Plug Excess Blood Loss in Menstruation

This is a state of abnormal uterine bleeding with pitta vitiating the vayu. These doshas influence menstrual blood and increases discharged blood

CHENNAI: Menorrhagia is irregular and excessive loss of blood during menstruation. It is a problem among all age groups including young girls, working class woman and housewives.

It is the most common type of DUB (dysfunctional uterine bleeding) characterised by prolonged menstrual bleeding.  The 2 types of DUB include ovulatary and anovulatary. Menorrhogia comes under ovulatary DUB.

Symptoms

Menorrhogia results in a blood loss greater than 80 ml per cycle. In general, bleeding is considered excessive when a woman needs to use too many sanitary products (sanitary napkins or tampons) in frequent intervals, that is every one or two hours. In addition, bleeding is considered prolonged when a woman experiences a menstrual period that lasts more than a week.

Causes

• Hormonal  imbalance especially seen in adolescents who are experiencing their first menstrual period and in women approaching menopause.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease. 
• Uterine fibroids.
• Abnormal pregnancy (ie, miscarriage, ectopic).
• Infection, tumors, or polyps in the pelvic cavity.
• Certain birth control devices (ie, intrauterine devices or IUDs).
• Bleeding or platelet disorders.
• High levels of prostaglandins (chemicals which help to control the muscle contractions of the uterus).

Siddha View

Siddha describes perumpaadu which is a condition of abnormal uterine bleeding. The aggravated pitta covers the vayu and vitiated it. These aggravated doshas influence the udal thathu senneer (menstrual blood) and increases the amount of discharged blood.

Home Remedies

• Juice of Asoka bark (Saraca Indica) mixed with curd half to one tea spoon may be given two times a day.
• Juice of thennam poo (coconut flower) 10 ml twice daily.
• Atthi pinchu (country fig-tender) juice 30 ml twice daily.
• Naaval pattai juice (bark of Jamoon tree) 50 ml mixed with equal amount of milk, twice daily for ten days will be useful.

— Dr B Thamizhkkani

(Government Siddha Physician, Ariyalur)