Abnormal uterine bleeding is any heavy or unusual bleeding from the uterus through your vagina that occurs during your monthly cycle.
The most common symptoms include;
- Bleeding or spotting when not on your periods
- Bleeding or spotting after sex
- Heavy bleeding during your period.- Most women lose 2-3 tablespoons of blood in each menstrual cycle (1). Losing more than 5 tablespoons is unusually heavy
- Very irregular cycles. Menstrual cycles that are longer than 38 days or shorter than 24 days are considered irregular
- Irregular cycle lengths. The cycle periods should not vary by more than 7–9 days
- Bleeding after menopause
Causes Of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
Hormonal Imbalance
This is the most common cause of the condition, especially among teens and women who are approaching menopause. When abnormal uterine bleeding is caused by hormonal imbalance, the condition is referred to as dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
For most women, hormone levels change within the month, due to the release of estrogen and progesterone during ovulation. If the ovary is not released, the changes in hormonal levels can lead to an earlier or a late menstrual period that is sometimes heavier than normal.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), a condition where cysts grow in the ovaries, can also cause hormonal imbalance that may lead to abnormal uterine bleeding and even infertility.
Birth control pills, fast weight loss or gain, emotional or physical stress, an intrauterine device, and medication that affects the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body can also lead to heavy uterine bleeding
Pregnancy
Spotting is very common especially in early pregnancies, but bleeding can be a sign of ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than your uterus, most often the fallopian tube.
Excessive bleeding during pregnancy can also be a sign of a miscarriage.
Polyps Or Fibroids
Structural abnormalities in the uterus can also be a cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. Common causes of these abnormalities include polyps (small benign growths), fibroids (large benign growths), or adenomyosis (where cells similar to the ones that grow in the lining of the uterus start to grow in the muscle part of the uterus).
Other Less Common Causes Of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding
- Cancer either of the cervix, uterus or endometrium
- Bleeding or clotting disorders
- Blood-thinning medicines
- Illnesses that affect your kidneys, liver, thyroid or adrenal glands
- Infection of the cervix or endometrium
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Causes Based On Age
Teenagers and women in their 20s and 30s have pregnancies as their main cause of abnormal uterine bleeding. The use of birth control pills or the intrauterine device can also be a common cause within this age group.
Heavy periods for a teenager that has just started getting them may be caused by the ovaries not releasing the egg. A hormonal imbalance is caused and the estrogen hormone makes the endometrium wall grow too thick, hence the heavy period.
For women in their 40s and 50s, the condition could be caused by the failure of the ovaries to release an egg, At this age, abnormal uterine bleeding could be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus
Make sure you consult your doctor immediately you start to experience abnormal uterine bleeding.
Links to sources used
- Heavy Menstrual Bleeding – https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/blooddisorders/women/menorrhagia.html