Irregular Bleeding Herbal Remedies

Irregular bleeding may occur in various parts of your body, including your urinary, respiratory, gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts. The National Health Service of the United Kingdom states that irregular bleeding is common between your monthly periods in the initial months of starting hormonal contraception. Other types of irregular bleeding may signal a serious underlying condition. Before using herbal remedies to help halt your irregular bleeding, discuss appropriate treatment strategies with your family physician.

Bleeding Disorders

Bleeding disorders are conditions in which your body's blood clotting function is impaired or dysfunctional. Bleeding disorders may cause spontaneous bleeding and may lead to prolonged and heavy bleeding. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that possible signs and symptoms associated with bleeding disorders include abnormal menstrual bleeding, bleeding into joints, excessive bruising, heavy bleeding and nosebleeds. Different types of bleeding disorders may cause one or more of these problems to occur.

Helpful Herbal Remedies

There is an entire category of herbal remedies that may help arrest, or stop, your irregular bleeding. These herbs are known as styptics, or hemostatics. In his book "Plant Medicine in Practice," William A. Mitchell Jr., a naturopathic physician and expert herbalist, says that helpful hemostatic agents may include the following herbs: shepherd's purse, cinnamon, Canadian fleabane, nettle, yarrow, amaranth, Labrador tea, burnet, geranium, bethroot, New Jersey tea, stork's bill and sanicle. These herbs have historically been used to treat passive bleeding, although current medical science has not yet fully evaluated the effectiveness of these remedies.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an herbal remedy that may be particularly helpful for arresting irregular bleeding. Ed Smith, an expert herbalist and author of "Therapeutic Herb Manual," states that cinnamon performs numerous health actions in your body and possesses hemostatic, anti-nausea and astringent action. Astringent herbs help your tissues contract, which may also help arrest bleeding. Smith states that cinnamon may be helpful in stopping various types of irregular bleeding, including nosebleeds, excessive menstrual bleeding, bleeding from fibroids and postpartum bleeding.

Additional Information

Although not all types of irregular bleeding are life-threatening or signal serious underlying pathology, visit your doctor when you experience excessive or irregular bleeding. Your family doctor can assess your condition, perform relevant tests to help diagnose your condition and offer valuable treatment advice. Herbs that possess styptic action should be used judiciously and only after you have discussed herb-related topics with your doctor, including dosage and side effects.