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Talk about heavy periods

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Overview

Soaking pads or tampons, skipping work or school, passing large blood clots?

Heavy periods affect about one in 4 women. But for many, it’s years – even decades – before they get help. The good news is that if you are struggling, you don’t have to put up with it.

On this page, we share tips and tools to help you start the conversation about heavy periods with your doctor and get the health care that’s right for you.

This page is part of our women’s health series, offering simple, practical tips to help you make the most of your medical appointments. This includes advice for:

Sections on this page

Get to know what is (and isn’t) normal

One of the reasons many women put up with heavy periods is they think (and are often told) their periods are ‘normal’. “I’ve seen people who haven’t gotten help for heavy bleeding until they’re in their 40s,” says Jean Hailes for Women’s Health GP Dr Karina Severin.

It’s not normal – and important to talk to your doctor – if, during your period, you:

  • can’t leave the house
  • struggle to perform daily activities
  • experience leaking onto your clothes
  • need to change your period products every hour or more

Passing large blood clots is also a sign to see your doctor.

Period symptom checklist: Are my periods too heavy?

Gynaecologist Dr Pav Nanayakkara suggests keeping a period diary over 3 months to show your doctor the pattern of your periods. Try to record:

  • when you get your period
  • the types of period products you use
  • how often you have to change your period products
  • how long the bleeding lasts
  • how it impacts your daily activities.

Visiting the doctor about heavy periods

When you go to the doctor – Easy read

Easy Read fact sheets are about what happens when you go to the doctor, including tips on what you can do before, during and after your appointment.

You might want to know more about

Topic

Periods

Absent periods • Heavy periods (menorrhagia)  • Irregular periods • Period pain  • Period products • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Topic

Sex and sexual health

Abortion • Contraception • Enjoying your sex life • Healthy relationships • Painful sex (dyspareunia) • Safer sex and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) • What can affect your sex life?
Topic

Gynaecological cancers

Cervical cancer • Fallopian tube cancer • Ovarian cancer • Uterine cancer (cancer of the uterus) • Vaginal cancer • Vulval cancer
Topic

Ovaries and uterus

Adenomyosis • Endometrial hyperplasia • Fibroids • Hysterectomy • Polyps and ovarian cysts

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