Heavy Periods: The Quick Reference
Heavy Periods: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Menstrual bleeding heavy enough to interfere with physical, social or emotional quality of life.
Key takeaways
- Warning sign: soaking through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row
- Common consequence: iron-deficiency anemia
- Most useful single change: Record how often you change pads or tampons and any flooding or clots.
- Commonest mistake: Assuming heavy bleeding is normal because it always has been.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Warning sign | soaking through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row |
| Common consequence | iron-deficiency anemia |
| Test that shows depleted iron stores | serum ferritin |
| Hormonal options | the hormonal IUD (levonorgestrel), birth control pills and others |
| Non-hormonal options | tranexamic acid and NSAIDs during the period |
In one paragraph
It is defined by impact rather than by volume, it is a leading cause of iron deficiency in women of reproductive age, and it is treatable.
Worth doing
- Record how often you change pads or tampons and any flooding or clots
- Ask for a ferritin test as well as a complete blood count
- Ask about both hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options
- Take prescribed iron for the full course, which lasts longer than symptom relief
Worth avoiding
- Assuming heavy bleeding is normal because it always has been
- Taking iron supplements without a blood test
- Ignoring bleeding between periods or after sex
Related topics
- Menstrual Cycle Tracking: What Published Guidance Supports (Sexual Health)
- The Evidence on Hormonal Contraception and Health, Without the Hype (Thyroid and Hormones)
- Colorectal Cancer: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Cancer Awareness)
- The Evidence on Anemia, Without the Hype (Blood Health)
Where to go next
- Your Questions About Heavy Periods, Answered
- Heavy Periods: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Heavy Periods — the reference entry
- Women's Health: The Complete Guide
- Menopause: What Published Guidance Supports
- Cervical Screening: What the Evidence Actually Says
When to speak to a doctor
See your doctor for bleeding between periods, after sex, or after menopause, for periods that have suddenly become much heavier, or for heavy bleeding with dizziness or shortness of breath. Go to the emergency room for bleeding that soaks through a pad or tampon every hour for several hours, and call 911 for fainting.
Where this comes from
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
- CDC — Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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