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Types of Uterine Bleeding Dysfunction

The following is a brief explanation – largely definitions – of when bleeding occurs for a female that is more than just the “normal bleeding” that occurs for most women.

Often, women try to compare bleeding cycles with family members and their friends. This can be a good and bad thing. What is normal to one person may not be normal to another.

Learn more here about: Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding

Normal Bleeding

The first thing you should notice with bleeding – it the amount of bleeding change that you are experiencing from say last month or the last six months.

If we are going to define – Normal bleeding – then let’s define it as follows. It is the menstruation that is seen for approximately 2-7 days – the cycle between menstruation is every 21-35 days.

Changes to Normal Bleeding

Definitions: 

1.)  Menorrhagia – Greater than 7 days or more than 80mL in a day that occurs regularly

2.)  Metrorrhagia – bleeding that occurs irregularly and more frequent than typical

3.)  Menometrorrhagia – Prolonged or excessive bleeding occurs irregularly and more frequent than typical

4.)  Intermenstrual bleeding (spotting) – bleeding of small amounts that occur between menstrual periods

5.)  Polymenorrhea – bleeding that occurs at regular cycles – most often less than every 21 days

6.)  Oligomenorrhea – bleeding that occurs less often than regular – typically seen at 35 days to 6 months

7.)  Amenorrhea – No bleeding for 6 months or longer

Could Bleeding Indicate Cancer?

In some rare cases, the answer is yes. But all bleeding is not cancer. Even if it is not cancer, it still might be something serious. 

At the same time, it might turn out to be nothing serious at all. This is the complexity of abnormal bleeding.

It is important to really be in tune with your bleeding cycle and amount. If you have yet to go through menopause – bleeding is less likely to be cancer. But, if it becomes excessive, extremely painful

But more importantly, if you have gone through menopause and you start bleeding – you really need to get a full workup.