What should you know about an extra heavy period?

Heavy bleeding can occur with changes in ovulation or hormone patterns, including perimenopause and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Conditions affecting the womb, such as Uterine Fibroids, Adenomyosis, Endometrial Polyps, or Endometrial Hyperplasia, can also contribute. Losing blood over repeated cycles may lead to Iron Deficiency Anaemia, which can cause tiredness, weakness, dizziness, or breathlessness. The symptom has several possible explanations, so bleeding alone cannot identify one condition or predict what is happening in your body.

Keep a brief record of when bleeding starts and stops, how often you change pads or tampons, clots, pain, bleeding between periods, and whether daily activities are affected. Arrange a medical review if the pattern is new, worsening, or leaving you exhausted. Assessment may include questions, an examination, blood tests, and sometimes imaging. Do not start iron supplements or hormonal treatment without discussing the suitable option and dose with a clinician.

Seek urgent medical help if bleeding is soaking through protection repeatedly, you feel faint or unusually weak, or you have breathlessness, chest discomfort, severe pelvic pain, or possible pregnancy. Emergency assessment is especially important when heavy bleeding is accompanied by collapse or confusion. Use the urgency of your symptoms, not a presumed cause, to decide how quickly to seek help.

Ask what may be contributing to the bleeding, whether you need a blood count or iron assessment, and which treatments fit your plans for pregnancy and contraception. Ask how quickly to seek help if the bleeding becomes heavier.