Periodos
Heavy periods
Revisado: 4 de octubre de 2026
Solo en inglés por ahoraHeavy periods are common and can be treated. Learn the signs that bleeding is heavy, what can cause it, and the help a doctor or nurse can offer.
Signs your period is heavy
Most people lose about 20 to 90 ml of blood in a period, roughly 1 to 5 tablespoons, but some people naturally bleed more. Your period may be heavy if you need to change a pad or tampon every 1 to 2 hours, or empty a cup more often than the instructions say. Other signs are using two products at once, such as a pad and a tampon, or bleeding for more than 7 days. Passing clots larger than about 2.5 cm (the size of a large coin) is another sign. So is blood leaking onto your clothes or bedding.
How it can affect you
Heavy bleeding is one of the period problems that doctors hear about most often. It can make you avoid exercise or other activities, or take time off work or school. Losing a lot of blood every month can also lead to anaemia. This can leave you feeling tired, weak, low in energy or short of breath. If heavy periods are getting in the way of your life, that alone is a good reason to get help.
Possible causes
Often no clear cause is found, and heavy periods can be normal for some people. Known causes include fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS, now also called PMOS). Bleeding disorders such as von Willebrand disease can cause heavy periods. So can some medicines, including some blood thinners (anticoagulants) and chemotherapy. Rarely, heavy periods can be a sign of womb cancer.
Treatments that can help
Treatment depends on the cause and what suits you. Options include a hormonal IUD (coil), also called an intrauterine system, and the combined contraceptive pill. Medicines without hormones can also help, such as tranexamic acid, or anti-inflammatory painkillers such as naproxen or mefenamic acid. If these do not help, a specialist may suggest a procedure to remove the womb lining (endometrial ablation), removing fibroids, or removing the womb (hysterectomy).
When to see a doctor or nurse
See a doctor or nurse if heavy periods are affecting your daily life, if you have had heavy periods for some time, or if you often feel tired or short of breath. Also see them if you have severe pain during your periods, bleeding between periods or after sex, or pain when you pee, poo or have sex. Contact a doctor or nurse the same day if you soak through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours in a row. Logging how heavy each day is in Ciclo can help you show a doctor what is happening.
When to get urgent help
Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department if you are bleeding heavily and you faint or feel about to faint, or you have chest pain or trouble breathing. If heavy bleeding makes you feel dizzy, light-headed or weak, contact a doctor or nurse the same day. If you might be pregnant, even without a positive test, contact a doctor or nurse the same day if you have pain low down on one side of your tummy or any bleeding. Get emergency help for sudden, severe tummy pain, pain in the tip of your shoulder, heavy bleeding, or feeling very dizzy or faint. These can be signs of a pregnancy growing outside the womb (ectopic pregnancy).
This is general information, not a diagnosis. If your bleeding is very heavy or you feel faint, get medical help.