What counts as a heavy period, in practical terms?
In practical terms a period is heavy if you soak a pad or tampon every hour for several hours, pass clots bigger than a coin, bleed beyond seven days, or flood through protection at night. Those four are the measures a doctor uses, whatever anyone else's period looks like.
Heavy periods are the most common cause of iron deficiency in women, so tiredness, breathlessness and hair shedding often tag along; a ferritin test belongs in the workup.
Fibroids, polyps, thyroid problems and bleeding disorders are all findable and treatable. Two heavy cycles in a row deserve an appointment, not another year of coping.
Source: NHS, heavy periods
See a doctor promptly if
- Soaking a pad or tampon every hour for several hours in a row, or bleeding with dizziness, breathlessness or fainting: seek urgent care
- Bleeding between periods, after sex, or any bleeding after the menopause
- A sudden change in your usual pattern, especially after age 45, or heavy bleeding with pelvic pain and fever
- Heavy bleeding with easy bruising, nosebleeds or a family history of a bleeding disorder
Try the cycle tracker30 seconds, free, nothing to installCycle day, the next one and the fertile window, kept on your own device.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
Only after a blood test
If a blood test shows low ferritin, iron tablets rebuild your stores over three to six months. Do not self-dose without the test: in men and women past menopause, low iron needs its cause found first, because it can signal hidden bleeding.
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