Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. During menstruation, the hormones in your body cause the lining of your uterus to begin shedding.
During that process, small blood vessels bleed. To prevent your body from losing too much blood, plasma and platelets work together to form blood clots. Zanotti says. Most menstrual blood clots are normal.
At the beginning and the end of your cycle, they may appear bright red. Because your flow is moving quickly, the blood does not have time to darken.
You may also see dark red or maroon clots during the first few days of your period when your flow is the heaviest. Your cervix has to dilate in order to pass larger blood clots. The pain can be strong. If you have a heavy flow and experience cramping, this is partially why you have pain. That said, it's also possible that another condition is causing abnormal blood clots to appear in your period blood.
This article is a guide to menstrual blood clots—what they're made of, how they form in your period blood, and possible signs that something else could be causing them. Your menstrual period starts when hormones trigger your body to shed the lining of the uterus endometrium.
As the lining sheds, small blood vessels bleed. To prevent too much blood from being lost, your body forms blood clots using a combination of plasma the liquid part of blood and platelets tiny blood cells that bind together to form clots. Mixed into the menstrual blood are also bits of tissue from the uterine lining. Thus, what appears to be a blood clot may actually be a clump of endometrial cells.
Or, it can be a mixture of both endometrial cells and blood clots. Dark red or blackish clots may appear during the first few days of your period when the flow is heaviest. Your period may start or end with bright red blood clots, too. This means the blood is flowing quickly and doesn't have time to darken. When your menstrual flow is heavier, blood clots tend to be bigger because there's a larger amount of blood sitting in the uterus.
In order to pass larger blood clots, the cervix has to dilate a bit, causing pain that can be quite intense. This partially explains why, if you have a heavy flow, you're more likely to have cramping. Menorrhagia refers to heavy menstrual bleeding and menstrual bleeding that lasts more than seven days.
Your flow is considered heavy when you have to change your pad or tampon after less than two hours, or you are passing blood clots that are the size of a quarter or larger. Some of these conditions include:.
If you're pregnant and passing clots, see your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room. This may be a sign of a miscarriage or a potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus has implanted outside of the uterus. Blood clots in and of themselves aren't a medical condition, but rather a possible symptom of another underlying condition. Your healthcare provider may start trying to diagnose the cause of your blood clots by asking you some questions, such as:.
Next, your healthcare provider will do a pelvic exam. They may also want to do some tests to figure out what might be causing your blood clots.
These tests may include:. Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Your treatment will depend on a number of factors, including:.
Prolonged, heavy menstrual bleeding is a common cause of anemia in women of reproductive age. In fact, one study found that Anemia can make you feel tired, weak, dizzy, and lightheaded, among other symptoms. To treat the condition, your healthcare provider may prescribe iron tablets or supplements to restore iron levels in your blood.
Iron supplementation will not make your period lighter. However, it can remedy the symptoms of anemia and help you replace healthy red blood cells.
Certain contraceptives may reduce your menstrual blood flow and control irregular bleeding. In particular, healthcare providers may suggest hormonal IUDs or birth control pills. Two forms of oral contraceptives are used to control heavy bleeding: combination birth control and progesterone-only birth control.
Norethindrone is considered the most commonly used progesterone-only oral contraceptive. That said, you may have irregular bleeding and spotting during the first six months or more. Although aspirin is another NSAID used to treat pain and inflammation, taking it can actually increase your menstrual flow. Progesterone, estrogen, or a combination of the two can help reduce bleeding. These hormones can be prescribed as contraceptives or in doses that are not specifically tailored for contraception.
The main difference between hormonal therapy and hormonal contraceptives is that hormonal therapy preserves fertility.
Heavy menstrual bleeding is defined as losing 80ml or more in each period, having periods that last longer than 7 days, or both. But it's not usually necessary to measure blood loss. Most women have a good idea of how much bleeding is normal for them during their period and can tell when this changes. In about half of women with heavy menstrual bleeding, no underlying reason is found. But there are several conditions and some treatments that can cause heavy menstrual bleeding.
Some conditions of the womb and ovaries can cause heavy bleeding, including:. A GP will start by asking you about your heavy bleeding, any changes to your periods and any other symptoms you have, like bleeding between your periods or period pain.
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