One commonly used option for treating heavy menstrual bleeding is birth control.
Birth control can help heavy periods by thinning the uterine lining and preventingovulation.
It is estimated that about 20% of people who haveperiods experience heavy bleeding.
TEK IMAGE / Getty Images
This article explains heavy menstrual bleeding and how birth control can help manage heavy periods.
What Is Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
Heavy menstrual bleeding refers to heavy periods or periods that last longer than usual.
Since the cause determines the treatment, it’s essential to talk to your healthcare provider about heavy periods.
This shedding occurs in response toestrogenreleased from theovaries.
How much and how long you bleed varies from person to person.
However, very heavy periods are not normal.
But, what counts as “heavy bleeding?”
They will be able to pinpoint the cause and treat it.
Recap
Menorrhagia is a term that was previously used for heavy periods.
Hormonal fluctuations, fibroids, cancer, and thyroid disease are some things that can cause heavy periods.
Treatments will depend on the cause of the bleeding.
Hormonalcontraceptives(likethe pill) help to reduce the bleeding you experience during your period.
Therefore, your healthcare provider may recommend hormonal contraception as part of heavy period treatment.
And alternative heavy period treatment may involved a surgical procedure such as endometrialablation, which destroys the uterine lining.
This procedure is not recommended for people who want to get pregnant in the future.
If you have heavy periods, your doctor will do a pelvic exam.
They may also order further tests, such as bloodwork, imaging tests, and a biopsy.
Hormonal birth control is one effective way to stop or reduce heavy periods.
For this reason, Mirena may be a more effective treatment option than birth control pills.
Summary
Hormonal birth control is one proven option for treating heavy periods.
Research suggests that hormonal contraception effectively reduces blood loss and days that you bleed.
The reason most people use hormonal birth control is to preventunintended pregnancy.
Studies have found that combination birth control pills are effective at reducing heavy periods.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About heavy menstrual bleeding.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Heavy menstrual bleeding.
Kaunitz AM.Patient education: Heavy periods (beyond the basics).
Cleveland Clinic.Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding).
Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group, ed.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
2019;2019(2).
Wouk N, Helton M.Abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women.Am Fam Physician.
2019;99(7):435-443.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: Pill, patch, and ring.
Bradley LD, Gueye NA.The medical management of abnormal uterine bleeding in reproductive-aged women.Am J Obstet Gynecol.
Bofill Rodriguez M, Lethaby A, Jordan V.Progestogen-releasing intrauterine systems for heavy menstrual bleeding.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2020;6(6):CD002126.
doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002126.pub4
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.
InformedHealth.org [Internet].What are the treatment options for heavy periods?
