Menstrual Disorders

Menstrual Disorders

The vast majority of women we see with abnormal uterine bleeding have what appears to be a "normal looking" uterus—which is to say that there's no evidence of fibroids, polyps, hyperplasia or cancer. We know that after childbirth that some women bleed heavily and even hemorrhage because of the failure of their uterus to properly contract. Immediately following childbirth the uterus is often massaged in order to stimulate its contraction.

In many cases medications are administered that have similar effects. Apparently, strong uterine contractions are necessary to limit blood loss after childbirth. One can also postulate that some women experience heavy periods as a result of their uterus' inability to adequate contract. In this example, the uterine may look normal (even microscopically) but doesn't function normally.Your history itself is one of the most important (and inexpensive) "tests" that can be performed by your health care provider.

women have cycles that vary dramatically in length. One woman may experience a cycle length of 21 days and then might skip 2 or 3 months before the onset of the next one. If you skipped 2 periods your cycle length for that particular cycle would be 90 days—remember, you need to count from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. The standard pelvic examination performed 10 or 20 years ago as part of your annual exam is not very helpful in assessing a woman with abnormal uterine bleeding.

In uterine artery embolization — also referred to as uterine fibroid embolization — a doctor uses a slender, flexible tube (catheter) to inject small particles into the uterine arteries, which supply blood to your fibroids and uterus. The goal is to block tiny vessels that lead to your fibroids, starve the fibroids and cause them to die. Uterine artery embolization takes advantage of the physiological changes caused by fibroids. A fibroid uterus has more small blood vessels than does a normal uterus because fibroids stimulate formation of new blood vessels to the tumors
examination both of these uteri will feel virtually identical to the examiner.

Yet the quarter-sized fibroid seen on the right is enough to wreak havoc on your periods! For about 3/4 of the women we see with menstrual abnormalities the medical history, menstrual history. Observation is always an option when it comes to treating a menstrual disorder except in the rare instance of a cancer or life-threatening hemorrhage. Menstrual irregularity, the kind that accompanies an ovulation disorder, can be treated with oral contraceptives.