Treatments for Heavy Periods

Medical experts often treat heavy periods with less invasive methods first, such as birth control pills or global endometrial ablation (GEA), and reserve hysterectomy for specific circumstances.

Birth control pills

Birth control pills can help reduce menstrual flow by up to 60%, but it may not be the best option for all women.

For some women, birth control pills are simply ineffective in reducing heavy periods. For others, the potential side effects of weight gain, mood swings and breast tenderness may be too undesirable.

Global endometrial ablation (GEA)

If birth control pills have not been a successful treatment for you, GEA may offer an effective, nonhormonal option.

During an endometrial ablation procedure, your doctor inserts a catheter into the uterus (womb) to treat the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. Over the next week or so after treatment, the uterine lining sheds, much like it would during menstruation, resulting in lighter periods.

Ablation treatments may be performed in a doctor’s office or in a hospital. Learn more about GEA.

Hysterectomy

If birth control pills or endometrial ablation have not been effective or are not advised for you, your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy. In fact, about 30-35% of hysterectomies are performed annually to treat heavy periods.

Before you commit to having a hysterectomy, however, you should know that it is a major surgery. Explore your hysterectomy options, To learn about less invasive treatments with shorter recovery times.

You don’t have to live with heavy periods, and you do have options. Find a doctor who can help.