Of all the discomfort a female can have, the most uncomfortable remains menstruation. Even though it occurs a few days every month, most females do not look forward to that time of the month.
Menstruation is the flow of shed lining from a lady’s uterus through the Vagina; this lining contains blood, mucus and some cells from the uterus. The menstrual cycle gets your body prepared for pregnancy. It is a sign of your fertility and occurs only when you are not pregnant.
Source: Ask Your Pharmacist39. HOW TO STOP MENSTRUAL BLEEDING IMMEDIATELY
The irritation associated with menstruation is cramps and an increase in acne, which is due to hormonal imbalance, weakness and so on. When menstruating, it is always essential that females take foods that contain sodium, calcium, phosphate, iron, and chloride because most of these nutrients are lost during menstruation.
The menstrual cycle differs in women; a normal period is meant to last three to seven days, but it can be abnormal when she bleeds for longer than that or less.
The cause of abnormal menstrual flow varies among women, and they fall within these categories;
- Hormone-related problems: Every woman is different, and some women tend to have more of certain hormones than others.
- Uterine-related problems: These could be in the form of fibroid, cancer of the cervix, or any other related problem.
- Certain illnesses and drugs: Having a doctor’s prescription before taking a drug is always the best. When some females take some drugs, there are certain side effects, and one of them is a prolonged period.
While it has not been proven that there is any drug that can completely stop your menstrual flow, there are ways whereby you can reduce the amount of flow or prevent the flow altogether.
All the methods basically do the same thing, which is to release a hormone called progesterone, which thickens the lining of the uterus and reduces the bleeding. However, these cannot work immediately. You must have started it beforehand, for a certain period, to see actual results. The following are the methods:
- Birth control method: This comes in different forms, such as pills, batches and rings. They are taken for 21 days and have a 7-day break during your menstruation.
- Hormonal intrauterine device: This comes in two types which are the copper IUD and hormonal IUD.
- Tranexamic acid (Lysteda): This drug slows down the breaking of the blood clot, reduces bleeding, and helps in the reduction of prolonged menstrual flow.
As we all know, for every action that breaks nature, there is a corresponding reaction to it. We have already highlighted ways to prevent or reduce mensural flow; let us now move to the side effects the various methods could have:
- Birth control method: Headache, Nausea, sore breast, changes in period cycle, etc.
- Hormonal intrauterine device: Cramps, fainting, high risk of getting a uterus infection.
- Tranexamic acid (Lysteda): nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.
For someone with a prolonged menstrual flow, it is understandable that you might want to halt your flow, but you must consult a doctor or physician for advice before you do. This is to prevent another health ailment that may occur from the use of the drugs mentioned above.
DISCLAIMER
A health professional did not write this article. For any advice related to your health, please consult your doctor.
