Heavy Menstrual Period (Menorrhagia)

Symptoms

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding often occurs when the endometrium, or lining of the uterus, is stimulated to grow by the hormone estrogen. When exposure to estrogen is extended, or not balanced by the presence of progesterone, the endometrium continues to grow until it outgrows its blood supply. Then it sloughs off, causing irregular bleeding. If the bleeding is heavy enough and frequent enough, anemia can result.

Menorrhagia is representative of DUB. It is caused by many conditions including some outside the reproductive system. Causes of menorrhagia include:

• adenomyosis (a benign condition characterized by growths in the area of the uterus)
• imbalance between the hormones estrogen and progesterone
• fibroid tumors
• pelvic infection
• endometrial cancer (cancer of the inner mucous membrane of the uterus)
• endometrial polyps
• endometriosis (a condition in which endometrial or endrometrial-like tissue appears outside of its normal place in the uterus)
• use of an intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception
• hypothyroidism
• blood clotting problems (rare)
• lupus erythematosus
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• steroid therapy
• advanced liver disease
• renal (kidney) disease
• chemotherapy (cancer treatment with chemicals)

To diagnose dysfunctional uterine bleeding, many of the potential causes mentioned above must be eliminated. When all potential causes connected with pregnancy, infection, and tumors (benign or malignant) are eliminated, then menorrhagia is presumed to be caused by dysfunctional uterine bleeding.