Understanding menorrhagia

T'S universal. It's monthly. Most of the time, it makes you feel like you may puke your guts out and on rare occasions, it calls for a truce. But unlike the white flag of truce, this visitor is blood red—quite literally. That time of the month, Code Red, menstruation, or simply, a period. While the age-old rulebook deems up to seven days as the 'normal' duration of Aunty Red's visit—with a flow that decreases by the day—there are some cases where the volume increases on a continuum. Has this ever happened to you, ladies? Well, you may have menorrhagia.

- NITIKA KRISHNA

What is menorrhagia?

"Simply put, menorrhagia is heavy menstrual flow, usually above 80 ml, lasting for over seven days. The condition can occur at any point between puberty and menopause. For example, if you used to change your pad twice a day during menstruation, the heavy flow caused by menorrhagia requires you to change it every two hours. It is important for you to observe your cycles closely in this regard," explains Dr. Padmavathi Kapila, chief consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Renova Hospitals.

While small blood clots are released along with your period blood, menorrhagia causes the release of noticeably bigger blood clots. The gynecologist adds, "When you lose so much blood over a couple of menstruations, your haemoglobin levels drop and the iron in your body depletes. This can cause anaemia. Symptoms include feeling breathless while walking, discomfort in the chest, palpitations, excessive tiredness, and inability to do daily activities."