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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffAt some time in your reproductive life, you've probably experienced heavy bleeding during your menstrual period. If you're like some women, every period you have causes enough blood loss and cramping that you can't maintain your usual daily activities. The medical term for periods like these — excessive or prolonged or both — is menorrhagia.
Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern among premenopausal women, few women experience blood loss severe enough to be defined as menorrhagia. If you have menstrual bleeding so heavy that you dread your period, talk with your doctor. There are many effective treatments for menorrhagia.
- Jurema M, et al. Menorrhagia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Excessive menstrual bleeding: Quick primer. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.healthywomen.org/aub/pg1.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Women and anemia — Heavy menstrual bleeding and fibroids. National Anemia Action Council. http://www.anemia.org/patients/featurearticles/content.php?contentid=000242§ionid=00015. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Vaginal bleeding. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec18/ch242/ch242e.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Abnormal uterine bleeding. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp095.cfm. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Questions to ask about excessive menstrual bleeding. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.healthywomen.org/aub/pg3.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Menstrual periods fact sheet. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Goodman A. Terminology and evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- de Silva NK, et al. Definition and evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding in adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Lobo RA. Abnormal uterine bleeding: Ovulatory and anovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding, management of acute and chronic excessive bleeding. In: Katz VL, et al., eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/133793247-3/834086474/1524/248.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-02951-3..50040-6_1192. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Cervical cancer screening. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/screening/. Accessed April 25, 2009.
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 29, 2009.
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