Heavy menstrual bleeding — menorrhagia — is bleeding that is heavy enough to affect your daily life, however much that is. It is very common, often goes untreated for years, and is one of the leading causes of anaemia among women in India. Effective treatments exist. Ayurveda calls it Asrigdara or Raktapradara.
Doctors now define heavy periods by their effect on your life rather than by measuring blood loss. Signs include:
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Changes in the womb | Fibroids (non-cancerous growths), polyps, adenomyosis (lining growing into the muscle); rarely, womb cancer or pre-cancerous thickening, especially after 45 |
| Hormonal | Cycles without ovulation — common in the teens, before menopause, and with PCOS; thyroid disorders |
| Bleeding tendency | Inherited bleeding disorders such as von Willebrand disease — suspect if periods have been heavy since they began, or with easy bruising and nosebleeds |
| Medicines & devices | Blood thinners; a copper IUD (Copper-T) |
| No cause found | In many women, no specific cause is identified — treatment still works |
Every heavy period uses up iron. Over months, iron stores run out and iron-deficiency anaemia develops: tiredness, breathlessness on stairs, headaches, hair loss, pale skin, and a craving to chew ice or eat mud or raw rice (pica). Ask for a haemoglobin and ferritin test. Iron tablets correct the anaemia — take them as prescribed, usually for three months after haemoglobin returns to normal to refill stores — but the bleeding itself also needs treating, or the anaemia returns.
A doctor will ask about your periods and general health, examine you, and usually check haemoglobin and thyroid function. A pelvic ultrasound looks for fibroids and polyps; women over 45, or with bleeding between periods, may need a sample of the womb lining (endometrial biopsy). Treatment options include:
Asrigdara — literally “bursting forth of blood” — is described in Charaka Samhita as excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding, with four types according to the dosha involved. The Pitta type, with hot, heavy, bright bleeding, is the most common. Salty, sour, spicy, fried and fermented food, alcohol, excessive exertion, repeated pregnancy loss, day sleep and strong emotions are listed as causes. Treatment uses cooling, astringent (kashaya) and blood-stopping (raktasthambhana) herbs, diet correction and rest, followed by blood-nourishing care.
Clinical evidence for these herbs is limited. Ashokarishta contains self-generated alcohol. Ashoka bark is frequently adulterated in the market — buy licensed products. Herbs should not delay an ultrasound or, over 45, a biopsy, and should not be used if you might be pregnant.
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Reviewed against NHS: Heavy periods, NHS: Fibroids, NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia, NCCIH: Ayurvedic Medicine, and Ministry of Ayush pharmacovigilance. These links support education and do not replace individual medical advice.