My menstrual cycle is quite heavy.  What does this mean?

The menstrual cycle is not the same for every woman.  On average, menstrual flow occurs every 28-32 days and lasts about 4 days.  Even if there are some variations of timing and duration, your period can still be considered normal.

Some areas of concern that we often address are:

• Very heavy periods where a sanitary pad or tampon is saturated every hour for 2-3 consecutive hours
• Prolonged periods lasting longer than 7-10 days
• Bleeding between periods
• Postmenopausal periods

If you feel you fit into the abnormal cycle category – you should see your gynecologist.  There are many factors involved in determining an irregular period including your medical history, a physical exam and laboratory testing.

For more information, see this Mayo Clinic article or read Dr. Deeley’s Endometrial Ablation article.