Hypermenorrhea: Causes And Treatments

It is shared by half the population, for a long period of their life. For some women it is not a problem, others suffer it to unexpected extremes. Menorrhea, or menstruation, varies almost with each woman; however, it is sometimes possible to classify it according to the way it is presented. One of them is hypermenorrhea.

In this article we explain what hypermenorrhea is, what its most common causes are, what types of treatments exist to treat it and above all, when to see a doctor.

What is hypermenorrhea?

The term hypermenorrhea (from the Greek  ὑπερ – hyper- , “much, very”) refers to the abundance of menorrhea, that is, menstrual flow. It is frequently used as a synonym for “menorrhagia”, excessive bleeding that lasts longer than normal, or that involves bleeding over 80 ml in a single cycle (about 6 tampons per day). However, it is not possible to quantify the amount of “excessive” menstruation; each woman knows her own menstruation. As long as it does not occur unexpectedly, involves pain or other kinds of pathologies, we cannot speak of abnormal menstruation.

Hypermenorrhea usually refers to excessive menstruation (always using the term with caution) within a cycle of normal duration. If the cycles are also frequent and close, we would be talking about polyhypermenorrhea, synonymous with the two previous terms. Whether it is one or another pathology, the result is often tiredness or fatigue. This is in many cases due to the loss of iron, or anemia, implied by the loss of blood.

It is also important not to confuse hypermenorrhea with metrorrhagia, or alteration of non-menstruation bleeding. It is common after menarche (first menstruation), in a period of “adjustment” of the menstrual cycle.

What Causes Hypermenorrhea?

The causes of hypermenorrhea are very varied, depending on whether it occurs in isolation or as a symptom of other pathologies. In any case, it is very important to see a specialist the moment it appears. Only a gynecologist can accurately diagnose the causes, which range from uterine cancer to a minor hormonal imbalance.

The most common causes are the following:

• Uterine fibroids: benign tumors in the uterus, which affect the muscles of the uterus.
• Polyps: another class of benign tumors that affect the surface of the endometrium, increasing it.
• Having had several pregnancies : the extension and contraction of the muscles of the uterus during and after pregnancy can cause the bleeding tissue to increase. Added to this is a loss of strength in muscle tissue that prevents proper retention of bleeding.

• Pathologies related to improper blood clotting : difficulty or inability to clot properly increases bleeding.
• Pelvic congestion syndrome: this pathology is characterized by the dilation of the pelvic venous vessels (pelvic varices). This disease always occurs in menopause.
• Uterine cancer: although it is a less frequent situation, it can be detected thanks to hypermenorrhea, one of its symptoms.

Treatment of hypermenorrhea

The treatment of hypermenorrhea varies depending on its cause, since a cancer is not treated in the same way as a fibroid. In addition, as has already been seen, hypermenorrhea can constitute a disease in itself, but on other occasions it appears as a symptom of another.

Clinical treatments, therefore, will vary from hormonal treatments, such as taking contraceptives, to surgical ones, such as removal of the ovaries. Anemia, which often involves increased bleeding, will often also be treated. Generally, the treatment will also involve analgesics, since hypermenorrhea is frequently accompanied by pain in the belly.

However, it will not always be something serious, so we must go to the gynecologist before thinking that we have a severe disease.

Other considerations

Only a specialist can diagnose this disease. Any increase in menstrual flow should not be considered hypermenorrhea, and it is very important not to be overly concerned. If only one of the cycles is abnormal, we should not be alarmed. Remember that menstruation is affected by many factors, from diet to age.

On the contrary, it is also not beneficial to take a gradual increase in flow seriously, which happens frequently and is not reduced. Likewise, the ingestion of analgesics alleviates the pain, but does not make the disease disappear, so we should not take them as the only treatment.

Ultimately, it is essential that we are responsible and go to the doctor when necessary, so that he or she correctly diagnoses what happens to us and tells us which is the most appropriate treatment.