Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding – General Information

The majority of women have at least one Abnormal Uterine Bleeding during the reproductive years. In most of the cases the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding occurs in the first years of menstruation, meaning in adolescence, and in the last 2 years of menstruation, before the menopause installs.
You can notice the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in the case that you change your tampons more often than you used to or when the period lasts more than seven days. Most of the women are concerned without reason by the clots that appear in the menstruation and that are normal as long as they are black, brown or red.  The abnormal bleeding also called heavy menstruation and menorrhagia is caused by a hormonal disequilibrium. The menstruation in the most cases is irregular and heavy in the adolescence or in the last 2 years because of the hormonal levels that can raise or lower. Here is a list of causes that can lead to abnormal bleeding:

• The most common is fibroid tumors
• Cervical polyps and endometrial polyps
• Lupus
• Pelvic inflammatory disease abbreviated PID
• Cervical Cancer
• Endometrial Cancer
• Willbrand’s disease – which is a platelet disorder.

Another category of women who can experience abnormal bleeding are the ones who use intrauterine devices in order to control the birth, their periods may become longer and “heavier”. These women are recommended to remove the intrauterine device when they notice an excessive bleeding and to replace it with other types of devices.

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding – Symptoms

It is well known that any medical disorder (including Abnormal Uterine Bleeding) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been mentioned here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Abnormal Uterine Bleeding or from any other medical disorder.
Here is a list of the most common symptoms of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding:

• The occurrence of the menstrual bleeding often than 21 days or farther than 35 days, as a normal menstrual cycle is 21 – 35 days long.
• A menstrual bleeding that lasts for more than 7 days, as a normal menstrual bleeding last from 4 to 6 days.
• More than 80 ml blood loss at every menstrual cycle, as in a normal menstrual bleeding the blood loss is about 30 ml, although excessive blood loss may happen without having menstrual bleeding disorders.
• Pelvic pain, including pain during sex.
• Low back pain that does not go away.
• Urinary problems.
• Menstrual cramps
• Abdominal pain
• Two or more missed periods
• Abnormal spotting
• Vaginal bleeding between periods or that is unrelated to periods
• Vaginal bleeding after menopause
• Vaginal bleeding in very young girls
• Vaginal itching
• pain in the pelvic area
• Breast pain.
• Decrease in breast size and increase in the muscle size

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding – Treatment

Like in any other disease the treatment of the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding depends on the underlying cause, for example if the bleeding is caused by a hormonal imbalance patients will be prescribed birth control pills or progesterone. In the cases in which the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding is caused by a therapy of hormone replacement then the treatment is based on an increase or decrease of the quantity of estrogen that the patients take. The thyroid problems may also produce Abnormal Uterine Bleeding and treating the thyroid may stop the bleeding. In the case of the patients with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer surgery is needed.

In order for the doctors to establish the cause of the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding they will give you a series of tests depending on your age. If the doctor believes that you are pregnant he can order a pregnancy test and if he thinks that you may also suffer from anemia from the blood loss he will check your blood count too. An ultrasound exam of the patient’s pelvic area shows the uterus and the ovaries, but it can also show the cause of the abnormal bleeding. Another test that the doctor may want the patients to take is an endometrial biopsy, which is a test if the uterine lining. The test is done by introducing a catheter in the patient’s uterus, in order to take out a small piece of the patient’s uterine lining. The small piece is send to a laboratory for tests, which will reveal if the patient suffers from cancer or has a change in the cells.  This test is usually done in the medical cabinet and it causes no or small pain. Hysteroscopy is another test that patients may take and the procedure is the following: a small tube with a camera is inserted in the uterus in order for the doctor to see if there exists something abnormal about it. If the doctor sees something abnormal then he can get a biopsy for further analysis.
A way of treating the Abnormal Uterine Bleeding is a dilatation and curettage. This is a method in which a surgical tool is introduced in the patient’s uterus in order to scrape the lining of it. The removed lining is send to laboratories for further analyses. This procedure involves anesthesia, is used to find the cause of the abnormal bleeding and to treat the bleeding, and it is done only at the recommendation of your personal doctor. If the abnormal bleeding is caused by the Pelvic inflammatory disease the patients are treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately the antibiotics cannot repair the damage that has been caused to the reproductive organs. If the pelvic inflammatory disease is not treated on time the patients may become sterile or can present the risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy. The possible development of an ectopic pregnancy is due to the damage caused to the fallopian tubes (which are the tubes that lead from the ovaries into the uterus).