What are classed as ‘heavy’ periods?

Heavy periods, also called menorrhagia, are surprisingly common and can affect many women.

Generally, periods are classed as heavy if you lose over 60ml of blood over the course of each period – that’s over 3 tablespoons worth. However, this can be hard to measure, so, although the amount of blood lost per period is the obvious indicator of how heavy your period is, looking out for other signs can also be useful.

This can include: having to change your pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive hours, flooding, heavy bleeding during the night, soaking through sanitary products or even clothes or passing blood clots – all of which can be signs of ‘heavy’ periods.

Heavy periods can not only be unpleasant and inconvenient, they can also take their toll on your health. They can put you more at risk of anaemia or could be a sign of an underlying condition such as fibroids. If you suspect you have particularly heavy periods it’s worth paying a visit to your doctor.

Kind regards,

Emma