how to make period less heavy

How to Lighten Your Period

Full Answer

How to reduce heavy periods naturally?

• Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in ½ or 1 glass of water.
• Drink the solution 3 times a day during your menstrual cycle.
• You will notice a significant relief in the symptoms of heavy menstrual bleeding by following this remedy.

How do you reduce heavy flow of your period?

Ways to manage or stop heavy periods

• Lifestyle changes. A person using a menstrual cup may need to change it less than a pad or tampon. ...
• Diet and supplements. ...
• Medications. ...
• Surgeries. ...
• Possible reasons for heavy periods. ...
• When to see a doctor. ...
• Outlook. ...

How to lighten periods naturally?

Ways to Help Lighten Your Period:

• Take natural remedies. Natural herbs that seem to have a positive effect on reducing menstrual flow include agrimony, blue cohosh, and golden seal (orange root).
• Enjoy good nutrition. ...
• Avoid stress. ...
• Take birth control pills. ...
• Move your body. ...
• Get enough Zs. ...

How do you lighten your period?

Top 8 Ways to Lighten your Period

1. Correct Diet and Food. One of the ways to lighten your periods is by having correct diet. ...
2. Regular Exercise. It is a known fact that regular exercise has array of benefits and one of them is light and regular periods.
3. Taking Birth Control Pills. ...
4. Other Hormonal Methods of Birth Control. ...
5. Taking Ibuprofen. ...
6. Drinking Lots of Water. ...

More items...

How can I reduce heavy periods?

Treatment for heavy periods Treatments from a GP include: some types of contraception, such as an intrauterine system (IUS) or the combined contraceptive pill. medicine to help reduce the bleeding, such as tranexamic acid. prescription-only anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as mefenamic acid or naproxen.

How can I stop heavy periods naturally?

Hydrate. If you bleed heavily for a few days, your blood volume could get too low. Drinking 4 to 6 extra cups of water each day can help to maintain your blood volume. Drink an electrolyte solution like Gatorade or add more salt to your diet to balance out the extra fluid you're drinking.

What makes your period flow heavier?

If a hormone imbalance occurs, the endometrium develops in excess and eventually sheds by way of heavy menstrual bleeding. A number of conditions can cause hormone imbalances, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, insulin resistance and thyroid problems.

What food can make your period heavy?

Your diet can make your periods heavier!...Read on.Beetroots. Beetroots are loaded with iron, calcium, vitamins, potassium, folic acid and fibres. ... Chocolates Yes, they are great for your bad moods and cramps but, do you know that eating chocolates while menstruating can make your periods heavy? ... Honey. ... Coffee. ... Dairy products.

Is there a pill to stop your period immediately?

In fact, there are no pills to stop menstruation immediately.

When I stand up my period gushes?

You Get a Gush of Blood When You Stand Up Yep. “If you've been lying down or sitting for a long period of time, blood will collect in your vagina,” Dr. Herta explains. “When you get up, that pool of blood will come out.”

When does period weight go away?

It's normal to gain about three to five pounds during your period. Generally, it will go away a few days after your period starts. Period-related weight gain is caused by hormonal fluctuations.

How many pads is normal for a period per day?

It is hard to define normalcy of number of pads per day. On total, one to seven normal sized pads or tampons per period are normal.

Why is my period so much worse this month?

If your hormone levels aren't balanced, your body can make the lining too thick, which leads to heavy bleeding when you shed the thicker lining. If you don't ovulate (release an egg from an ovary), this can throw off the hormone balance in your body, too, leading to a thicker lining and a heavier period.

Why is my period so heavy and bright red?

‌Bright red blood: As your uterus starts to actively shed blood during your period, you may notice that the color is bright red. This just means that your blood is fresh and has not been in the uterus or vagina for some time. Dark red blood: Dark red blood is simply blood that has been in the vagina for longer.

When is a heavy period too heavy?

Signs to watch for with heavy periods She needs to change her pad or tampon during the night. She is bleeding through her clothes. She is passing clots that are bigger than an inch wide.

Can stress cause a heavier period?

Mental stress can cause changes in menstrual cycles, which can range from skipped or irregular periods , to heavy menstrual bleeding.

Use a menstrual cup

A person using a menstrual cup may need to change it less than a pad or tampon.

Try a heating pad

Heating pads can help reduce common period symptoms, such as pain and cramping. This is because the warmth of the heating pad can relax the muscles involved.

Get plenty of rest

The body needs energy to restore the blood that it loses during a heavy menstrual flow. Taking time to rest whenever possible is important, and it can help prevent fatigue.

Exercise

Exercise helps some people deal with menorrhagia. For example, activities such as yoga can help reduce related stress.

Iron

An iron supplement may help a person to have enough red blood cells in the body.

Hydration

A heavy period causes the body to lose a lot of water, as well as blood and iron. Replenishing this water by staying hydrated can support overall health and energy levels.

Herbal remedies

Some early evidence suggests that certain herbal remedies may help with heavy menstrual bleeding.

1. Take Hormonal Birth Control

The birth control pill can be used for more than just contraception. "Combined hormonal therapy that has both estrogen and progesterone, such as birth control pills or the Nuva ring, is very effective for mild, moderate, persistent, or even severe bleeding," says Ghodsi.

2. Eat More Vitamin A

"There have been some studies that show that taking 25,000 IU of Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) per day can decrease menstrual flow," says Ghodsi. You can also increase your intake of the vitamin by eating foods such as carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, and squash.

3. Take A NSAID

"Also known as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, these are over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen," says Lincoln.

4. Exercise

As if you needed another excuse to hit the gym: regular, moderate exercise can reduce your menstrual flow as well as decrease other common period symptoms, according to LIVESTRONG.

5. Get An IUD

Like the birth control pill, an Intrauterine Device (IUD) can help make your period lighter, or even stop it completely for some women. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an IUD can reduce blood flow by 71 to 94 percent.

6. Reduce Your Stress

Frequent stress can have an effect on your menstrual cycle and cause it to be irregular, according to Everyday Health. Stress can cause buildup of the uterine lining, and the buildup can shed under its own weight, causing heavy, prolonged bleeding, according to WebMD.

7. Consider Surgical Treatment

"When all else fails, surgery may be the answer. Procedures such as a dilation and curettage (D&C), removal of fibroids, or endometrial ablation can decrease the amount you bleed or stop your periods altogether," says Lincoln.

Why do I have heavy bleeding during my periods?

There are many different causes of menorrhagia, which is the medical term for heavy periods. The good news is that most of these causes are treatable. Because each woman’s period is unique, seeing the doctor is the only way to know for sure what’s causing your heavy periods. The most common causes of heavy periods include:

What is considered menorrhagia

You might be surprised to learn that about one in five women experience menorrhagia. Since everyone is different, it can be tricky to know if what you think is “normal” for your cycle would actually be considered a heavy period. In fact, half of women who experience menorrhagia don’t realize they have it.

How is menorrhagia diagnosed?

Diagnosing menorrhagia has two parts: confirming that your bleeding is unusually heavy, and identifying the underlying cause.

How can I stop heavy periods?

Knowing the underlying reason for your heavy periods is key to getting the treatment that will be most effective for you, which is why talking to a doctor is so important. In some cases, heavy periods caused by fibroids, growths or endometriosis are best treated through surgery.

When should I see a doctor for heavy periods?

Heavy periods aren’t something that you have to put up with. If your period affects your daily life by causing you to miss work or school, cancel social activities or plan your day around bathroom breaks, it’s time to seek treatment.

Why are my periods so heavy?

A heavy period, known by its medical term menorrhagia, is when your period lasts more than 7 days, and you experience unusually heavy bleeding. You can stop your period from being so heavy by taking medications, supplements, or having certain surgical procedures.

What are the symptoms of heavy periods?

If you think your periods are unusually heavy, there are some specific symptoms you should look out for.

How are heavy periods diagnosed?

During your appointment, your doctor will review your medical history and ask you specific questions about your menstrual cycle. You may be asked to keep a log of your period to track your symptoms, how many days it lasts, and the heaviness of your flow.

How can I make my period stop being so heavy?

Whether you are diagnosed with menorrhagia or not, there are medical interventions you can talk to your doctor about. These drug therapies and procedures will likely reduce your period flow or stop your period completely.

How common are heavy periods?

Heavy periods are a common reason women seek medical advice. To give you some idea of the scale of the problem, in the UK, about 1 in 20 women aged 30 to 49 see their doctor about heavy bleeding each year. In the US, it affects more than 10 million women a year.

How to tell heavy periods from normal periods

The medical name for heavy periods is ‘menorrhagia’. It’s defined as excessive period blood loss that regularly affects your daily life – physically, socially, and emotionally.

How you can treat your heavy periods

If you have heavy periods, you don’t have to just put up with them. There are things you can do yourself to help manage and relieve your symptoms, including self-care measures and products from a pharmacy.

When to see a doctor about heavy periods

If self-care and pharmacy treatments aren’t helping and heavy periods are affecting your day-to-day life, see your doctor.

How are heavy periods diagnosed?

As well as asking lots of questions about your periods – including the impact your symptoms are having on your health and quality of life – your doctor will want to know about:

Medication for heavy periods

Depending on your symptoms, there are different types of medicines your doctor can prescribe to treat your heavy periods.

Non-surgical procedures for heavy bleeding

endometrial ablation – this can be used to reduce heavy periods and/or to treat small fibroids in your womb lining. It’s a minor procedure where the lining of your womb is removed, either with lasers, a heated wire loop, or hot fluid in a balloon