When more blood is lost than usual during a period, the condition is known as a heavy period or menorrhagia. While some women naturally lose more blood than others, for the majority of women, bleeding lasts for roughly 5 days, with the first 3 days seeing the most significant blood loss. If your period lasts longer than this, if you run out of regular sanitary pads (or tampons), or if it suddenly becomes heavier than usual, consult this PDF. Unusual heavy periods can be brought on by a number of circumstances, including uterine lining problems and intra-uterine device use. However, regardless of the cause you believe to be behind your heavy bleeding, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan as there is a chance that persistent heavy bleeding may lead to anemia.
D & C
A scraping of the endometrium from the uterus must frequently be examined in a lab to determine the cause of heavy periods. The D and C (dilation and curettage) procedure, which is a quick procedure, is used to achieve this. The cervix (neck of the uterus) is stretched (dilated) while the patient is under a general anesthesia, and some of the lining is removed using a curette. The endometrium can be removed without any negative side effects, and it may even be advantageous if the heavy periods are due to a thickened lining. During the menstrual cycle, the endometrium rapidly grows again.