For most women, the approximately four decade time span during which they menstruate each month, the experience is — if perhaps a bit of a nuisance — a relatively uneventful feature of the reproductive years. Mild cramps or pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms are fairly common, but these are usually short in duration, easily treated, and not debilitating. Some women, however, experience the challenge of menorrhagia, the medical term for heavy or prolonged bleeding during their periods. For individuals in this group, the monthly menstrual cycle is much more than a nuisance.

“Some women won’t even leave home on heavy flow days because they’re soaking through their protection,” said Cortez gynecologist Daniel Bohle, MD. If a woman is missing work, feeling the need to always be near a bathroom, unable to participate in exercise or social activities, or otherwise burdened by heavy bleeding, she should consider seeing her doctor to investigate treatment options.

A normal menstrual cycle lasts from a few to three to five days. According to Bohle, if a (more…)