Go With The Flow

Home Remedies to Stop Prolonged Periods

Sometimes, it can feel like your period is lasting forever. That's because it really is! Let's explore what prolonged periods are and how to stop prolonged periods.

Prolonged Periods Defined

A prolonged period is a prolonged menstrual bleeding that lasts for more than seven days at a time and makes you bleed more than 40 ml of blood. It makes women change pads quite often because they soak through pads quickly. If you soak through a pad an hour, you experience really heavy bleeding.

Symptoms of Prolonged Periods

Before we dive into the home remedies, let’s take a look at what you might be experiencing. Here are the signs and symptoms of prolonged periods:

Periods lasting longer than 7 days.
Soaking through a sanitary pad or tampon an hour for several hours in a row.
Needing to double up on sanitary protection to manage the heavy flow.
Having to stay at home due to heavy menstrual flow.
Feeling symptoms of anemia, such as feeling tired, exhausted, or short of breath.

Why Do Women Experience Prolonged Period?

Did you know that more than half of menstruating women experience a heavier flow than normal? Prolonged periods are, in fact, quite common.What are the reasons behind a prolonged period? A Prolonged period might be caused due to:

Hormone imbalance
Dysfunction of the ovaries
Uterine fibroids
Polyps
Adenomyosis
Intrauterine device (IUD)
Medications

Natural Home Remedies for Prolonged Periods

How to stop periods naturally? Here are a few home remedies for long periods that might help:

Take in more vitamin C

Taking in more vitamin C can help your body absorb iron and save you from anemia. It is a condition which can be caused due to really low blood volume in your body, and is fatal. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits. You can also have vitamin C from kiwis, strawberries, tomatoes, etc.

Consider vitamin A

The daily recommended dose of vitamin A is 1 mg. Some studies have shown that a lack of vitamin A in women's diets can cause heavy bleeding. Foods such as goat cheese, cod liver oil, sweet potato, spinach, carrot contain high amounts of vitamin A.

Add more iron to your diet

Some research has shown that lack of iron in your body might be contributing to heavy periods. Take iron from natural food sources, supplements or simply cook in iron pots and pans. You also lose out on a lot of iron when you are experiencing prolonged menstrual bleeding. Eat foods rich in iron content such as beef, spinach, beans, chicken, etc.

Take ginger

A research conducted has shown that consuming small amounts of ginger every day for a period of three months can help reduce period flow. Put a small amount of crushed ginger in your kadak masala chai every morning.

Drink more water

If you have been bleeding heavily for a few days now, your blood volume might have gone too low. Drink more water to maintain your blood volume. To balance out the extra water you are drinking, add more salt to your diet or drink a Gatorade solution.

Apply icepack

Placing a cold compress on your abdomen can help constrict blood vessels which reduces period flow. It also helps in numbing pain, swelling and inflammation.

OTC medications

How to stop prolonged menstrual bleeding? Some over-the-counter pain medications can help in reducing period bleeding. These drugs can also help ease period cramps. You can combine them with other medications for better relief from heavy, prolonged period bleeding.

Include soy foods in your diet

Soy foods are considered one of the best home remedy to stop long periods, and rightfully so. Soy foods contain phytoestrogens or ‘plant estrogens,’ which can regulate hormonal imbalance and bring your periods back on track. Consume soy foods such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, soybeans, soy chunks, etc.

Try flaxseeds

Flaxseeds help regularise the ovulation process and flushes out excess estrogen from the body that contributes to heavy periods, making them one of the best Indian home remedies to stop prolonged periods immediately. Flaxseeds can also boost low levels of estrogen, so if you’re looking to bring your periods back to normal, include flaxseeds in your diet.

Are There Any Side Effects of These Home Remedies?

While these remedies are generally safe, it's essential to consult with your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet or lifestyle, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take medications.

Pro Tips and Tricks to Deal with Prolonged Periods

Here are a few things you can do to manage your heavy periods better:

Keep an extra pair of clothing for a quick fix in case of accidents.
Keep extra menstrual products too for those heavy days.
Avoid any light coloured pants, shorts, skirts, etc.
Use old blankets and bedsheets just in case.
Exercise; it may sound hard but exercising really helps alleviate prolonged period symptoms.
Use heating pads or hot water bottles to manage period cramps.
If there are blood stains, use cold water along with stain removers.
Air dry your sheets or pants; using a dryer can set the stain in permanently.
Journal how much you bleed, how long you bleed, number of menstrual products you use, physical and mental symptoms that accompany prolonged periods, home remedies you’re trying, medications you’re taking, etc.

When to Seek Medical Help?

If you don't notice any changes with these remedies and your prolonged period bleeding continues, see a doctor immediately. You also need to see a doctor if you:

Notice large clots in your period blood
Bleed in between periods
Feel very tired or short of breath

If you’re looking up “how to stop periods immediately home remedies?” then we hate to break it to you: No natural remedies for prolonged periods will immediately stop your periods. It’s going to take a while for the bleeding to lessen. What might help till then is a sanitary pad that is able to take all your flow. A RIO pad for instance, was engineered to take the heaviest of flows. It also: