, and many people are surprised to learn that a variety of them will actually occur before perimenopause even really begins. Premenopausal symptoms are very common as well, and many women will actually begin to experience various symptoms of them 5, 10, or even 15 years before menopause begins. Usually these changes present themselves as altered menstrual periods including different cycles. Of the different issues, premenopausal menorrhagia is one that can be alarming in many cases due to the very nature of menorrhagia symptoms.
Menorrhagia is generally defined as a menstrual period that is prolonged and abnormally heavy. This means that the period lasts longer than a normal period and will be accompanied by much heavier bleeding than a normal menstrual period would. It’s important to understand that just because heavy bleeding is occurring during a period; it may not be classified as menorrhagia. Menorrhagia symptoms include:
- Bleeding so heavy that sanitary pads or tampons is completely soaked through every hour for several hours in a row.
- Bleeding is so heavy that daily activities are interrupted due to having to plan life around heavy menstrual flows.
- Large blood clots are passed with the menstrual flow.
- Double sanitary protection is often needed – a tampon and a pad, or two pads, for example.
- Frequently having to wake up at regular intervals throughout the night in order to change sanitary protection.
- Anemia like symptoms brought on by heavy blood loss – things like shortness of breath and fatigue.
In other words, when a menstrual period is so heavy and so strong that it actually interrupts normal life, it is usually classified as menorrhagia. There are a number of different causes that can bring about menorrhagia. One of the most common is an increase in the thickness of the endometrial lining. This is actually caused by hormonal imbalances, in particular when progesterone isn’t produced in adequate levels and estrogen instead builds up in the uterus. Since menopause triggers a serious imbalance in hormones, this endometrial lining buildup is common and menorrhagia is often associated with the early stages of menopause.
Menorrhagia can be very difficult to live with, and in cases where it triggers anemia it can have a serious impact on the overall health and well-being of the woman who is suffering from it. A variety of different health issues can often occur due to the heavy loss of blood, and it’s important that identifying the issue and then managing it properly takes place. A physician will be able to determine the extent of the issue and then work with a patient to overcome the issue and potentially stop the heavy bleeding before it leads to major health problems.
While mood swings and hot flashes will likely remain the hallmarks of menopause, there’s no question that other premenopausal and menopausal issues like menorrhagia are important to understand and well worth learning more about.