Menorrhagia

What is menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia describes abnormally heavy and/or prolonged menstrual periods. It can be caused by several conditions including an underlying bleeding disorder, disruption of normal hormonal regulation of periods or disorders of the endometrial lining of the uterus.

What is a bleeding disorder?

Many different proteins and cells circulating in the blood are needed to help stop the flow of blood after injury and even after “normal” processes such as menstrual periods. A bleeding disorder is any condition where either the quantity or quality of these required proteins or cells is abnormal, leading to an increased tendency to bleed

What bleeding disorders can cause menorrhagia?

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is the most common bleeding disorder, even more common among women presenting with menorrhagia (or heavy menstrual cycles) with prevalence rates as high as 20%-50%. Other bleeding disorders that can cause menorrhagia include platelet disorders, and clotting factor deficiencies. These young women struggle not only with delays in initial diagnosis, but may also have difficulty accessing accurate information on their condition, finding suitable psychosocial support for their accompanying psychosocial stressors, communicating with and traveling to medical providers, and complying with treatment.