Irregular, heavy periods may indicate perimenopause, expert warns

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1 in 3 women describe their period as heavy, but if your cycle length starts to vary by seven or more days it could be a sign of perimenopause, menopause expert Emma Bardwell says.

An estimated 13 million UK women are currently perimenopausal or menopausal - the equivalent to a third of the entire UK female population. Despite this, around 45 per cent of them report being unsure which symptoms are related to the condition, and many mistakenly attribute them to stress, ageing, or other health issues, according to a study published in The British Journal of General Practice.

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Leading menopause specialist Emma Bardwell, a registered nutritionist and women’s health expert for Active Iron has shared that heavy periods could be a major ‘red flag’ and advised when you should seek an appointment with a doctor.

“The early signs of perimenopause can be subtle and easy to miss,” explains Bardwell, a registered nutritionist, health writer, and author of The Perimenopause Solution. “One of the first warning signs is a shift in the regularity of your periods or heavier menstrual bleeding than usual. Typically, this is when your cycle length starts to vary by seven or more days. You may also go from having predictable menstrual cycles to spotting randomly or missing periods altogether.

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“Menorrhagia, or heavy periods, is a common side effect of fluctuating hormone levels - often due to unopposed oestrogen building up in the uterine lining - and frequently coexists alongside anovulatory cycles and irregular menstrual bleeding. Prolonged or heavy bleeding (flooding) can lead to iron loss, potentially resulting in low iron over time.”

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If you typically have a 28-day cycle, during perimenopause your period might arrive as early as 20 days or as late as 35. Irregular periods are very common during perimenopause, most of the time there is nothing to be concerned about, however if you experience extremely heavy bleeding, periods that last longer than seven days, bleeding between periods, or cycles that are less than 21 days, you should contact your doctor.

Period trackers can be seriously useful tools for helping you learn more about your body: how your menstrual cycle is playing out, when you're at risk of low iron, and the resulting health impacts. "Tracking physical and mental changes throughout your cycle can be a powerful tool to help visualise and draw connections between symptom patterns – making them easier to anticipate and manage. Having data and insight about your own body and cycle helps you to feel more in control of your health and wellbeing as you navigate the changes that come with perimenopause," says Rhiannon White, Chief Product Officer from the female health app Clue.

For more information on perimenopause and help with managing your symptoms, visit Active Iron: https://www.activeiron.com/uk/health/perimenopause/