See how the Ashford Center can help with
Heavy Periods
While bleeding can vary from month to month, consistent heavy, painful, or irregular bleeding is not normal. Heavy periods can cause inconvenience and discomfort while also putting women at an increased risk for medical conditions such as anemia and fatigue. Some signs your period may be considered heavy include: bleeding lasting more than five days, having to use one or more pads or tampons within an hour, and needing to wear more than one pad at a time.
Dr. Clint Ashford and Dr. Rebecca Ashford are experts at helping women find the best solution for their heavy periods.
What Causes Heavy Periods?
Sometimes heavy periods are experienced by women simply due to genetic disposition. On the other hand, various gynecological conditions may be to blame. Fibroids, polyps, PCOS, thyroid issues, and endometriosis are a few of the potential catalysts for an increase in period severity.
Heavy Periods Treatments
Besides a hysterectomy, the only procedure that can permanently stop heavy periods is an advanced endometrial ablation. This procedure is gentle, quick, and requires only light sedation so you can be back to enjoying your life by the next day. The Ashford Center specializes in this FDA-approved technique and can provide a multitude of options.
Call the experts at The Ashford Center today, or schedule a consultation online to learn more about this procedure.
Medical Conditions Commonly Associated With Heavy Periods
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
A cluster of symptoms that occur in women with an imbalance of insulin and androgens.
Endometriosis
This is a health condition where cells that grow in the uterus grow in other parts of the body. They usually grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or tissue lining the pelvis.
Fibroids
Fibroids are tumors in the uterus. They can cause strange periods, but sometimes they do not hurt at all.
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Commonly Asked Questions
What is Low Libido?
Low libido means having a low sex drive. The desire to have sex varies enormously between different people, so it’s difficult to define what is normal in a broader sense.
Low libido is only a problem if it’s causing distress and affecting important relationships. Dr.
Clint Ashford and Dr. Rebecca Ashford are specialists in helping women who are having hormonal imbalance problems, including low libido. They are committed to providing compassionate and effective care and will customize a treatment plan that is right for each unique patient.
What are Fibroids?
Fibroids are benign growths inside the muscle portion of the uterus. Women who have fibroids are usually unaware of them because they experience no symptoms. Fibroids usually don’t affect the ability to conceive or have a successful pregnancy, and they often cause no problems at all.
It’s possible for fibroids to develop at any time until menopause, and they can vary in size from microscopic to being large enough to push the walls of the uterus out of shape. There can be one or many fibroids, and a mixture of different sizes at the same time.
How Does Advanced Endometrial Ablation Help With Endometriosis?
Advanced Endometrial Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that gently removes the hormonally active lining of the uterus, the endometrium. Because the endometrium is responsible for part of the cascade of hormones during the cycle and is also producing neuroactive peptides responsible for dysmenorrhea and PMS, removing the endometrium can prevent stimulation of the cells growing outside of the uterus and thus can decrease monthly pain. Research by Dr. Ashford and his team has demonstrated that Advanced Endometrial Ablation can relieve symptoms of monthly pain and PMS for most women.
The experienced team at The Ashford Center has treated thousands of women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis, and their goal is to give each woman the help she needs to navigate this painful condition.
For women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis and have completed childbearing, Advanced Endometrial Ablation is a safe and effective treatment option.
If you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis and you’re searching for ways to ease your symptoms, call The Ashford Center or schedule a consultation online today.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition that develops when endometrial tissue (the hormonally sensitive tissue lining the inside of the uterus) begins to grow outside the uterine cavity. These patches of endometriosis most often grow on the outer wall of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Although it’s not as common, endometriosis can also grow on the connective tissues in the abdomen, bladder, intestines, and elsewhere.
While there are several theories about how uterine tissue ends up outside the uterus, many experts believe that some of the menstrual blood flows backward, going through the fallopian tubes and out into the abdominal cavity. By some undetermined mechanism, endometrial cells then begin growing in areas where they’re not intended to grow. In general, a woman’s immune system reacts to this inappropriate growth by causing inflammation and pain.
How long does bloating typically last?
Most women typically experience bloating well before the start of their period and will stop immediately once menstruating begins or for a few days into it.
How does Advanced Endometrial Ablation relieve painful periods?
Advanced Endometrial Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that removes the tissues that line the inside of the uterus, the endometrium. During a painful period the endometrium is usually thickened, causing a heavy or prolonged flow. It is also the source of neuropeptide toxins that get into the bloodstream as the endometrium breaks down. In addition, the endometrium can be the cause of imbalanced hormone production during the cycle which can cause pain and other PMS symptoms. The one minimally-invasive procedure that can permanently relieve painful periods is the innovative Advanced Endometrial Ablation procedure. Dr. Clint Ashford has performed thousands of these procedures and is a leading expert in the field of endometrial ablation techniques. His trusted experience has brought patients from all over the Southeast who are searching for help with their painful and often debilitating periods.
If you suffer from painful periods, call The Ashford Center or book a consultation online today to learn if Advanced Endometrial Ablation can help you.
Why do periods cause bloating?
The primary cause of bloating is hormones. PMS begins during the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. The hormones estrogen and progesterone will fluctuate, and the lining of your uterus gets thicker.
When should you see a doctor?
If you are experiencing bloating that does not go away after your period and/or if it is severe enough to affect your daily life.
Does Endometrial Ablation help women diagnosed with Endometriosis?
Yes, especially if the woman’s symptoms cluster before or during periods.
What are Fibroids and can they be the cause of my heavy periods?
Maybe. But though the fibroids don’t actually bleed, they may cause the lining of the endometrium to bleed more, and bleed irregularly. In most other cases, The Ashford Center is able to perform the Endometrial Ablation procedure for women with fibroids, stopping periods or nearly so, avoiding the need for hysterectomy in most cases. The best way to find out if you're a candidate for Endometrial Ablation is to schedule an appointment.
After Endometrial Ablation, will I ever have another period?
85% of our patients never have another period. The remainder may continue to have a day or two of spotting from time to time, especially if they have fibroids.
I’ve heard that periods cleanse the body of toxins? Is that true?
Yes. As the lining of the uterus (endometrium) degenerates, it does release a toxin that causes many women to experience fluid retention, abdominal bloating, headache, irritability, fatigue, chocolate cravings, as well as other symptoms. The menstrual periods expels these toxins and these symptoms subside. After removal of the endometrium with the Endometrial Ablation procedure toxins are no longer released, and most women’s PMS symptoms go away for good.