I get heavy periods and feel very tired. What should I do? (Query)

I am a 45-year-old female. Since the past few months, my periods have been irregular with heavy bleeding. Earlier I used to complete my daily chores without any problems but nowadays I feel fatigued and weak as well. What can be done to deal with it? Is there any reason to worry? Dr Nupur Gupta, Gynaecologist and obstetrician, Well Woman Clinic, Gurgaon, says, ‘Before you hit menopause, you experience premenopausal symptoms like hot flashes and irregular periods. And then gradually you have light bleeding and irregular periods as you hit menopause. However, heavy bleeding is not a sign of menopause. Instead, it might indicate your risk of malignancy (cancer) and in such case, consult a doctor or a gynaecologist to rule out your likelihood of cancer.’ So if you have delayed cycle or heavy periods, these might act as a warning sign of an underlying disease. While cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva might be a reason, non-cancerous or pre-cancerous conditions that could cause heavy bleeding include fibroids or polyps of the lower genital tract and uterus or hormonal imbalance. Also, it might indicate a higher chance of ovarian cancer. Read about early menopause and how to avoid it? Here are some tips from Dr Nupur to deal with fatigue during periods. Pay attention to your nutrition: As you age, your nutritional requirement also changes. Make sure you eat protein-rich foods as you get closer to menopause. Also, increase your intake of soya products. Here are 4 reasons why soy is a wonder food during menopause. Take supplements: Do you take supplements? If not, then start taking them from today. Because your body needs around 1000 mg of calcium and 21 mg iron daily to carry out its daily functions. And it is not possible to get the daily dose of these minerals only through diet. So ensure you don’t miss out your daily dose of supplements. Exercise without fail: And the last but most important factor to lower the severity of various symptoms before or during menopause is to exercise. Yes, exercising daily for just 30 minutes is all you need to be fit and healthy. You can even do yoga asanas like pranayama or brisk walking five days a week. Here's how yoga can help you to manage menopause symptoms. Image Source: Shutterstock

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