Symptoms

Soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours
Needing to use double sanitary protection to control your menstrual flow
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Bleeding for longer than a week
Weakness
Yellow skin
Pale skin
Irregular Heartbeat
Difficulty Breathing
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Chest Pain
Headache
Cold hands and feet

What To Expect

If a woman loses too much blood and therefore iron during her period, it may lead to iron deficiency. Iron is very important for producing red blood cells. If there is too little iron in the body, not enough red blood cells can be produced and this can lead to anaemia. Red blood cells in the blood transport oxygen to the organs. If there are not enough red blood cells, the body is less well supplied with oxygen - the result is weakness and exhaustion. Other possible signs of anaemia can be paleness and cold hands and feet. If the anaemia is more intense, other symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations may also appear, especially after physical activity.

Made Worse By

To reduce anemia during heavy periods, it is important to have a balanced diet. One should avoid phytic acid (e.g. in legumes and cereals), oxalic acid (e.g. in coffee and black tea), calcium and some proteins (e.g. soya and milk proteins). These substances inhibit the absorption of iron by the body. The consumption of meat products and plenty of vitamin C is recommended. Stress and insomnia can also worsen anaemia.

How Common

29 % of women in the world suffer from anaemia during their periods.

Diagnosed By

First of all, it is important to find out how much blood loss there is during the period. Although the amount of blood cannot be determined exactly, it can at least be estimated. The number of pads or tampons needed on different days during a menstrual period is a good indication. It can be helpful to record this in writing for a month or two - for example in a diary. To find out the cause of heavy menstruation, the uterus is usually examined first. The doctor will palpate it and do an ultrasound scan. Sometimes an additional uterine endoscopy (hysteroscopy) is recommended, in which a small camera is inserted into the uterus.