Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Treatment Near Richmond, VA

Advanced care solutions delivered by a compassionate and dedicated team.

Do You Experience Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?

If you're in Richmond, VA and struggling with heavy menstrual bleeding, The Center for Advanced Gynecology is here to help. We identify and treat the root causes of abnormal bleeding so you can feel like yourself again and enjoy a more balanced cycle.

Heavy menstrual bleeding, also referred to as abnormal uterine bleeding, is a widespread concern that affects many women at various points in their menstrual cycle. If your periods are noticeably heavier than normal, persist longer than expected, or lead to considerable physical discomfort, there may be multiple underlying factors contributing to the issue, from hormone-related disruptions to more complex gynecological conditions such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome.

Understanding why heavy menstrual bleeding occurs is an important step in choosing the best course of care. Since the causes can differ from one individual to another, it’s important to consider several possible explanations, including the following:

Hormone Imbalance: When the body experiences an irregular ratio of estrogen to progesterone, it can disrupt the natural menstrual rhythm and lead to excessive monthly bleeding. This hormonal shift often causes the uterine lining to build up more than normal, resulting in heavier shedding during menstruation.
Uterine Fibroids: These benign muscular tumors that grow within or around the uterus may result in significant menstrual bleeding. Fibroids increase the overall blood flow and expand the surface area of the uterine lining, both of which contribute to heavier periods.
Bleeding Disorders: Certain inherited or medically induced conditions, such as von Willebrand disease or the use of anticoagulant medications, can interfere with the body’s normal blood-clotting function. As a result, menstruation may become prolonged and more intense than usual.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Individuals diagnosed with PCOS often experience hormonal imbalances that affect ovulation. This can lead to skipped or infrequent periods followed by episodes of heavy bleeding when menstruation does occur.
Birth Control: While intended to regulate menstrual cycles, some hormonal contraceptives, including pills, IUDs, and implants, can sometimes have the opposite effect, causing either spotting or episodes of heavier than normal menstrual flow.
Medical History: A person’s overall health status and history of chronic or acute conditions may play a role in altering menstrual patterns, potentially increasing the severity or duration of bleeding during each cycle.
Uterine/Endometrial Cancer: In some cases, abnormally heavy or inconsistent bleeding may be an early indication of endometrial cancer. Factors that increase the risk of developing this cancer include obesity and chronic conditions such as diabetes.

At The Center for Advanced Gynecology, our approach starts with a detailed and comprehensive assessment. We carefully review your complete medical history, conduct a thorough physical and pelvic examination, and perform advanced diagnostic imaging such as a pelvic ultrasound. When appropriate, we also order relevant blood work to help us accurately identify the underlying cause of your heavy menstrual bleeding and tailor a treatment plan specifically for your needs.

Treatment Options for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

After determining the underlying cause, our expert team will work closely with you to create a treatment plan that’s carefully tailored to your specific condition. With a wide range of effective options available, we consider both the intensity of your symptoms and the root issue behind the bleeding to recommend the most appropriate course of care.

Non-Surgical Treatments

Oral Contraceptives: These commonly used birth control pills not only help in preventing pregnancy but are also effective in managing menstrual flow by regulating hormonal patterns and creating more predictable cycles.
Oral Progesterone: For individuals who cannot tolerate estrogen-based therapies, natural progesterone taken orally offers a viable option to manage heavy bleeding. Synthetic alternatives, known as progestins, are metabolized by the body into usable progesterone.
Non-Oral Progesterone: Delivered via injections, long-acting implants, or intrauterine devices (IUDs), these progesterone-based treatments offer targeted bleeding control and are often preferred for their minimal systemic effects compared to oral medications.
Tranexamic Acid: A powerful, non-hormonal medication, tranexamic acid works by stabilizing blood clots, significantly reducing the volume of blood lost during menstruation.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen provide dual benefits by alleviating painful cramps while also helping decrease the overall amount of menstrual bleeding.
Iron Supplements: In cases where prolonged heavy periods have led to iron deficiency anemia, iron can be replenished through oral tablets or, when necessary, administered intravenously for faster absorption and correction.
Other medicines: Several hormonal therapies are available to treat excessive uterine bleeding. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists, such as Relugolix combined with estrogen and progestin (Myfembree), offer relief for fibroid-related bleeding. Similarly, Elagolix with estrogen and progestin (Oriahnn) targets fibroid symptoms, while Elagolix on its own (Orilissa) is suited for bleeding associated with endometriosis.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Hysteroscopy: This minimally invasive procedure allows direct visualization inside the uterus and is often used to remove fibroids or polyps. By eliminating these growths, which can disrupt the normal uterine structure, hysteroscopy can significantly alleviate heavy menstrual bleeding.
Dilation and Curettage (D&C): A traditional yet effective approach, D&C involves gently scraping away a portion of the uterine lining. This can temporarily ease excessive bleeding, especially when it's related to endometrial thickening or hormonal imbalance.
Endometrial Ablation: In this technique, the inner lining of the uterus is destroyed using heat, cold, or other energy sources. This treatment is particularly beneficial for individuals who no longer wish to have children and are seeking long-term reduction or cessation of heavy periods.
Uterine artery embolization: Designed to target fibroids, this non-surgical procedure blocks blood flow to fibroid tissue. An interventional radiologist threads a catheter from the femoral artery in the thigh to the uterine arteries and releases small embolic agents, beads or sponges, to cut off blood supply, causing fibroids to shrink and bleeding to subside.
Radiofrequency Ablation of Fibroids: When fibroids are identified as the main contributor to menstrual bleeding, this minimally invasive method uses controlled radiofrequency energy to heat and reduce the fibroid mass. Our practice favors a no-incision technique via the vaginal canal, which allows direct treatment of fibroids while minimizing recovery time. As the treated fibroids break down, the body gradually reabsorbs the tissue.

Surgical Treatments

Myomectomy: When fibroids are the root cause of heavy menstrual bleeding, a myomectomy can effectively eliminate them while keeping the uterus intact, making it a preferred option for those who wish to maintain fertility. Our team specializes in performing this procedure using a minimally invasive laparoscopic method, which involves only small external cuts and typically allows for quicker recovery.
Hysterectomy: In situations where bleeding is extreme or unresponsive to other therapies, a hysterectomy, the complete surgical removal of the uterus, may be considered. As a lasting solution to abnormal uterine bleeding, this procedure is also available through a laparoscopic technique, requiring only tiny 1 cm incisions and no overnight hospital stay.

What To Expect During Your Appointment

When you come in for your first appointment, our focus will be on gaining a thorough understanding of what you’ve been experiencing. To begin, your provider will guide you through a detailed conversation, asking about your menstrual patterns, how often your periods occur, how long they last, and how intense the bleeding tends to be. We’ll also explore whether you’ve been having any accompanying symptoms such as cramping, exhaustion, or passing clots. These insights are crucial in helping us form a complete picture of your health and to guide the next steps in your evaluation.

Following this discussion, we’ll typically proceed with a physical examination, which includes a pelvic exam to assess any visible or palpable abnormalities that might be contributing to the excessive bleeding. Depending on what we find, or if further clarification is needed, we may recommend additional diagnostic tests. These could include lab work to screen for issues like iron deficiency anemia, thyroid dysfunction, or potential clotting disorders.

Most patients will also undergo a pelvic ultrasound, which gives us detailed imaging of the uterus and surrounding structures, helping to detect fibroids, uterine polyps, or any anatomical issues. If we need an even closer look at the uterine lining, a hysteroscopy might be advised to directly visualize the inside of the uterus.

Once we’ve gathered all the necessary information, we’ll walk you through your personalized treatment options, taking the time to explain every recommendation and answer all your questions. At every step, our goal is to ensure you feel confident, informed, and well cared for throughout your evaluation and beyond.

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When to Seek Treatment for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Recognizing when your period has become more than just a monthly inconvenience is key to protecting your health. If you’re noticing any of the signs listed below, it may be time to consult a medical professional for a comprehensive evaluation and care:

Your menstrual flow continues for more than a week
You're needing to replace a tampon or pad every hour over multiple consecutive hours
You regularly pass clots that are unusually large in size during your period
Your cramps are so intense they interfere with daily tasks and coincide with heavy bleeding
You often feel weak, dizzy, or unusually tired around your period, possible signs of iron-deficiency anemia

At The Center for Advanced Gynecology, we’re committed to identifying the source of these symptoms through advanced diagnostics and compassionate care. Our experienced team is here to help you manage and treat heavy menstrual bleeding so you can regain energy, comfort, and confidence in your daily life.

Why Choose The Center For Advanced Gynecology

If you’re in Richmond, VA and seeking thoughtful, expert-driven women’s health care, you’ll find dedicated support at The Center for Advanced Gynecology. Since 2018, we’ve been here to offer you a broad range of gynecologic services, combining our clinical expertise with a compassionate, patient-first approach.

For those dealing with persistent pelvic pain, discomfort during intimacy, pudendal neuralgia, or ongoing pain in the vulvar, vaginal, or bladder areas, we provide non-surgical care options designed to restore comfort and quality of life. We understand how disruptive these conditions can be, and we’re here to help you find relief with precision and empathy.

Beyond our specialized services, many women in the Richmond area also turn to us for their ongoing gynecologic needs. Whether it’s routine checkups, cancer screenings, Pap smears, or support during menopause, we’re proud to be a trusted source for hormonal balance evaluations, HRT (hormone replacement therapy), breast health, contraception counseling, management of urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse care. We’re committed to helping you take charge of your health at every stage of life.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If your period consistently requires you to change your pad or tampon nearly every hour for several hours in a row, or you find yourself passing blood clots larger than a quarter, this may fall into the category of heavy menstrual bleeding. It’s more than just an inconvenience. It can impact your energy, comfort, and overall well-being.

Seeking professional care is important if your menstrual periods extend beyond a week, you’re dealing with large clots, or your cramps are so intense they interfere with daily life. Fatigue or dizziness during menstruation could also signal anemia, which deserves medical attention to prevent further complications.

Absolutely. Many women find that hormonal contraceptives such as the pill, patch, or hormonal IUD not only help regulate their menstrual cycle but also significantly reduce bleeding. These treatments work by creating a more stable hormonal environment, which can lessen both flow and symptoms like cramping.

When fibroids develop in or around the uterus, they can make periods much heavier. This is because fibroids increase the surface area of the uterine lining and contribute to elevated blood flow. For some women, this also means longer periods and more discomfort.

Definitely. Non-surgical approaches like hormone-based treatments, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, and iron supplementation for those with low iron levels can be very effective. Your treatment plan will depend on the underlying cause, and at our practice in Richmond, VA, we aim to provide options tailored to your body and your lifestyle.