Common Causes of Long Periods and What To Do About It
Common Causes of Long Periods and What To Do About It
So you have been having long periods and are starting to wonder what is causing it and if you need to do anything about it. Long periods are defined as menstrual bleeds lasting 8 or more days. What I would add to that definition are a few more defining factors.
8+ day periods that have occurred for the last 3 months in a row
8+ day periods that have occurred for 3 of the last 6 months
8+ day periods that have been getting progressively longer (used to be 4-5 days, then 6-7 days, and now 8+ days)
An occasional period that lasts 8 or more days speaks more to a short-term change in lifestyle or health, and usually does not require further attention. However, doctors pay close attention to long periods because you can lose a lot of blood. Chronic long periods lead to low iron levels, which can progress to iron deficiency anemia.
Women typically lose 10-35ml of blood each menses. A regular tampon holds about 5ml of blood. If you are trying to gauge how much blood you are losing each month you can count tampons. Same goes for other menstrual products; read the box for information about the absorbent capacity of the products you use. To give you a sense of the difference in blood loss between a woman with a 5 day period and a woman with a long period here is an example. The woman with a 5 day bleed will lose 6ml of blood a day, totalling 30 ml over the course of her menstruation. A woman with a long period would lose closer to 50ml of blood - about 20ml more each month! Overtime, this gradual blood loss can lead to anemia resulting in low energy, hair loss, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and cardiac arrhythmias.
COMMON CAUSES OF LONG PERIODS
Some of the most common causes of long periods include endometrial polyps, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, and excess endometrial proliferation (growing an endometrial lining that is too thick). Long, and often heavy, periods seen in these conditions are a good reason to see a physician with expertise in women’s health and gynecology. Other common causes of long periods include having a copper IUD (intrauterine device), blood sugar dysregulation and type II diabetes, being on hormone therapy medication, having an underlying blood clotting disorder, or taking medication that alters your ability to clot blood (aspirin/ASA and others).
WHAT TO DO ABOUT YOUR LONG PERIODS
It is advisable to consult your healthcare provider about your long periods so that you can get the proper treatment. If you have a period that lasts 8 or more days every now and then don’t let it alarm you. Instead, use a “watch and wait” approach. Record your cycles monthly and track the length of your periods so that you can determine if your periods are becoming longer over time. If you notice a pattern that they are becoming progressively longer, you have 3 consecutive long periods, or 3 of the last 6 periods are long, book an appointment with a physician. It is important to get assessed and diagnosed so that the underlying cause can be addressed and adverse outcomes can be avoided.
Happy cycling!
Looking to investigate the cause of your long periods? Book a visit.
Take care,
Dr. Laura Nicholas, ND
This content is not intended to be substituted or interpreted as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health concern. Please book a consultation with me or a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any information presented here.
References
PMID: 25935784
PMID: 22350580
PMID: 29962808
PMID: 11712937