A normal menstrual cycle lasts 25 to 36 days with three to seven days of bleeding. (See References 3) From time to time, a woman may experience heavy or prolonged bleeding due to stress or oncoming menopause. At other times, women may experience this bleeding due to a medical condition that may require medication or surgery to treat.
Polycystic Ovary Disease
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition that causes multiple cysts in the ovaries, irregular menstrual cycles, male-pattern hair growth, hair thinning and problems conceiving. During a normal menstrual cycle, the pituitary gland--located in the brain--produces luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone. The release of these hormones signal to the ovaries to begin producing estrogen and progesterone, the hormones responsible for menstruation and ovulation. The pituitary gland in women with polycystic ovary syndrome produces too much luteinizing hormone; in return, the ovaries make an excess of male-hormones. Women who have this condition are usually given birth control pills to control irregular bleeding and to prevent or shrink ovarian cysts.
Uterine Polyps
Uterine polyps are estrogen-sensitive growths that attach to the uterine wall. They begin growing from the endometrial lining and hang into the uterine cavity. When estrogen is released from the ovaries, the uterine lining starts to grow, polyps respond to the estrogen release in the same way. Uterine polyps can be as small as poppy seeds or as large as a grapefruit. Symptoms associated with uterine polyps are bleeding between periods, extremely heavy bleeding, infertility, prolonged bleeding or infrequent periods. Women with uterine polyps are treated with careful monitoring, surgical removal of the polyps or a hysterectomy. If the bleeding is prolonged but not dangerously heavy, the doctor may prescribe oral progesterone pills to lessen the bleeding and the growth of the polyps.
Uterine Fibroids
According to MedlinePlus, one in five women develop fibroids in their childbearing years. (See References 1) Uterine fibroids are most commonly seen in African-American women and women over the age of 30. Uterine fibroids depend on estrogen to grow, so as long as a woman menstruates the fibroids will continue to get bigger. There are four kinds of uterine fibroids: myometrial, submucosal, subserosal and pendunculated. Myometrial fibroids grow in the uterine wall, submucosal fibroids grow under the surface of the uterine lining, subserosal fibroids grow under the outside covering of the uterus and pendunculated fibroids grow on the stalk of the uterus or in the cavity. Uterine fibroids cause women to feel bloated, constipated, experience pain during intercourse and develop irregular menstrual bleeding. Women who have continuous or heavy bleeding are often prescribed birth control pills to regulate the period, iron pills for anemia or an intrauterine device. Treatments for the fibroids depend on a woman's age, health or whether she wants to have children in the future.
