If you’re diagnosed with anaemia, iron supplements may be prescribed to help your body generate new red blood cells. Many common conditions, such as anxiety, cough, flu, and food allergies, have overlapping symptoms with iron-deficiency anaemia, so asking your doctor for a blood test is important as it will tell you whether or not you’re anaemic. If you suspect you may have anaemia, it’s similarly important to track your symptoms carefully, especially how you feel both before and after your period. Surgical options may also be needed should the condition be caused by another issue, such as fibroids. Your doctor will be able to prescribe you certain medications that may lessen the effect of heavy menstrual bleeding – including the contraceptive pill or tranexamic acid (which controls bleeding and helps blood clots).
Keeping track of your period can be useful when speaking to your GP. If you haven’t done this, it’s likely your doctor will ask you to track these things for a few months before diagnosing you. Keeping a menstrual diary or using a tracker app can also help, as well as knowing if the condition runs in the family. For example, it’s good to have an idea of your usual blood loss either by using menstrual cups to measure volume or tracking how many sanitary items you use every cycle. Going to your appointment armed with information is always useful. Diagnosis can take up to several months after you first visit your GP, so it’s important not to put it off. If you suspect you may have heavy menstrual bleeding, it’s important to speak to your doctor as soon as you can. Anaemia can also cause headaches, brain fog, increased heart rate and even weight loss.
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While pale skin or lips are tell-tale physical signs, a person with anaemia may also feel more tired than usual, irritable, dizzy, confused and even depressed. If you bleed heavily every month, you lose more red blood cells than normal.Īnaemia can take a while to develop, but can cause a range of symptoms that can have a major effect on your daily life. When we menstruate, we lose red blood cells which are integral for carrying oxygen (a source of energy) throughout the body. A recently fitted intrauterine device (IUD) may also temporarily cause heavy menstrual bleeding.Īround two-thirds of women with heavy menstrual bleeding also go on to have long-term iron deficiency anaemia as a result. But this way of thinking can be a problem, as heavy menstrual bleeding can sometimes be a sign of an underlying issue – such as fibroids, endometriosis, or a pelvic infection or bleeding illnesses. Many even assume their period is “normal”.
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Taking a mental health day can be good for you – here’s how to make the most of oneĭespite how common it is, most women with the condition aren’t even aware they have it. Why the body positivity movement risks turning toxic Period delay tablets can help you temporarily skip your period – here’s how they work
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The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties.
In fact, around a quarter of women experience a clinical condition known as menorrhagia – also called heavy menstrual bleeding. You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, here.īut there is such as thing as bleeding too much. It’s no wonder, since not only is everyone different, but the stigma still keeps many of us from asking questions or discussing what we go through every month with friends and family. Many of us have no idea whether or not our period is “normal”.
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