PREVALENCE AND IMPACT OF HEAVY MENSTRUAL BLEEDING: A REVIEW

Menorrhagia is the most common complaint among female reproductive ages. It has been defined as excessive menstrual blood loss more than 80ml and it affects the woman's physical, social and emotional status. Symptoms of menorrhagia may include, soaking through one or more sanitary pads every hour for several consecutive hours and bleeding for longer than a week. Counselling is necessary for its management. In adolescence females undergo many physical and psychological changes. Patients presenting with menstrual irregularities must be screened properly as incidence of menorrhagia is high in reproductive age women. Frequency of menstrual disorders and their impact on women's health status, quality of life and social integration suggest that proper evaluation and management should be given a higher priority. Key words: Heavy menstrual bleeding, excessive bleeding, menstrual cycle, menorrhagia