What is meant by anaemia due to heavy periods?
Heavy periods may lead to anaemia as blood loss exceeds blood replacement.
Blood consists of fluid (plasma) and cells. The cells are the white blood cells, which protect against infection and the red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body. The pigment in the red blood cells that carries the oxygen is called haemoglobin. Iron is an important part of haemoglobin. We absorb iron from certain foods including meat. There are also platelets, which are the tiny bricks in blood clots the body's mechanism to stop bleeding.
When blood is lost from the body, new blood cells must be produced to replace the loss. If periods are heavy for more than a few months, iron may be lost faster than it can be replaced and this is reflected in reduced haemoglobin concentrations. The average haemoglobin level is 14.6 g/dl (grams per 100ml). Anaemia means that the haemoglobin has dropped below 11.5 g/dl. There are other causes of anaemia including blood loss from the stomach and intestine and inadequate absorption which can be due to inadequate intake (e.g. malnutrition or special diets). Occasionally there may be deficiency of other essential requirements particularly vitamin B12 or folic acid. Some people are born with abnormal haemoglobin (e.g. sickle cell disease or thalassaemia which are more common in people from African or Mediterranean countries respectively).
Please click on the required question.
- 1 Are heavy periods a common problem?
- 2 What is in my menstrual flow?
- 3 What range of menstrual cycle length is considered to be normal?
- 4 How can menstrual blood loss be measured?
- 5 How can I tell if my periods are abnormally heavy?
- 6 What could be the cause of my very heavy menstrual periods?
- 7 I have been sterilised. Could this be the cause of my heavy periods?
- 8 Should I have tests to find the reason for my heavy periods?
- 9 How will my heavy period problems be investigated?
- 10 What is meant by anaemia due to heavy periods?
- 11 What is intermenstrual bleeding?
- 12 What is a hysteroscopy and D and C?
- 13 What is cervical cautery?
- 14 What happens after the D and C?
- 15 What treatments are available for my heavy periods?
- 16 What are the medical treatments available for heavy periods?
- 17 How do the various medical treatments for heavy periods work?
- 18 What would be reasonable initial treatment for a teenager or young woman with heavy periods?
- 19 What is a hysterectomy?
- 20 What are the indications for hysterectomy?
- 21 What are the risks (complications) of hysterectomy?
- 22 What is vault granulation?
- 23 What are the different types of hysterectomy?
- 24 Is it essential to remove the neck of the womb at hysterectomy?
- 25 Should my ovaries be removed or conserved during hysterectomy?
- 26 How long will I be in hospital when I have my hysterectomy?
- 27 I have had a hysterectomy. Do I still need to have smear tests?
- 28 What are the other surgical alternatives to hysterectomy?
- 29 How do endometrial ablation and hysterectomy compare?
- 30 Are there any psychological effects following hysterectomy?
- 31 How do we decide the best treatment for my period problems?
- 32 Could I have some recommended hysterectomy support groups?
- 33 Are there any support groups?
- Intermenstrual Bleeding - Bleeding between periods.
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This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.
I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.
