Abnormal Uterine Bleeding – A Symptom to worry about?
We Women, being special, do have a lot of health problems regarding menstrual cycles. One third of those, responsible for us meeting a gynaecologist, is Abnormal uterine bleeding – a term which refers to menstrual bleeding of abnormal amount, duration and/or schedule.
A normally scheduled menstrual cycle occurs every 21 to 35 days and the duration of bleed is between 2 and 7 days. So, contact a gynaecologist if you.
- have a period that lasts more than 7 days
- soak through a pad or a tampon every 1 or 2 hrs
- need to change your pad or tampon during the night
- pass clots of size more than 1 inch
- bleed in between periods
- have bleeding after you have not had periods for at least a year
- have any of the following symptoms along with heavy periods
-> feeling weak and tired
-> having trouble breathing when you exercise
-> feeling your heart beat too fast when you exercise
This can occur in women of any age group and the causes vary too. They are
- one of your ovaries not releasing an egg during one or more months (a condition called PCOD – a common hormonal disturbance)
- growths in the uterus called “polyps” and “fibroids”
- a problem with functioning of your thyroid gland
- pregnancy related disorders like incomplete abortion, ectopic pregnancy
- a bleeding disorder that prevents your blood from clotting – like a low platelet count or rarely a leukemia (blood cancer)
- cancer of the uterus or cervix
- side effects of some medication like birth control pills or blood thinners or copper T.
The cause of the bleeding could be evaluated by your doctor by doing certain investigations apart from the general and physical examination which include blood tests to evaluate your haemoglobin levels, thyroid function, ultrasonography to see for any structural abnormalities, biopsy to obtain a tissue sample and hysteroscopy.
The treatment is individualised and it mainly depends on the age of the patient, whether she wants to conceive in the near future and the underlying cause of the bleeding; which includes medical and surgical management.
If there are no structural causes, medical therapy often can restore regular menstrual cycles. There are many treatments available today like hormonal pills, injectables, intra uterine devices etc. The structural abnormalities of the reproductive tract like polyps, fibroids or scar tissue can be treated by hysteroscopy, surgical removal of the growth per se or the entire uterus if necessary. Latest modalities of treatment include UAE (Uterine Artery Embolisation) and MRgFUS (Magnetic Resonance guided Focussed UltraSound). Hysterectomy, removal of entire uterus is the last resort if bleed is not controlled by medical treatment or conservative surgical procedure.
About Dr B. Kali Kumari:
She has joined as the senior most obstetrician & gynaecologist in Omni RK Hospital,Visakhapatnam after gaining lot of experience working as assistant professor/civil assistant surgeon at Andhra Medical College/King George hospital, Visakhapatnam followed by full-time consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist at seven hills hospital, Visakhapatnam with a vast expertise of more than 20 years in private and public sector.
Her passion is for conducting normal deliveries with a very minimal caesarean section rate without jeopardizing the health of mother and baby. This will be possible with continuous monitoring by a dedicated team of doctors, obstetrician, anaesthetist and paediatrician working 24×7 here in this hospital.
Education, empathy and experience are her mottoes in giving utmost care to the patient.
She has conducted more than 2500 deliveries and 1000 hysterectomies in the last 12 years.
She has managed complicated obstetric cases like eclampsia, aph, gdm, recurrent pregnancy loss with a high success rate. Recently managed peripartum cardiomyopathy with 20% ejection fraction and saved the life of mother and newborn.
She has operated on complicated ectopics like cervical pregnancy, cornual pregnancy, ruptured uterus, pph with dic etc.
In addition to her professional skills, “tender loving care and ethical management while treating patients gives me utmost satisfaction as an obstetrician and gynaecologist” says Dr. B. Kali Kumari
About OMNI RK Super Speciality Hospital:
Omni RK Super speciality hospital was established with an intention of being a comprehensive & cost-effective chain of hospitals that provides super speciality services with warmth and care. It is owned by the health care division of INCOR Group in association with Dr. Radha Krishna Kandula in 2012 with a 150 bed super speciality hospital in Vishakapatnam .
Since its inception, the hospital has set up over 30 specialities including Cardiology, CT Surgery, Orthopedics, Ortho oncology, Paediatric and Neonatal care, General Medicine and General Surgery, Urology and Nephrology, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, and many more high-end specialities.
Functional for over 5 years, the hospital has been successful in creating a unique identity of its own as a professional medical care provider with a strong adherence to ethics and a clear focus on bettering the health and lifestyle of the community that it operates in.