Heavy periods are common, but like period pain, many women simply accept them as “normal” – something they have to live with. Some people have always experienced heavy bleeding, but periods can also become heavier in perimenopause. Either way, excessive bleeding isn’t something you should have to endure month after month.

Chinese medicine, alongside natural treatments and lifestyle changes, can help reduce heavy bleeding, restore hormonal balance, and dramatically improve your quality of life.

How Do You Know if Your Periods Are Too Heavy? 

Medically, heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) is defined as blood loss of 80mL or more per cycle, or periods lasting longer than 7-8 days. But most of us aren’t measuring our blood loss – a more practical way to assess is by how much your period impacts your daily life.

You may have heavy periods if:

~ You’re changing a pad, tampon, period undies or cup every hour or more frequently

~ Your bleeding isn’t contained by the largest size pad or super tampon

~ You need to wake during the night to change protection

~ You’re passing clots larger than a 20-cent piece

~ You feel anxious about leaving the house during your period

~ You’re avoiding activities, social events, or work because of bleeding

~ You feel exhausted, weak, or lightheaded during or after your period

~ You’re constantly worried about leaking through your clothes

If heavy bleeding is controlling your life, it’s time to seek help.

What Causes Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?

Heavy periods can be linked to various conditions:

Structural Issues

~ Fibroids (benign growths in the uterus)

~ Polyps (small growths in the uterine lining)

~ Adenomyosis (uterine tissue growing into the muscle wall)

Hormonal Conditions

~ Hormonal imbalances (particularly oestrogen dominance)

~ PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

~ Thyroid disorders

~ Perimenopause

Other Causes

~ Endometriosis

~ Pelvic inflammatory disease

~ Bleeding disorders

~ IUD side effects

In many cases, medical investigation finds no obvious cause – this is called dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Just because there’s no identifiable medical cause doesn’t mean nothing can be done. Chinese medicine excels at treating functional imbalances that don’t show up on scans or blood tests.

Heavy Periods During Perimenopause

Perimenopause – the transition leading up to menopause – typically begins in your 40s, though it can start earlier. During this time, wild hormonal fluctuations, particularly in oestrogen and progesterone, wreak havoc on your menstrual cycle.

Many women experience:

~ Heavier, longer periods

~ Flooding or gushing blood

~ Larger or more frequent clots

~ Cycles that are unpredictably close together or far apart

~ Periods that last for weeks

~ Breakthrough bleeding between periods

While these changes are common during perimenopause, “common” doesn’t mean you have to suffer through them. This can go on for several years, and the physical and emotional toll of heavy bleeding – the exhaustion, anxiety, disruption to your life – is significant.

Hidden Health Impacts

Beyond the obvious inconvenience and distress, heavy menstrual bleeding affects your health in multiple ways:

Iron Deficiency and Anaemia Excessive blood loss depletes your iron stores, leading to fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin, and difficulty concentrating. Anaemia makes everything harder and can take months to resolve even with supplementation.

Physical Exhaustion Losing significant blood each month is draining. You may feel tired for weeks, struggling to recover before your next period begins the cycle again.

Emotional Impact The constant worry about bleeding through, the disruption to your social life and work, the feeling of being out of control – all of this takes an emotional toll. Anxiety and depression are common among women with heavy periods.

Quality of Life Planning your life around your period, avoiding white clothes, declining invitations, missing work – heavy bleeding steals your freedom and confidence.

Addressing heavy periods isn’t vanity or overreaction. It’s essential healthcare.

How Chinese Medicine Understands Heavy Bleeding

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we look at the quality, color, and timing of bleeding alongside your other symptoms to identify the underlying pattern:

Qi Deficiency (Spleen Not Holding Blood) The Spleen’s job is to “hold” blood in the vessels. When Qi is weak, blood escapes, causing heavy flow with pale, watery blood. You’ll likely feel exhausted, bruise easily, and have poor digestion.

Blood Heat Heat in the blood causes heavy, bright red bleeding that comes early or lasts too long. You might also experience night sweats, irritability, or inflammatory conditions.

Blood Stasis Old or stagnant blood that hasn’t been properly cleared causes heavy flow with dark blood and large clots, often with cramping pain. Common with conditions like fibroids or endometriosis.

Yin Deficiency Declining Yin (especially during perimenopause) fails to “hold” blood properly and creates Heat, causing erratic, heavy bleeding. Often accompanied by hot flushes, night sweats, and insomnia.

Understanding your specific pattern allows for targeted, effective treatment.

How Chinese Medicine Can Help

Acupuncture regulates menstrual flow by regulating the flow of Qi in your body, moving stagnant Blood and supporting hormonal balance and energy. Treatments are timed to your cycle – certain points are used during your period to regulate flow, while others between periods focus on building Blood and addressing root imbalances.

Herbal formulas are customized to your pattern, tonifying your Qi and Blood, clearing stagnation and supporting energy to combat fatigue.

If you’re anaemic from blood loss, iron supplementation (ideally prescribed by a practitioner) alongside iron-rich foods like red meat, liver, dark leafy greens, and blackstrap molasses helps rebuild your stores.

Heavy bleeding is often accompanied by inflammation. Reduce inflammatory foods (sugar, processed foods, excessive dairy) and increase anti-inflammatory options like fatty fish, berries, leafy greens, turmeric, and ginger. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts support healthy oestrogen metabolism.

When bleeding is heavy, your body needs rest. Don’t push through exhaustion – listen to what your body is asking for. Keep a record of bleeding heaviness, clot size, pain levels, and how you feel. This helps identify patterns and shows progress over time.

Better Periods with Chinese Medicine

Heavy periods steal your energy, disrupt your life, and undermine your confidence. You shouldn’t have to plan every aspect of your life around your cycle, worry constantly about leaking, or feel exhausted for weeks every month.

Chinese medicine offers a safe, natural, hormone-free approach to reducing heavy bleeding and restoring balance. Treatment addresses not just the bleeding itself, but the exhaustion, anxiety, and quality of life issues that come with it.

Whether your heavy periods are caused by a diagnosed condition, perimenopausal changes, or unexplained dysfunction, support is available. You don’t have to just put up with it anymore.