Heavy periods… what they may be trying to tell you

Heavy periods are common but they're not something you necessarily have to put up with.

If you're regularly needing to change your pad or tampon every 1–2 hours, passing large clots, bleeding for more than 7 days or planning your life around your period, it's worth looking into why your bleeding is so heavy.

What can cause heavy periods?

Heavy menstrual bleeding can have many possible causes, including:

• Endometriosis or adenomyosis

• Fibroids or polyps

• Hormonal changes

• Thyroid dysfunction

• Certain medications

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Changes in the uterine lining

Sometimes there isn't one obvious cause, which is why looking at your symptoms as a whole is important.

Heavy periods and iron

One of the biggest things I consider with heavy menstrual bleeding is iron status.

Losing more blood each month means you're also losing iron. Over time, this can contribute to depleted iron stores and symptoms such as:

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Poor concentration

• Shortness of breath

• Headaches

• Feeling weak or run down

And you don't necessarily need to be clinically anaemic to have low iron stores.

What can naturopathy help with?

Rather than simply taking an iron supplement and calling it a day, we can look at the bigger picture.

This may include assessing iron and nutrient status, inflammation, digestive health, hormone patterns, diet and symptoms and considering whether further medical investigation is appropriate.

Naturopathic support may then focus on improving nutritional status, supporting inflammatory pathways and addressing contributing factors alongside your existing medical care.

If your period is heavy enough to affect your energy, work, social life or quality of life, it's worth investigating.

Your period is giving you information. Let's listen to it.