Many women notice heavier flow in the first few days of their period, like leaking through a tampon or seeing blood clots on pads. But if you're changing sheets after overnight leaks, avoiding light clothes during your cycle, or constantly restocking supplies, you may have heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), also known as menorrhagia.
Medically termed menorrhagia, HMB involves excessive blood loss that disrupts your physical, emotional, social, and material quality of life. Periods vary by individual, making it hard to spot excessiveness—over half of affected women don't realize it. Consult your doctor for accurate diagnosis, but common symptoms can guide you.
HMB often stems from uterine issues, hormonal imbalances, or conditions like adenomyosis, endometriosis, PCOS, or clotting disorders. Frequent non-cancerous causes include uterine fibroids (myomas) or polyps, and perimenopause.
Some causes are identifiable through evaluation; others have no clear origin.
Hormonal treatments like birth control pills or an IUD thin the uterine lining to reduce blood loss. These provide temporary relief—symptoms often return after discontinuation.
MyoSure targets fibroids or polyps causing HMB. It's suitable for non-pregnant women without pelvic infections, cervical abnormalities, or cervical cancer.
Women with thicker endometrium often face heavier bleeding. NovaSure ablates the lining, significantly reducing or eliminating periods.
This procedure scrapes the top endometrial layer using a curette or laser, typically under general anesthesia.
A last-resort option for unresponsive cases like endometriosis, fibroids, tumors, or abnormal cells. Performed under general or epidural anesthesia, it requires hospitalization and weeks of recovery.
1 in 5 women experience HMB; in the Netherlands, that's about 500,000 aged 35-55. The Blood Serious campaign raises awareness year-round, peaking in November. It promotes doctor discussions and offers consultation prep tools. Hospitals host extra hours and events. While 75% unaware it's a recognized condition, 60% see it as normal, and 27% doubt GP help—yet effective treatments exist. Learn more at hevigbloedloss.nl.
