A menstrual period occurs when the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, call the endometrium, begins to break down. Most woman find that normal periods are easy to deal other women are not so lucky. Some women need to use both tampons and pads at the same time, change pads hourly, pass large clots or experiencing flooding, have to change bed sheets, underwear and clothes regularly due to overflow. They may experience extreme fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath. This is not normal. If your menstrual flow is not easy to control, affecting your quality of life, necessitating you taking time of work or being afraid to leave home it is a problem and worth getting looked at.
We will perform a complete assessment to determine the severity of your periods and the effect this is having on you. We will then try to find out the cause of the bleeding and treat the problem to improve your periods and get you feeling normal again.
Hormonal: Disturbances of hormonal secretion in the body can cause an abnormal build up of the lining of the uterus which then breaks down leading to heavy menstrual loss. Common example is PCOS or even thyroid disease.
Uterine Fibroids:non-cancerous, smooth muscle tumours of the uterus.
Uterine / Endometrial Polyps: non-cancerous growths of the lining of the uterus.
Adenomyosis: growth of endometrium / endometriosis in the wall of the uterus.
Rare Causes: include conditions such as endometrial hyperplasia (abnormal overgrowth of the lining of the uterus), cancer of the uterus, bleeding disorders or the use of certain medications.
Pelvic Examination: to assess the size of the uterus. Pap smear and swabs may be done at the same time.
Blood Tests: to help assess the severity and effect the bleeding is having on you
Pelvic Ultrasound: to assess the lining of the uterus and detect possible causes.
Endometrial Biopsy: A quick and easy way of collecting a small sample of tissue of the lining of the uterus by passing a device though the cervix. This is done in the rooms.
Hysteroscopy and Curettage: procedure to look inside the uterus using a thin telescope. At the time of hysteroscopy a sample of the cells that line the uterus can be taken allowing full examination of the lining of the uterus.