There are several women who tend to pass heavy blood clots during menstrual cycle, which can be quite a discerning experience for them. Unfortunately, most girls and some women too would avoid treatment of the problem, mainly out of embarrassment. Hence they secretly worry about the causes of blood clots, since it is believed to be one of the symptoms of several health problems like fibroids, cervical cancer and abnormal pap smears. However, it is important to understand that not all instances of blood clots during menstrual cycle are a cause for concern. At times even the presence of heavy blood clots during period could have a harmless reason. In fact, studies indicate that most cases of blood clots during menstrual cycle are caused when the blood leaves a woman's body too quickly. Therefore, it is important to understand what normal clotting and heavy clotting during periods are:
- Normal blood clots during menstrual cycle: When a woman gets her period, her body releases anticoagulants that help in thinning the blood fluid. However, at times the flow of the blood is very strong, which causes the blood to leave the body, even before the anticoagulant has a chance to work on it. When this occurs, the blood that is seen appears in the form of clots. It is quite normal for several small or medium sized blood clots to be released from the body.
- Abnormal blood clots during menstrual cycle: The presence of blood clots should be a concern, if their size exceeds the size of a quarter on a regular basis. One or two large blood clots are not abnormal, but when most of the bleeding takes place in the form of large blood clots then, it could be the sign of a serious underlying health condition. It is strongly advisable to consult a doctor in such instances.
Causes of blood clots during menstrual cycle
There are several other factors that could lead to blood clots, when a woman is in her menstrual cycle. Several women go through hormonal changes, which control how the lining of the uterus is shed by the body. The wall of the uterus can get very thick due to hormonal imbalances which lead to excessive blood flow or more blood clots. In order to deal with this problem, a doctor may recommend hormone therapy. Women may also experience blood clots during menstrual cycle after having a baby, due to an enlarged uterus. If the uterus does not shrink back to its normal size after delivery, blood may pool within it, before being passed on. Doctor would mainly recommend physical exercises to shrink the uterus in such situations.
answered by G M