Nov 4, 2025
3 Sneaky Signs Your Period Is Heavier Than Normal
You might think you’re just “the heavy flow type.” Maybe you’ve always packed an extra pad in your bag, learned to wear dark clothes during “those days,” and accepted that your period means discomfort, mess, and exhaustion.
But what if your body has been signalling distress and you’ve been trained to ignore it?
For many women, abnormally heavy periods (Menorrhagia) go unnoticed for years. It’s not because we don’t care. It’s because we’ve been told that pain and inconvenience are just part of being female. We downplay what we feel, tell ourselves “it’s always been like that,” and keep pushing through.
But a heavy period isn’t an identity. It’s a symptom. Recognising it early can change everything: from your energy to your long-term health.
1️⃣ You’re changing pads or tampons every 1–2 hours
If you need to double up protection, set alarms at night, or avoid white sheets during your period, it’s a red flag. You shouldn’t have to rearrange your life around blood loss.
Medically, soaking through one pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive hours counts as heavy bleeding. Over time, this can lead to iron deficiency, fatigue, or even anaemia — which explains why you might feel “drained” even after your period ends.
2️⃣ Your period lasts longer than 7 days, and still feels unfinished
Most healthy periods wrap up within three to seven days. If you find yourself spotting for a week and a half or more, it’s a sign your uterine lining isn’t shedding and repairing properly.
There can be many causes, from hormonal imbalance to fibroids or endometrial issues, but what matters most is not ignoring it.
When bleeding stretches out this long, your body’s recovery window between cycles shrinks. That means your next period often arrives before you’ve fully replenished. It’s a quiet loop of depletion that can affect your mood, focus, and overall resilience.
3️⃣ Your period interferes with daily life
If your period dictates what you wear, where you go, or whether you can exercise, it’s not “just the way it is.” It’s your body asking for attention.
Many women build entire coping systems around their symptoms: backup outfits, constant painkillers, “don’t plan anything this week” reminders. But coping isn’t the same as healing.
What’s happening behind the scenes?
Heavy periods can happen for different reasons. Sometimes it’s a hormone imbalance (too much oestrogen), which can make the womb lining thicker and bleeding heavier. Other times, it’s because an egg isn’t released (no ovulation) or there’s heavy bleeding with no clear reason. Fibroids, polyps, thyroid problems, or other health issues can also cause heavy periods.
The key isn’t to self-diagnose. It’s to recognise patterns and bring them up confidently in consultations.
You’re not overreacting
There’s a silent epidemic of women enduring excessive bleeding as if it’s normal. But normal doesn’t mean common. Just because many women experience it doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
Your period shouldn’t feel like a crisis every month. You shouldn’t fear standing up in meetings or dread walking to the bathroom.
Your body deserves more than endurance. It deserves understanding.
If this sounds familiar:
You’re not alone. Thousands of women are realising the same thing — that “normal” isn’t always healthy.
Your story helps make the invisible visible; helping other women recognise what’s happening and guiding better care for all. Every story helps highlight what’s under-researched and shows that “normal” isn’t always healthy.
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