CAUSES OF HEAVY PERIODS/MENSTRUAL BLEEDING

Menstrual flow is the result of the complex interplay of many factors that arise from the central nervous system, the pituitary gland, the ovary, the uterine muscle, and its lining. Regulation of menstrual flow is also dependent on a normally functioning clotting system. The specific evaluation of a problem for a particular woman will often depend on the duration of the problem, the age of the woman, her specific medical history, her physical examination and her ultrasound examination. Occasionally, the cause of a particular menstrual abnormality is complex and arises from abnormalities of pituitary, adrenal and ovarian function.

The causes of various menstrual disorders can be summarized as follows:

Hormonal
Clotting Disorder
Anatomic
Medication and Supplements
The “Apparently” Normal Uterus

Hormonal Causes

Pituitary gland problems
Thyroid gland abnormalities
Adrenal gland abnormalities
Ovarian dysfunction

Clotting Abnormalities

Clotting abnormalities may be responsible for 5% of cases of abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding. Women with clotting abnormalities generally have a history of easy bruisability or excess bleeding from relatively minor cuts and scrapes. Additional abnormalities might include:

Platelet dysfunction abnormalities such as Thrombocytopenia
Clotting factor abnormalities such as Von Willebrand Disease

Anatomic Problems

About 25% of women with heavy menstrual periods have one of the anatomic reasons listed below. In practice, the most common anatomic reason for heavy menstrual bleeding is uterine fibroids, which account for the majority of “anatomic problems” that cause abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding. A summary of “anatomic problems” include:

Uterine Fibroids (these benign tumours originate from the uterine muscle)
Polyps (these originate from the uterine lining)
Adenomyosis (lining tissue of the uterus is found within the muscle of the uterus)
Decreased uterine contractile strength
Endometrial cancer
A uterus with a large surface area

There are several important things to remember about “anatomic problems” that cause abnormally heavy periods. First, uterine cancer accounts for less than 1% of these. Although cancer is among the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding, it is rare in women under the age of 50 and, if caught early, is a very curable disease. Second, once your health care provider has determined that you don’t have cancer, the treatment is generally one of choice rather than necessity.

Though, this may be obvious to your physician or practitioner but it bears repeating that the majority of women in their 30’s and 40’s who have periods that are heavy because of anatomic reasons may not have cancer.

Fibroids: the most common benign tumour in women

The uterus contains two types of tissue—an inner lining (endometrium) that sheds each month with your period and the muscular portion (myometrium). Both of these tissue types can - See more at: http://planbwellness.com/causes-of-heavy-periodsmenstrual-bleeding/#sthash.5lab6G5Z.dpuf