Heavy periods aren’t normal in teens – and might indicate a serious concern

Having heavy periods can be a dreadful experience for preteen girls and young women, from feeling embarrassed for needing multiple bathroom breaks to experiencing frustration when leakage ruins a favorite pair of jeans, to name just two uncomfortable situations. In fact, excessive bleeding can impact young women’s lives on multiple fronts, affecting their academic performance, social interactions, ability to play sports, and more.

Many young women suffer through heavy periods not realizing they could be a sign of something more serious. Our goal is to help these patients optimize their health and regain a higher quality of life by getting the appropriate diagnosis and treatment from experts who know the symptoms to look for.

Understanding Why When There’s HMB (heavy menstrual bleeding): A Multidisciplinary Approach

In this featured article from Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders, Dr Zia shares her multidisciplinary approach in the “The Young Women’s Blood Disorders Program” at Children's Health, Dallas.

“Many combined clinics are seeing patients after diagnosis of a bleeding disorder. I have access to patients before diagnosis,” she says. “The main problem adolescents face with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is underdiagnosis. I wanted a pathway for girls with HMB to see a hematologist, not just a gynecologist.”