Blood Clots During Period

Understanding Blood Clots During Your Period

What Are Menstrual Blood Clots?

Blood clots are a normal part of having a period for many women. While they may seem alarming, they are usually nothing to worry about. Period blood clots form when coagulated blood and tissue from the uterine lining combine to stop your body from losing too much blood during menstruation, and can vary in appearance.

What Do Menstrual Blood Clots Look Like?

You may experience some changes in the color, size, and consistency of your blood clots throughout your period. At the start, they may be bright red due to the blood flowing quickly, or they may appear darker when your flow is heavier.

Generally, anything smaller than 2.5cm is considered a normal sized clot.

How Common Are Period Blood Clots?

Every individual’s period is different, and your periods may change even throughout your own lifetime. Blood clots, like any other part of your period, can vary for each woman, and there is no such thing as normal.

Factors such as flow, lifestyle, diet, hormonal imbalance, age, and potential health concerns can all play a role in blood clotting.

Causes of Blood Clots During Period

Normal Causes of Blood Clots

When you have a period, your hormones signal to your uterus to begin shedding its lining, often leading to some blood forming clots. Some medications such as anticoagulants, or blood thinners, can also trigger heavier menstrual bleeding and more period clots.

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia)

Some women experience heavier periods than others, and this is completely normal. Heavy bleeding, or menorrhagia, can affect anybody and can contribute to clot formation as your body tries to limit your blood loss.

Common signs of menorrhagia include:

• Bleeding for 7 days+

• Large blood clots during period

• Frequently bleed through clothing or sanitary products within 1-2 hours

• Affects your work and daily life

• Feelings of tiredness and breathlessness 

Hormonal Imbalances

High levels of estrogen can also sometimes cause conditions such as uterine fibroids and polyps, which can in turn cause heavy periods with clots. Perimenopause, PCOS, adenomyosis and thyroid disorders are all other common disorders linked to hormonal imbalance.

If you wish to detect any hormonal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone, try our Mira Wands alongside the Mira Hormone Monitor to test your hormone levels daily. Your daily results will sync automatically to the Mira App, turning your results into real time data individual to you, making it simple to identify any hormonal imbalances that affect menstruation patterns.

Uterine Fibroids and Polyps

Conditions such as fibroids and polyps can affect blood flow and the amount of blood clotting. While blood clotting can be normal to a point, consider medical evaluation, if you’ve had overly heavy periods for a long time, struggle with severe period pain, or other symptoms such as pain when going to the toilet or during sex.

Endometriosis and Adenomyosis

Endometriosis can affect anyone who menstruates, and can affect your menstrual cycle when endometriosis patches break down and bleed, like your uterine lining, but are unable to leave your body. 

Adenomyosis, on the other hand, is a condition where the uterine lining grows in the muscle of the womb, causing heavy or painful periods in a similar way to endometriosis blood clots.

Blood Clotting Disorders

Blood clotting disorders, such as Von Willebrand disease may also be a factor. Usually inherited, this condition prevents blood from clotting properly, leading individuals prone to excessive bleeding, including from cuts, nosebleeds, and periods.

As clots form to manage how much blood you lose, blood clot period bleeding may be a reaction to your body losing more blood than the typical amount.

When to Be Concerned About Blood Clots in Your Period

What Size Clots Are Normal?

While blood clots can vary for each individual, and can also vary throughout each period and stage of life, the biggest period blood clot that’s considered normal is about 2.5cm. Try to notice when you experience anything larger or more frequent than what is normal for you.

Symptoms That Indicate a Problem

If you experience unusual or distressing symptoms, they could be indicators of a potential underlying health concern that may need medical help.

Some key warning signs to look out for:

• Severe pain

• Fatigue

• Heavier or longer periods than usual

• Shortness of breath

When to Seek Medical Help

If you experience some of these symptoms, along with big blood clots during your period, we recommend seeking medical advice. Try keeping track of how long or heavy your period usually is, any pain or symptoms, as well as any medications or medical conditions - providing this information to your doctor, for example, via the Mira App, can help make diagnosis easier.

Your doctor may ask to do a pelvic exam, a blood test, a Pap test, or an ultrasound when evaluating what may be amiss.

How Blood Clots During Your Period Affect Your Health

Anemia and Fatigue

If heavy clotting or bleeding is left untreated for a prolonged period of time, it could lead to low iron levels and anemia. A relatively common condition, anemia is a blood condition that can often bring symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, or weakness. 

If you have iron or vitamin-deficient anemia, increasing your intake of these vital vitamins and minerals can help improve things. Iron, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin C are all key to help prevent anemia caused by heavy blood loss. Try supplements such as our Prenatals, which can help you get a good amount of these vitamins in your daily diet.

Impact on Fertility

Can heavy clotting affect your ability to get pregnant? While heavy periods and clotting don't directly impact your fertility, some underlying conditions which cause the heavy bleeding, such as fibroids, polyps, or endometriosis, can affect conception.

Seek a fertility evaluation if you think the root cause of your heavy clotting could impact your fertility, where a professional can make an official diagnosis and help you with any next steps.

Risks of Leaving Heavy Clotting Untreated

While many experience heavy bleeding or clotting to an extent, there can be some potential complications if menorrhagia is left untreated, sometimes leading to anemia or severe period pain. 

If your heavy clotting is negatively affecting your daily life, or you experience other concerning symptoms, arrange an appointment with your doctor to receive a diagnosis and any necessary treatment.

Natural Remedies to Reduce Blood Clots

Dietary Changes for a Healthy Menstrual Cycle

Sometimes, dietary changes can do wonders for regulating your cycle and any excessive bleeding. If you are struggling with anemia due to your heavy bleeding, here are some essential vitamins and food types you could try incorporating more into your diet:

You could even try incorporating herbal remedies as another natural way to restore balance to your cycle. Our Mira Fertility Tea is USA made and caffeine free, and is a selected blend of high-quality organic ingredients, resulting in a delicious tea packed with hormone balancing properties that can support your fertility wellness and promote a healthy menstrual cycle. 

Supplements for Hormonal Balance

Regulating your hormones could be fundamental to managing heavy periods. Iron, vitamin C, and magnesium are all essential for better circulation, and herbal remedies such as chasteberry and ginger are known for their hormonal balancing properties.

Our PCOS Supplements are another great option if PCOS is contributing to excessive clotting or irregular cycles. Containing the perfect blend of Myo and D-Chiro Inositol, these supplements are designed to support your body’s natural rhythm, promoting hormonal balance and metabolic health, and offer a gentle boost to your daily routine.

Lifestyle Changes to Improve Blood Flow

Something as simple as lifestyle changes may also help with your heavy periods. Exercise, stress management and sleep are all key to your overall health, but also your menstrual health. 

If your heavy clotting or bleeding is due to mild hormonal fluctuations as opposed to conditions that require treatment, losing weight can also help bring balance back to your body if you are overweight or obese.

Medical Treatments for Period Blood Clots

Birth Control and Hormonal Therapy

There are many medical approaches you can take to treat or reduce your menorrhagia. Birth control and hormonal therapy, such as the pill, hormonal IUD, patches or injections, for example, can help regulate hormonal fluctuations and make heavy bleeding less severe.

Our Hormone Health Clinic for Fertility is also a great resource for many women, offering personalized consultations on hormonal imbalances and heavy bleeding and what steps could be best for you.

Medications for Heavy Bleeding

Tranexamic acid and NSAIDs can also help for clot reduction and heavy periods. While you only need to take Tranexamic acid during your period, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen are an option that can also alleviate period cramps.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

There are some minimally invasive procedures that may be necessary in some cases. Endometrial ablation, the removal of the womb lining, can help reduce heavy bleeding. If fibroids are the root cause of your heavy bleeding, removing or shrinking the fibroids may be another option.

Surgery for Severe Cases

Sometimes, more invasive procedures may be necessary. A myomectomy, the removal of fibroids without a hysterectomy, may be appropriate for women with fibroids that severely impact their menstrual health and bleeding.

A hysterectomy involves the total or partial removal of the womb. While this might sound extreme or scary, it is often the last resort, usually considered when it is in the best interest of your health, when there are no other alternatives.

When to Talk to a Doctor and Next Steps

How to Track Your Symptoms Before an Appointment

If you’ve decided to reach out to your doctor for your heavy bleeding, it is recommended to track your symptoms before an appointment to help your doctor understand the problem. 

Using a period tracking app or journal is a popular method. If using an app interests you, try our Mira App and Monitor, a handy tool for tracking cycle patterns, clotting frequency, and temperature shifts, which can provide insights into underlying issues.

There are some common questions you should expect at your consultation, including:

• How long is your overall menstrual cycle?

• Do you experience any other symptoms that concern you?

• How long does each period typically last?

• Do your periods affect your daily life? If so, how?

Tests and Diagnosis Process

To identify the problem, your doctor may carry out some routine tests, including blood tests, ultrasounds, paps, or a hysteroscopy. With these tests, along with the information you have provided, they should be able to confirm a diagnosis.

Choosing the Right Treatment Plan

Once you receive a diagnosis, your doctor will talk you through the next steps. If you can improve symptoms through simple diet or lifestyle changes, you may not need any prescribed medication or procedures.

In more serious cases, your doctor will explain to you the underlying health concern which may be the cause of your heavy clotting, and what the best next steps may be. 

Conclusion

To wrap up, do not be alarmed if you experience some blood clots during periods. It is a natural and normal part of the menstrual cycle for many women.

However, if you are suddenly clotting more heavily than before, your clots are large or excessive, and you also experience other unusual symptoms, reach out to your medical professional for a consultation and medical evaluation.

Remember that you do not need to suffer with your period, and it should not severely impact your daily life. If you feel like you need support or advice, always communicate any concerns you may have with your doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jelly-like blood clots during period, is it normal?

You may notice your blood clots may have a jelly-like consistency, which is totally normal, and something most women experience.

What do blood clots look like?

Blood clots are typically the size of a dime or a quarter, and can often seem bright or dark red.

Can large clots during menstruation be a sign of hormonal imbalance?

Unusually large clots could be a sign of hormonal imbalance, or another underlying health concern. Contact your doctor if you are concerned.

How to prevent large blood clots during menstruation?

You may want to seek treatment if your clots are unusually large. The first step is to speak with your doctor, who can identify the main cause and any necessary treatment you may need.