FLOODING (HEAVY BLEEDING)

Heavy bleeding is common in premenopausal women as a response to changing hormonal levels, especially a significant drop in progesterone. There's a tremendous emphasis on estrogen, but in fact it only drops about 50% during these premenopausal years while progesterone drops by up to 90%! A drop in progesterone signals the uterus to contract to expel the menses and can come so suddenly during certain cycles as to cause unexpected flooding. If you're starting to skip periods, it's a good time to carry tampons or pads with you at all times for the last-minute flood which is often accompanied by clots.

Some healthy women report heavy bleeding for as long as 14 days. Loss of blood always means loss of iron which may result in dizziness, paleness, weakness and mental confusion. Intense blood loss leads to iron deficiency which in turn causes an even worse blood loss.

This problem can be so troublesome that some women resort to having a hysterectomy, but this is rarely necessary since the heavy bleeding often resolves as a woman approaches her menopause when bleeding actually stops. This symptom is a clear one of estrogen dominance, meaning too much estrogen in relation to much less progesterone, so HRT which is predominantly estrogen can exacerbate the problem. Flooding is often worse in women who have excess body fat (fat cells produce estrogen) so this would be a great time to start, or get more regular with, an exercise program.

QUICK TIPS

• Chinese acupuncture can help with flooding.
• In severe cases, the lining of the uterus can be cauterized via laser surgery (endometrial ablation), but rarely is necessary.
• The best usable source of iron is dandelion leaves. You can find them fresh in our health food store in the spring and adding some to your other greens lessens the bitterness.
• If you're not going to eat the greens, buy a quality dandelion leaf tincture based in alcohol and water.

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