There are many reasons for heavy painful periods. While period cramps and heaviness are definitely common, that doesn’t mean that they are normal. Any sort of pain is a sign from your body to investigate an imbalance in the body.
Endometriosis is an extreme case of period pain and requires a medical diagnosis. This condition has life-disrupting period pain and heaviness characterized by a growth of uterine tissue somewhere else in the body.
A heavy period consists of...
1. A period lasting longer than 7 days
2. Losing more than 80 mL of blood per cycle (or 16 regular tampons or pads)
3. Changing tampons or pads every hour or two
4. Needing to double up on period protection products
5. Having to wake up to change your tampon or pad in the night
6. Planning activities around your heavy period
7. Blood clots the size of a quarter or bigger