Symptom: Heavy periods
Heavy periods: Excessive menstrual bleeding (called menorrhagia or hypermenorrhea)
Introduction: Heavy menstrual bleeding is called menorrhagia when it follows normal cycles and can have various underlying causes. Common causes include uterine polyps and uterine fibroids but there are many possibilities. One of the lesser known but surprisingly common causes of chronic menorrhagia is Von Willebrand's disease, a congenital bleeding disorder. Undiagnosed cases of VWD are sometimes wrongly treated by hysterectomy to resolve their menorrhagia symptoms. Any symptom of excessive menstrual bleeding needs prompt professional medical investigation.
Detailed cause information for symptom: Heavy periods:
Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
- Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
- Deaths and sudden death
Symptoms related to Heavy periods: amenorrhea (21), dysmenorrhea (9), vaginal bleeding (24), light periods (6)
Heavy periods type of: Menstrual irregularities (62)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions
Possible causes of symptom: Heavy periods: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Heavy periods as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.
- Excessive dieting
- Excessive exercise (see Exercise symptoms)
- Miscarriage
- Pelvic infections
- Infected IUD
- Endometriosis
- Uterine polyps (type of Uterus conditions)
- Fibroids
- Thyroid disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthryroidism
- Clotting disorders
- Bleeding disorders - see other causes of bleeding
- Von Willebrand's disease - a commonly overlooked cause of heavy periods or excessive bleeding.
- Any condition that causes bleeding - see causes of bleeding symptoms or bruising easily
- Dysfunctional bleeding - vaginal bleeding of unclear causes.
- Cervix cancer
- Uterine cancer
Conditions listing symptoms: Heavy periods: The following list of conditions have 'Heavy periods' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Last revised: Nov 3, 2003
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