Conversations about “your monthly period” can be a sensitive subject. Women who have heavy bleeding every month may feel alone and frustrated. In April 2011, Mom Central Consulting and Healthy Women conducted an online survey of their communities to better understand how heavy monthly bleeding, a condition that affects millions of women, impacts the daily lives and overall well‐being of women. A total of 1,964 women completed the survey, with 589 women over the age of 17 who described their periods as “heavy” or “very heavy” and who suffer from at least one of the symptoms of heavy monthly bleeding. One in five women who experience heavy bleeding keep quiet about their condition, not speaking to anyone about their periods, not even a loved one or trusted friend. At the same time, more than 75% of women don’t realize there are options available to treat heavy monthly bleeding.
I was happy to join in the Healthy Women and Mom Central conversation and blog about my experience. I have been fortunate for most of my life with normal cycles and bleeding every month. This changed after the birth of my third son about two years ago. I ended up in the hospital with severe Iron-Deficiency Anemia in February and had two blood transfusions. At that time it didn’t seem to me that I was having severe bleeding, but looking back I realized my periods contained big clots and that isn’t normal. I didn’t know anything about Anemia either. My symptoms were severe fatigue and I was severely short of breath. The day I couldn’t carry my baby up the stairs without sitting and breathing heavy after for five minutes, I went to the hospital. The normal number for women is 13 and mine was 6. I still had to fight with them to be admitted and when I finally saw the head physician, he immediately ordered a blood transfusion. If you feel something is wrong, please go to the doctor and fight for your health. Severe Anemia can cause heart failure and death. I’m not trying to scare you, but prompt you to tell your gynecologist your symptoms and get a simple blood test. I am now working closely with mine to solve the problem and taking iron for prevention.
Healthy Women.Org is an online resource with a wealth of information about heavy monthly bleeding and it’s causes and treatments. You can read there about Anemia and other problems from heavy monthly bleeding. No matter your age, the health of your reproductive organs is important for your overall health and should be taken seriously.
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Ferring Pharmaceuticals and received a promotional item to facilitate my review.”
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