Endometrial ablation can improve the discomfort and distress caused by heavy periods
At Live Oak Women’s Health, we combine compassionate care and clinical expertise to ensure that our patients can be their best selves at every stage of life. For teens who have gone through puberty and young women in their child-bearing years, heavy periods can often wreak havoc on daily living. Our San Antonio women’s practice can diagnose and treat these menstrual irregularities, using procedures such as endometrial ablation to relieve symptoms.
What causes irregular periods?
Once a young girl undergoes puberty, her ovaries release an egg each month, and the uterine lining thickens in preparation for pregnancy. If conception doesn’t happen, the uterus sheds the built-up tissue, and a period occurs. Usually, women have a menstrual cycle every 28 to 32 days. Unfortunately, some women struggle with irregular periods, which can mean missed, delayed, heavy or abnormal cycles.
There are several common reasons for menstrual irregularities.
- Hormone imbalances, such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
- Premature ovarian failure
- Physical abnormalities, such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids
- Thyroid disorders
- Extreme weight gain or loss
How do we treat heavy periods?
Before recommending treatment, our San Antonio women’s practice doctors will review your medical history and run necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis, which may involve a pelvic ultrasound, endometrial biopsy or hysteroscopy. Management of heavy periods will depend on the causes of the problem. Your physician may suggest pain medicines for cramping; hormone therapy to regulate your cycles; or surgery, such as endometrial ablation, to curtail the bleeding.
What is endometrial ablation?
If hormone treatment doesn’t reduce your heavy bleeding, you may want to explore endometrial ablation, an outpatient surgical procedure that removes tissue from the uterine lining. With this procedure, your doctor inserts a slender tool through the vagina into the uterus and uses heated fluids, extreme cold, or high-energy radiofrequencies to destroy the uterine lining. In most cases, the in-office procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes, and no anesthesia is needed.
What to know before you undergo this treatment
Women considering this procedure should not have an active pelvic infection, be at an increased risk for uterine cancer, or have any plans to conceive again. After an ablation, you can still get pregnant; however, it’s dangerous for mother and baby, so our doctors recommend permanent birth control. Most patients experience mild cramping and light bleeding after surgery, and then return to normal activities in 24 to 48 hours.
If irregular periods are making your life miserable, our San Antonio women’s practice doctors can help. We will review treatment options, including endometrial ablation, and create a customized plan to improve your quality of life. Contact our office to make an appointment.
