Some women suffer from prolonged menstruation. We are not talking about 6 days, but more than a week. But why does this happen? Is it normal for the period to last so long? 
Well, if this happens, it could be that our menstrual cycle is not working correctly. This usually lasts from 21 to 33 days, counting as the first the day we start to bleed and as the last the day before the start of the next period bleeding. The duration of the rule can vary greatly from one girl to another, although if we had to establish a specific period we would say that it usually ranges between 4 and 7 days.
If it lasts longer than this time, we could be talking about menorrhagia. Medically, menstruation that occurs intensely or prolongedly is understood in this way and has some characteristics to recognize it:
- More than a week of menstrual bleeding.
- Change tampons or pads every hour.
- Intense color rules, not following the usual course: red-brown.
- Excessive menstrual flow.
- Presence of clots in the menstrual flow.
- Fatigue or excessive tiredness.
Possible causes of prolonged menstruation or menorrhagia
Premenopause
If we have menorrhagia and leg cramps, we may be entering the premenopausal stage. These symptoms could be an indication that we are heading towards the end of our menstruation. It is the transition period of a woman’s fertile life towards menopause.
Morning after pill
It is possible that if you have had to take the morning after pill, your period is longer than usual and, in addition, it undergoes some changes and becomes somewhat irregular.
Uterine myoma
Many women have a fibroid and do not have any symptoms until it grows and becomes large enough. However, some others do experience some changes and warning signs, such as excessive and long menstrual bleeding, abundant gas, constant urge to urinate and/or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
Polyps
As with fibroids, polyps also often have profuse and long bleeding as their main symptom. In addition, people who suffer from them also tend to have episodes of anemia and/or irregular periods.
Hormonal changes
For example, if we suffer from hypothyroidism or any other type of pathology that involves a hormonal imbalance. This can cause abundant and prolonged periods. Therefore, if we have menstruations of this type, it is advisable to go to the doctor to have a hormonal analysis done.
IUD use
When placing a non-hormonal intrauterine device, one of the possible side effects can be menorrhagia. If this happens, it is best to consult your doctor because it is possible that the best thing to do is to withdraw the contraceptive.
Using pads instead of tampons
- It is possible that if you do not use tampons and only use compresses, your period lasts a little longer than that of women who do use them. However, the difference should not be more than one or two days.
- Menstruation will never be the same between two women and this is something that we must be clear about. It varies a lot from one to the other, therefore, each case is different and before drawing hasty conclusions you should see your doctor to tell him in detail how long your menstrual cycle lasts and what symptoms you have. He will know what tests to send you to find out if what is happening to you is normal or what treatment must be followed to control it if it is not.
