Prepare your
doctors visit
Many women don’t feel confident about starting the conversation about periods with their doctor, so knowing what to expect in advance can make it easier. Dr Sony S Singh from Canada explains what information a doctor needs from a woman experiencing heavy periods.
Notes to bring to the appointment
Communicating with your doctor is important to help you understand your condition and to find the right heavy menstrual bleeding treatment for you. However, it can be challenging sometimes to know where to begin the conversation and what questions to ask.
When you speak with your doctor it’s essential to be clear about how your period is, additional symptoms you might have and the impact it has on you overall. Don’t worry, your doctor’s appointment is private an no one else will know about what you discuss.
Your doctor will be interested in discussing these points:
The quantity of your period –
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The quantity of your period
Keeping a diary of your menstrual cycle for 3 - 6 months, ideally prior to your first appointment, can be very helpful to your doctor. You can either download and use a tracking app or keep a diary which tracks the length and severity of your period. In addition, you can take notes how often you need to change your sanitary protection, when you need to get up in the night due to your period or experience spotting or pain.
Your personal reminder –
keep a video diary
Sometimes it is hard to remember or express how you felt while experiencing discomfort or missing out during your period. These details can get forgotten about, especially in between periods and when the symptoms of heavy periods stopped for a while. As a reminder consider a video dairy, record a 30 second video to yourselves when on your period and re-watch it before the next appointment with the gynecologist.
How your periods affect your life
Do our period quiz and take a screenshot of the personalized results you will receive at the end and you are already prepared. The results reflect the impact of your period on your daily routine, activities and wellbeing.
Your medical history and family plans
Your doctor will ask you questions on your medical history to find out if there might be an underlying condition which influences your bleeding. To help identify possible causes, it will be also useful to mention any related symptoms you have, like period pain or bleeding between periods. If you experienced heavy periods before, your doctor will be interested if you are on or have tried any previous medication for heavy periods. Talking about medication, the contraception you are currently using might be also asked for and whether you plan to have a baby in the future.
Your treatment preferences
How much bleeding reduction do you expect? Think about your expectations for the treatment as your doctor will take these into account.
For example, some women want to treat her heavy menstrual bleeding but still have a regular menstruation, some women want to have no menstruation, and some women want a solution for their period cramps.
To summarise, the doctor will personalize your treatment as much as possible according to your cause, needs, condition, and menstrual status.
What else to expect from your doctor’s visit on HMB?
In addition to the questions your doctor might have and in order to understand what you are experiencing, your doctor may run some tests, including:
- A blood test to check for anemia, thyroid problems, or blood clotting issues
- A Pap testiA procedure in which cells are carefully removed from the cervix (lower part of the uterus) with a small brush or spatula so that they can be examined under the microscope to detect cell changes that could lead to cervical cancer. A Pap test can also help to find other diseases, such as infections or inflammation. It is sometimes done at the same time as a pelvic exam and can also be done at the same time as a test for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Also called Pap smear and Papanicolaou test. to determine if there are any changes in the cells of the uterus
- A pelvic examination, which you might already know from other check-up, to feel for any abnormalities
- An ultrasound to see your reproductive organs in detail
Treatment options for HMB
You don’t have to put up with heavy periods as just part of ‘being a woman’. Find out about your treatment options.
HMB FAQs
Find out answers to your questions about living with and dealing with heavy periods.
