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I have too much menstrual flow, is it uterine fibroids? What if the examination is normal?

“My menstrual flow is too much.”, “I can't even sleep at night because I'm anxious.” Many women complain of discomfort during their menstrual period, but there are those who suffer particularly because of the amount of menstrual flow. Some worry that it might be a major disease like uterine fibroids, but feel frustrated when the test results come back “normal.” Excessive menstrual flow, or menorrhagia, can be a red light for uterine health and a problem that can significantly reduce quality of life.

💡 [Core Answer] The 3 most common causes of excessive menstrual flow, or menorrhagia: ① Hormonal imbalance (excess estrogen, lack of progesterone) / ② Uterine blood circulation disorder and blood stasis / ③ Autonomic nervous system imbalance and stress Dalimchae Clinic corrects the fundamental imbalance in the body that causes symptoms through constitutional improvement treatment, creating a healthy uterine environment where menstrual flow is normalized and does not recur.

Menorrhagia varies greatly from person to person, but generally refers to cases where the menstrual flow for one cycle exceeds 80 mL or lasts for more than 7 days. If you have to change large sanitary pads every one to two hours during your menstrual cycle, or if you soak your clothes or blankets in your sleep at night, you may suspect menorrhagia. Beyond simply having a large amount, if blood comes out in the form of large clots or is accompanied by severe menstrual cramps, anemia, chronic fatigue, and dizziness, the exact cause must be identified and treated. This is because it can adversely affect not only uterine health but also overall health. In particular, many people who visit Dalimchae Clinic Incheon for menstrual flow issues worry about organic problems such as uterine fibroids or uterine adenomyosis, but many cases are ‘functional menorrhagia’ with no special abnormalities on examination.

Uterine fibroids are a representative cause of menorrhagia, but it is common for the amount of menstrual flow to be heavy even if uterine fibroids are not found as a result of an examination. This functional menorrhagia mainly starts from an imbalance deep inside the body. A representative cause is hormonal imbalance. In particular, if estrogen is excessive and progesterone is relatively lacking, the endometrium can become abnormally thick, leading to heavy menstrual flow.

In addition, 'blood stasis (瘀血)' caused by uterine blood circulation disorder is also an important cause. The uterus should be warm and circulation should be smooth, but if blood stagnates due to a cold or humid environment, stress, etc., waste products accumulate in the uterus and become blood stasis. This blood stasis interferes with the normal contraction and hemostasis functions of the uterus, increasing menstrual flow and worsening menstrual cramps. Long-term stress and irregular lifestyle habits disrupt the balance of the autonomic nervous system, affecting hormone regulation functions, which in turn creates a vicious cycle leading to menorrhagia. Dalimchae Clinic Incheon branch systematically analyzes these complex causes to establish a treatment plan suitable for the individual.

In Korean medicine, menorrhagia is not seen simply as a symptom, but is understood as a result of an imbalance in the entire body. In particular, the uterus is the root of women's health, and uterine health is seen as deeply connected to the functions of the internal organs and the circulation of Qi and blood. Dalimchae Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment focuses on finding and solving the fundamental problem, the 'root' of the body that causes the symptoms, rather than simply suppressing the symptoms themselves.

Looking at related studies, the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment for menorrhagia and uterine fibroids is being steadily reported. In a study on uterine fibroids by Kim Min-jung's research team published in the 「Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology」 in 2023, a combined Korean medicine treatment including herbal medicine was applied to 31 patients complaining of menorrhagia and menstrual cramps due to uterine fibroids. As a result, after 3 months of treatment, the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBAC) score, which indicates the degree of menorrhagia, significantly decreased from an average of 163.5 before treatment to 78.2 after 3 months (p < 0.001). In particular, the patients' Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for menstrual pain also improved from an average of 7.1 to 3.5, suggesting that Korean medicine treatment can effectively alleviate various discomforts associated with menorrhagia. The researchers concluded that these results contributed to herbal medicine removing blood stasis in the uterus, improving blood circulation, and inhibiting the growth of uterine fibroids.

Another study is a paper by Noh Seok-seon's research team published in the 「Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine」 in 2018. As a result of combining individual customized herbal medicine prescriptions and acupuncture treatment for 48 functional menorrhagia patients, after 8 weeks of treatment, the amount of menstrual bleeding decreased by an average of 45%. In particular, the hemoglobin levels of patients who were accompanied by anemia before treatment were shown to have increased statistically significantly (p < 0.01). The researchers confirmed that Korean medicine treatment improves menorrhagia by increasing the stability of the endometrium and regulating hormonal balance, and can also manage anemia caused by blood loss.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Clinic sees the cause of menorrhagia not simply as an increase in bleeding but as a problem of decreased uterine function and systemic imbalance, and focuses on constitutional improvement. It releases blood stasis in the uterus, promotes Qi and blood circulation, and restores the balance of the autonomic nervous system to strengthen hormone regulation capabilities. Creating a body that does not turn on again rather than turning off symptoms, this is the goal pursued by Dalimchae Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment.

Check how many of the following items apply to you. The more items that apply, the higher the possibility of uterine health and hormonal imbalance, so it is good to consider a visit to an Incheon women's disease clinic for an accurate diagnosis and consultation.

1. Large sanitary pads must be replaced every 1 to 2 hours.
2. Have experienced clothes or blankets getting ruined because menstrual blood leaked while sleeping at night.
3. Menstrual periods continue for more than 7 days.
4. Large blood clots the size of a fist are often mixed in with menstrual blood.
5. Experience extreme fatigue and dizziness during the menstrual period.
6. Experience anemia symptoms such as the face becoming paler than usual and shortness of breath.
7. Feel discomfort or swelling in the lower abdomen for no special reason.
8. Menstrual cramps are getting worse and the frequency of taking painkillers is increasing.

Judgment Criteria:

• 3 or more items: Menorrhagia suspicion stage. Review of uterine health and constitutional improvement treatment is necessary.
• 5 or more items: Menorrhagia progressing stage. Exclusion of organic causes such as uterine fibroids and active combined Korean medicine treatment are recommended.

Q. Can heavy menstrual flow be cured naturally? A. Menorrhagia caused by temporary stress or poor condition can heal naturally. However, if the amount of menstrual flow is heavy for a long time or is accompanied by menstrual cramps and anemia, it may be a red light for uterine health, so active management is necessary rather than leaving it alone.

Q. Can I receive Korean medicine treatment even if I have uterine fibroids? A. Yes, Korean medicine treatment can be effective in improving symptoms such as menorrhagia and menstrual cramps caused by uterine fibroids. Through herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment, we help reduce discomfort by improving the environment inside the uterus and inhibiting the growth of fibroids.

Q. How long does menorrhagia treatment take? A. The treatment period varies depending on the individual's constitution, degree of symptoms, and cause. Usually, there are many cases where symptoms gradually improve through steady treatment for 3 to 6 months and improvement of lifestyle habits, and we will establish a customized treatment plan after detailed consultation at Dalimchae Clinic.

Q. Is there anything I can do in daily life to reduce menstrual flow? A. Maintaining a regular lifestyle, sufficient rest, and a balanced diet is important. In particular, keeping the lower abdomen warm and consuming foods that help blood circulation, and maintaining autonomic balance through stress management can help manage menstrual flow.

Menorrhagia is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring your current symptoms as they are. We will find the cause together at Dalimchae Clinic.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Clinic. Check your similar symptoms through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This health information was compiled by the Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Min Ji-hong, Korean Medicine Doctor, Dalimchae Clinic Incheon (Menorrhagia Column) #HeavyPeriods #Menorrhagia #UterineFibroids #IncheonMenorrhagiaClinic #IncheonWomenClinic #ConstitutionalImprovement #KoreanMedicineTreatment #HowToReduceMenstrualFlow